YEAREND quiz

Actually the quiz is just about the word YEAREND. It has two anagrams, one you can find by squinting at the word, the other not.

While you're trying to figure it out, here are some YEAR extensions:

MIDYEAR(S)
MULTIYEAR (no S)
YESTERYEAR(S)

YEARBOOK(S)
YEARLONG (no S)

Reading is good for you

I just finished another paperback, The Book of Air and Shadows, by Michael Gruber. It was what one might consider a step above light reading since I think the author is a bit more intelligent than most of the crime/suspense novel writers out there. Anyways, my point is this- even when I read fluffy novels I tend to pick up new words. Here are a few I gleaned from this book:
CDEHIIV
ACEILLOP
AABDEGIN
AAKNOR
ACEIJNRR
EEILNPRV
AELMMSY
AEGMOXY
AAFGORR
AAEPPRT
as a bonus, which one doesn't take an S? (other than the past tense verb)

Things (re)learned at club last night

I should have gone 5-0, but ended up 3-2 due to the following errors:
1. Didn't challenge JOISTERS*
2. In the same game, when it came down to the endgame, I held both of the last U's and I's. Opponent has Q and Z on rack. He plays (FA)KIR down to the TWS row. I proceed to play NOI(R), WITH THE TRIPLE LETTER SCORE SPACE BETWEEN TWO I'S!!! I think I still had a chance to Z-stick him after that, but I was so mad at myself, I blew that too.
3. In another game, I saw a spot for my out play of GEE/ET, then proceeded to miss it on the very next turn (he blocked another spot which made me think it was the only one). My only defense on this one is that I was playing two games at once, hadn't tracked and was not 100% focused. But annoying nonetheless.
4. There is a good word in DOORMANS*.
That is all.

A note for feedburner subscribers...

Hey folks, I"m changing the feed address to http://feeds.feedburner.com/scrabblepodcast, I didn't realize that it still was called 'weeklyscrabblerblog' on there. Hope you migrate!

Today's Etymology Lesson

So I hail from a middle class CT family where birdwatching is a traditional activity I grew up with (which has helped me find words such as EIDER and AVOCET), so naturally I (and my parents) want my kids to follow in my footsteps. While looking in a bird book my son got for Christmas, I noticed the Latin name for certain wrens, of the genus Troglodyte. 'Troglodyte?', I thought, 'I thought that was an insult?' It is- troglodyte means 'cave-dweller', and usually it's used to insult someone, on the same level as calling them a 'frickin' Neanderthal', as one of my friends would put it. So how is a genus of birds called this, you ask? Well, courtesy of wikipedia, here you are:
Etymology: Ancient Greek τρωγλοδύτες "cave-dwellers", from trogle (τρώγλη) "hole" + dyein (δυειν) "to enter". In reference to the tendency of these wrens to enter small crevices as they search for food.


Oh, and also, TROG means 'hooligan', according to Zyzzyva. Interestingly, it's anagram is GROT, which is a grotto, or cave.

Episodes out!

December episode available for purchase, link is above.

November episode is now on iTunes for free.

Almost awesome.

My brother, cousin and I have an inside joke we use when we play disc golf and a shot goes nearly perfect- we say "that was almost awesome". Of course, often in disc golf, the difference between an awesome shot and an almost awesome one is the presence of a large tree.

Picture this: one of us launches a flying disc into the air, it soars in a perfect arc, heading directly towards the target... until CLUNK it slams in a large branch and drops straight to the earth. One of us dryly states, "that was almost awesome."  This reminds me a lot of scrabble.

How often do you have that near-perfect rack for a bingo, where you think to yourself 'if only that (insert letter here) was a (insert letter here), I'd be able to play (insert ultra-low probability word here)!' Now part of this, of course, is just the discipline of seeing possible plays, and is bound to happen. 

Along these lines, I thought I would take a play from club last night where I would have had such a play if my rack was one letter different. Except in the magical world of annotated games, I decided to actually give myself the correct rack. See if you can find the play here.

And while your at it, feel free to add your own almost awesome tales.

Double Blank Quiz

My opening rack is AEPPX??, and FIB is on the board.

Can you find the bingo? What if the opening play was FOB?

Found word of the day: ACEONTV

Literally found this coin under my couch... it's not actually that random, though, my wife went on a service project trip to Guatemala last March...

Things I learned at club this (last) week

1. THOU is a verb!!!

2. There are 4 bingos through a P if you have AENNOT?

3. AEEMNUS through an R has a cool bingo.

4. AENRSUY has an anagram.

5. IJOSUU? plays through a B!!!

I've discovered that if I miss these things (most of them I didn't know), I'm still doing a decent job of finding the best non-bingo play. So that's good, I guess.

I played a game against a new(er)comer and drew a challenge on URETHAN/TOPHE. Later I  played ANGARAS* (looking now I know it's a phony, but in the moment I just confused it with ANGORAS) and he left it on. I felt bad afterward, but I was having a really high scoring game and didn't want to hold back on trying something just because I suspected he might not challenge. (He had also lost a turn for playing EE*) I suppose I could have told him he could have free challenges, but I wasn't sure what his skill level was when we started, and also, the last time I did that I ended up losing the game! Ah well, regardless of that, I was happy with my play, I scored over 400 in my other two games and bingoed 3 times (legitimately) in those.

Link of the day

Just added this to the 'helpful links' section:


'Polyorths' are words that have more than one spelling. Check this list out if you've ever said 'wait, I didn't know you could spell it THAT way, too!?'

Found word of the day EILLMNU

courtesy once again of audubon magazine's nature calendar...

MULLEIN a eurasian herb

bonus quiz: MILLEIN + D,I,or O

Cancun found word of the day 4

ACEMLZ





Last one, folks. Also spelled MESCAL...

All Tequila is Mezcal, but not all Mezcal is Tequila. —Tequila marketing mantra

Cancun found word of the day 3

AAALPPS




I actually didn't know the name for these, a friend of mine commented on them when I posted the pics on Facebook.

Cancun found word of the day 2

ACIOT


This is kind of like a mexican raccoon (not really, I'm just making that up)- except for some reason these seem a little more trustworthy, to me. There's a cool way to extend the word too:
ACDIIMNOTU

Cancun found word of the day

AAAHIPTY


Ok, they served this fruit most days at the breakfast buffet we went to, and it is AWESOME! It can also be spelled AAIPTY, and is often called DRAGONFRUIT* (sadly, with the asterisk.) Taste and consistency of a less citrusy kiwi fruit. If anyone knows of somewhere in the U.S. that sells these, I'm all ears.

CANCUN + ??

Well since there's no 7s from CANCUN, I had to make this an 8 letter quiz. There's only one answer.

I'll be posting a few Mexico-trip-related words over the next day or two.

What I learned at club this week

-There is no 4 letter front extension to THOLE. (lots of 3 letter ones, though, and BUT isn't one of them, sadly.)

-SPREE is not a verb. (would have tried it if I got ING, and my opponent wasn't sure if they'd challenge.)

-when you don't see AEINRRS in your flashcards for a while, you may end up ripping out your hair over the fact that you know it forms a word while the little Samtimer clock laughs at you and keeps counting down.

-LORrAINE* is a phony, and if you take a few more seconds, you'll find that there are a dozen other playable bingos on the board.

-AAINOV? has another bingo in it besides OVARIAN. (I needed it to play to an S.)

-OVOLI is the plural of OVOLO (how did I know the first one and not the second?)

Episode 63 is out!

But it costs 82 cents! Be nice to me and purchase it at the 'Full November Episode' page listed above.

Link of the day

This links to the text of the OSPD, which is helpful if you're looking for a list of trees, or something like that. Thanks to listener Gary for sending this to me a while ago.

Dictionary text

This probably won't ever happen again...

At club last night, I had an unusual situation come up: my opponent made a parallel play that accidentally formed the phoney UA*, and I somehow didn't see it. I was down later in the game thanks to two consecutive bingos on her part, and was able to come up with a cool setup, leading to a win. See if you can spot it:

http://www.cross-tables.com/annotated.php?u=7370#18

Low Probability Word of the Day: ABHIKLOR

Brought to you by the last day of our CSA farm share.

Find the bingo Quiz

Two bingo lanes open: one is a two-tile overlap over JEE, the other through or ending with M.

Your rack is DDEILS? Ready? Go!

Post how long it took you, if you'd like.

Found Extension of the Day: EFGOOOOST

Some person in the town I work in has put up little stickers around town saying 'you can eat dandelions', and I think this is their work:



GOOSEFOOT can be extended from GO, GOO, OS, OSE, EF, OOT, or FOOT.

Pronounced with a Swedish accent, I believe, but still cool...

Things I learned at club this week

1. There is only one 6 that fits this pattern: ???DEY

2. There are a LOT of 6's that fit this one: ?????U

3. KATES* is not a word, you dope. (held, didn't challenge. and I knew KATE wasn't good, but inexplicably chickened out.)

4. There is a bingo in ELSSTT? through EN.

5. When there is a K above a TWS, you need to try harder to find 4 letter K words, even if your rack is full of crap. (KIWI, KAMI, KAGU...)

Episode 61 notes

over and out:
OVERKILL /OUTKILL

YY words
YABBY an Australian crayfish
FLYBYs a flight of aircraft close to a specified space
SKYEY resembling the sky
TYIYN $ unit of Kyrgyzstan (TYIN)
XYLYLs a univalent radical

common bingos that don't take an S
ANTIRED SEAGIRT

3 letter verbs (ing words you may not know)
BAM to strike with a dull resounding noise
BIB to tipple (drink alcoholic beverages)
BUS of note: BUSSINGS, BUSINGS


snapbacks:
CAL- CAN- SUB- ZONES

RETAIN + C
CERATIN: EVISCERATING, INCARCERATING, LACERATING, MACERATING, ULCERATING

CERTAIN: ASCERTAIN/ED/ING, ASCERTAINMENT(S), CERTAINER/EST/LY/TY/TIES, UNCERTAIN/LY/NESS(ES)/TY/TIES

CREATIN: COCREATING, CREATININE, MISCREATING, PANCREATIN, PHOSPHOCREATINE, PRO/RE/UNCREATING


currency of the month:
EYRIR pl. AURAR  of iceland (no S)

quiz answers:
SAMADHI a state of concentration in yoga

RELEVANT= LEVANTERs an easterly Meditarranean wind

GAGAKUS ancient court music of Japan

Things I learned at club this week

1. Aside from taking an N and J front hook, APERIES also takes DR- and GR- front extensions.

2. Two new 5's: DICTY (snobbish, adj.) GUTTA (a drop of liquid, takes an E, no S)

3. Two new 6's: QUARTO (a paper size, not sure how I didn't know this hook to QUART)   BRUXED (to grind the teeth, knew BRUX, but not that it was a verb.)

I just dropped in for one game, and I was pretty happy with my play, even though I lost.. I was down 100 points pretty quick as my opponent played two natural bingos, AAEIPRS and HIENSST through an I (I also didn't know there was a bingo without the I), but I clawed my way back to what was nearly a chance to bingo out and win. I was happy that I knew to open a lane at the end and fish at mostly the right times, even though the right tiles didn't come my way. Got her to challenge ADEGMNOT (which I wasn't 100% on myself.)

Play the game here
(note: I switched the player names by accident)

Found Word of the Day: AEEHIMTT

I always miss AEEIMTT, so maybe this will help.

A crazy list

Crosstables posted this list on livejournal, and I thought it was worth copying here: a list words that can take a sequence of hooks to become another word (or as it's been called on the podcast occasionally, a 'hook train')... you may hear some of these in upcoming episodes:



4 / THIONIN --> THIONINE --> ETHIONINE --> METHIONINE --> METHIONINES
4 / CARABIN --> CARABINE --> CARABINER --> CARABINERO --> CARABINEROS

3 / RADIATE --> ERADIATE --> RERADIATE --> RERADIATED
3 / REJUDGE --> PREJUDGE --> PREJUDGER --> PREJUDGERS
3 / RADIATE --> ERADIATE --> RERADIATE --> RERADIATES
3 / MIGRATE --> EMIGRATE --> REMIGRATE --> REMIGRATED
3 / NERVATE --> ENERVATE --> DENERVATE --> DENERVATES
3 / VALUATE --> EVALUATE --> REVALUATE --> REVALUATED
3 / ITERATE --> LITERATE --> ALITERATE --> ALITERATES
3 / THIONIN --> THIONINE --> ETHIONINE --> ETHIONINES
3 / VERSION --> EVERSION --> REVERSION --> REVERSIONS
3 / VALUATE --> EVALUATE --> DEVALUATE --> DEVALUATES
3 / ETCHING --> LETCHING --> FLETCHING --> FLETCHINGS
3 / MIGRATE --> EMIGRATE --> REMIGRATE --> REMIGRATES
3 / VALUATE --> EVALUATE --> REVALUATE --> REVALUATES
3 / NERVATE --> ENERVATE --> DENERVATE --> DENERVATED
3 / PRINCES --> PRINCESS --> PRINCESSE --> PRINCESSES
3 / MOLLUSC --> MOLLUSCA --> MOLLUSCAN --> MOLLUSCANS
3 / BRASSIE --> BRASSIER --> BRASSIERE --> BRASSIERES
3 / AMBLING --> RAMBLING --> BRAMBLING --> BRAMBLINGS
3 / ENVELOP --> ENVELOPE --> ENVELOPER --> ENVELOPERS
3 / ENOUNCE --> DENOUNCE --> DENOUNCER --> DENOUNCERS
3 / STRANGE --> ESTRANGE --> ESTRANGER --> ESTRANGERS
3 / DEVELOP --> DEVELOPE --> DEVELOPER --> DEVELOPERS
3 / VALUATE --> EVALUATE --> DEVALUATE --> DEVALUATED
3 / BASEMEN --> BASEMENT --> ABASEMENT --> ABASEMENTS
3 / FRACTUR --> FRACTURE --> FRACTURER --> FRACTURERS
3 / BOTANIC --> BOTANICA --> BOTANICAL --> BOTANICALS
3 / ACERATE --> MACERATE --> MACERATER --> MACERATERS
3 / ENOUNCE --> RENOUNCE --> RENOUNCER --> RENOUNCERS
3 / STAMPED --> STAMPEDE --> STAMPEDER --> STAMPEDERS
3 / DIPLOMA --> DIPLOMAT --> DIPLOMATE --> DIPLOMATES
3 / PENSION --> PENSIONE --> PENSIONER --> PENSIONERS
3 / RESERVE --> PRESERVE --> PRESERVER --> PRESERVERS
3 / SCALADE --> ESCALADE --> ESCALADER --> ESCALADERS
3 / LECTION --> ELECTION --> SELECTION --> SELECTIONS
3 / SUNBATH --> SUNBATHE --> SUNBATHER --> SUNBATHERS
3 / CARABIN --> CARABINE --> CARABINER --> CARABINERS
3 / PROLONG --> PROLONGE --> PROLONGER --> PROLONGERS
3 / REPLICA --> REPLICAS --> REPLICASE --> REPLICASES
3 / REHEARS --> REHEARSE --> REHEARSER --> REHEARSERS
3 / MISSION --> EMISSION --> DEMISSION --> DEMISSIONS
3 / CARACOL --> CARACOLE --> CARACOLER --> CARACOLERS
3 / ORALISM --> MORALISM --> AMORALISM --> AMORALISMS
3 / UTTERER --> PUTTERER --> SPUTTERER --> SPUTTERERS
3 / HILLING --> CHILLING --> SCHILLING --> SCHILLINGS
3 / INKLING --> WINKLING --> TWINKLING --> TWINKLINGS
3 / OLOGIST --> OOLOGIST --> ZOOLOGIST --> ZOOLOGISTS
3 / PRACTIC --> PRACTICE --> PRACTICER --> PRACTICERS
3 / JELLABA --> DJELLABA --> DJELLABAH --> DJELLABAHS
3 / RAPPING --> TRAPPING --> STRAPPING --> STRAPPINGS
3 / MISSION --> EMISSION --> REMISSION --> REMISSIONS
3 / NEUROMA --> NEUROMAS --> NEUROMAST --> NEUROMASTS
3 / BACKBIT --> BACKBITE --> BACKBITER --> BACKBITERS
3 / CRAPPIE --> CRAPPIES --> CRAPPIEST --> SCRAPPIEST
3 / VOCATION --> EVOCATION --> REVOCATION --> REVOCATIONS
3 / VOLUTION --> EVOLUTION --> REVOLUTION --> REVOLUTIONS
3 / VOLUTION --> EVOLUTION --> DEVOLUTION --> DEVOLUTIONS
3 / GRAFFITI --> GRAFFITIS --> GRAFFITIST --> GRAFFITISTS
3 / BACKSLID --> BACKSLIDE --> BACKSLIDER --> BACKSLIDERS
3 / MIGRATION --> EMIGRATION --> REMIGRATION --> PREMIGRATION
3 / ORTHOPTER --> ORTHOPTERA --> ORTHOPTERAN --> ORTHOPTERANS
3 / VALUATION --> EVALUATION --> DEVALUATION --> DEVALUATIONS
3 / NERVATION --> ENERVATION --> DENERVATION --> DENERVATIONS
3 / VALUATION --> EVALUATION --> REVALUATION --> REVALUATIONS
3 / MIGRATION --> EMIGRATION --> REMIGRATION --> REMIGRATIONS
3 / REDETERMINE --> PREDETERMINE --> PREDETERMINER --> PREDETERMINERS
3 / FORAMINIFER --> FORAMINIFERA --> FORAMINIFERAN --> FORAMINIFERANS

Starting with any length word:

7 / LA --> LAP --> LAPS --> LAPSE --> ELAPSE --> RELAPSE --> RELAPSER --> RELAPSERS
7 / AT --> EAT --> HEAT --> HEATH --> SHEATH --> SHEATHE --> SHEATHER --> SHEATHERS
7 / LA --> LAS --> LASS --> LASSI --> LASSIE --> GLASSIE --> GLASSIES --> GLASSIEST
7 / PI --> PIN --> PING --> APING --> RAPING --> CRAPING --> SCRAPING --> SCRAPINGS
7 / LA --> LAS --> LASS --> LASSI --> LASSIS --> CLASSIS --> CLASSISM --> CLASSISMS
7 / LA --> LAS --> LASS --> LASSI --> LASSIS --> CLASSIS --> CLASSIST --> CLASSISTS
7 / AI --> RAI --> RAIS --> RAISE --> PRAISE --> UPRAISE --> UPRAISER --> UPRAISERS

6 / ER --> ERN --> TERN --> STERN --> STERNA --> STERNAL --> ASTERNAL
6 / AI --> AIL --> MAIL --> MAILE --> MAILED --> EMAILED --> REMAILED
6 / AT --> SAT --> SATI --> SATIN --> ISATIN --> ISATINE --> ISATINES
6 / TA --> TAT --> STAT --> STATE --> ESTATE --> GESTATE --> GESTATED
6 / AI --> RAI --> RAIS --> RAISE --> PRAISE --> UPRAISE --> UPRAISED
6 / IN --> WIN --> WING --> OWING --> ROWING --> TROWING --> STROWING
6 / UT --> OUT --> ROUT --> ROUTE --> ROUTER --> GROUTER --> GROUTERS
6 / MO --> MOT --> MOTE --> EMOTE --> REMOTE --> REMOTES --> REMOTEST
6 / EN --> END --> LEND --> BLEND --> BLENDE --> BLENDER --> BLENDERS
6 / TA --> TAT --> STAT --> STATE --> ESTATE --> RESTATE --> RESTATED
6 / AL --> GAL --> EGAL --> REGAL --> REGALE --> REGALER --> REGALERS
6 / IN --> RIN --> RING --> IRING --> AIRING --> FAIRING --> FAIRINGS
6 / AT --> OAT --> OATH --> LOATH --> LOATHE --> LOATHER --> LOATHERS
6 / AI --> AID --> AIDE --> AIDER --> RAIDER --> BRAIDER --> BRAIDERS
6 / IN --> RIN --> RING --> IRING --> AIRING --> LAIRING --> GLAIRING
6 / PA --> PAS --> PAST --> PASTE --> PASTER --> PASTERN --> PASTERNS
6 / HE --> HER --> HERM --> THERM --> THERME --> THERMEL --> THERMELS
6 / IN --> WIN --> WING --> SWING --> SWINGE --> SWINGER --> SWINGERS
6 / LA --> LAT --> LATH --> LATHE --> LATHER --> BLATHER --> BLATHERS
6 / AR --> ARC --> NARC --> NARCO --> NARCOS --> NARCOSE --> NARCOSES
6 / AN --> RAN --> RANG --> RANGE --> GRANGE --> GRANGER --> GRANGERS
6 / TA --> TAT --> STAT --> STATE --> ESTATE --> GESTATE --> GESTATES
6 / UT --> BUT --> BUTT --> BUTTE --> BUTTER --> ABUTTER --> ABUTTERS
6 / HI --> HIE --> HIES --> SHIES --> SHIEST --> ASHIEST --> DASHIEST
6 / OS --> COS --> COST --> COSTA --> COSTAR --> COSTARD --> COSTARDS
6 / IN --> RIN --> RING --> IRING --> AIRING --> PAIRING --> PAIRINGS
6 / AI --> RAI --> RAIS --> RAISE --> PRAISE --> UPRAISE --> UPRAISES
6 / AL --> ALL --> CALL --> CALLA --> CALLAN --> CALLANT --> CALLANTS
6 / LA --> LAP --> LAPS --> LAPSE --> ELAPSE --> RELAPSE --> RELAPSED
6 / HI --> HIE --> HIES --> SHIES --> SHIEST --> ASHIEST --> WASHIEST
6 / IT --> WIT --> WITH --> SWITH --> SWITHE --> SWITHER --> SWITHERS
6 / SH --> SHE --> SHES --> ASHES --> RASHES --> BRASHES --> BRASHEST
6 / AR --> OAR --> HOAR --> HOARS --> HOARSE --> HOARSEN --> HOARSENS
6 / IN --> WIN --> WING --> AWING --> HAWING --> SHAWING --> PSHAWING
6 / LA --> LAT --> LATH --> LATHE --> LATHER --> SLATHER --> SLATHERS
6 / AM --> AMI --> AMIN --> GAMIN --> GAMINE --> GAMINES --> GAMINESS
6 / PE --> APE --> CAPE --> SCAPE --> ESCAPE --> ESCAPEE --> ESCAPEES
6 / AT --> WAT --> SWAT --> SWATH --> SWATHE --> SWATHER --> SWATHERS
6 / TA --> TAP --> TAPE --> ETAPE --> RETAPE --> PRETAPE --> PRETAPED
6 / OW --> ROW --> BROW --> BROWS --> BROWSE --> BROWSER --> BROWSERS
6 / LA --> LAT --> LATE --> ELATE --> RELATE --> PRELATE --> PRELATES
6 / PE --> APE --> CAPE --> SCAPE --> ESCAPE --> ESCAPER --> ESCAPERS
6 / UT --> PUT --> PUTT --> PUTTI --> PUTTIE --> PUTTIER --> PUTTIERS
6 / RE --> REP --> REPO --> REPOS --> REPOSE --> REPOSER --> REPOSERS
6 / LA --> LAT --> LATE --> ELATE --> RELATE --> RELATER --> RELATERS
6 / HI --> CHI --> CHIA --> CHIAS --> CHIASM --> CHIASMA --> CHIASMAL
6 / AT --> EAT --> HEAT --> HEATH --> SHEATH --> SHEATHE --> SHEATHED
6 / TA --> TAT --> STAT --> STATE --> ESTATE --> TESTATE --> TESTATES
6 / HA --> HAS --> HAST --> HASTE --> CHASTE --> CHASTEN --> CHASTENS
6 / EN --> ENS --> LENS --> LENSE --> FLENSE --> FLENSER --> FLENSERS
6 / TA --> TAP --> TAPE --> ETAPE --> RETAPE --> PRETAPE --> PRETAPES
6 / AL --> ALL --> ALLY --> RALLY --> ORALLY --> MORALLY --> AMORALLY
6 / TA --> TAT --> STAT --> STATE --> ESTATE --> RESTATE --> RESTATES
6 / SH --> SHE --> SHED --> ASHED --> LASHED --> PLASHED --> SPLASHED
6 / IN --> YIN --> AYIN --> LAYIN --> LAYING --> PLAYING --> SPLAYING
6 / BO --> BOO --> BOOK --> EBOOK --> REBOOK --> PREBOOK --> PREBOOKS
6 / AI --> RAI --> RAIS --> RAISE --> PRAISE --> PRAISER --> PRAISERS
6 / AL --> ALL --> HALL --> HALLO --> HALLOT --> SHALLOT --> SHALLOTS
6 / BA --> BAR --> BARB --> BARBE --> BARBEL --> BARBELL --> BARBELLS
6 / AT --> EAT --> HEAT --> HEATH --> SHEATH --> SHEATHE --> SHEATHES
6 / HI --> CHI --> CHIA --> CHIAS --> CHIASM --> CHIASMI --> CHIASMIC
6 / LA --> LAP --> LAPS --> LAPSE --> ELAPSE --> RELAPSE --> RELAPSES
6 / OR --> ORA --> HORA --> HORAL --> CHORAL --> CHORALE --> CHORALES
6 / AL --> ALL --> HALL --> HALLO --> HALLOT --> CHALLOT --> CHALLOTH
6 / MA --> MAT --> MATT --> MATTE --> MATTER --> SMATTER --> SMATTERS
6 / LA --> LAS --> LASS --> LASSI --> LASSIE --> GLASSIE --> GLASSIES
6 / MA --> MAX --> MAXI --> MAXIM --> MAXIMA --> MAXIMAL --> MAXIMALS
6 / AL --> ALL --> HALL --> HALLO --> HALLOW --> SHALLOW --> SHALLOWS
6 / SH --> SHE --> SHES --> ASHES --> LASHES --> PLASHES --> SPLASHES
6 / AR --> CAR --> CARL --> CARLE --> CARLES --> CARLESS --> SCARLESS
6 / MA --> MAS --> MASS --> MASSE --> MASSES --> AMASSES --> CAMASSES
6 / PE --> APE --> RAPE --> CRAPE --> SCRAPE --> SCRAPER --> SCRAPERS
6 / HI --> CHI --> CHIA --> CHIAS --> CHIASM --> CHIASMA --> CHIASMAS
6 / LEA --> LEAN --> CLEAN --> CLEANS --> CLEANSE --> CLEANSER --> CLEANSERS

Found Extension of the day

Just to be clear,
GUITARFISH
BOWMOUTH*

Scrabble sighting... at a wedding

My brother is a wedding photographer, so of course he had to share this shot with me:



Nice! Apparently, the game is a common interest between the bride and groom.

If you're near CT and want an awesome photographer, check my brother out here.

Episode 60 notes

It's funny, I didn't advertise this one at all, yet it still got a ton of downloads (or so my host site tells me). Perhaps people mainly get notified of it through iTunes?



snapbacks
BLA ZONED
BLA ZONER

extensions:
DUMB, HEAD, A WAITERS
unWARIEST

over and out
OVER/OUT HAUL HEAR HUNT


three letter words surprise verbs (make 6 letter words)
AAH
ABY  ABOUGHT
ADZ adzing/dazing
ASH  fpASHING

BELGA former Belgian monetary unit

NONIONIC not ionic
hjOSTLERS hostler,  a person who tends horses or mules
KHEDIVE a Turkish viceroy khedival

One thing I learned at club tonight

1. If you get to the end of the game, and you've tracked correctly, and your opponent has DEERST? on their rack, BLOCK THE ONE POSSIBLE SPOT ON THE BOARD FOR THEM TO BINGO! Don't sit there and try and figure out what the 9's are through TA or IT. Just play something there in case they've already figured out a 9, (which you should have suspected since they weren't shuffling their tiles around at all, just waiting for you), RES(TA)rTED, for example.

In my defense, I stopped in for a quick game (sometimes on mondays I skip my lunch and try and squeeze a game in before I clock out of work), and just didn't have the patience to really figure out what bingos might have been possible. And at second glance, there was actually one other spot to bingo out. But I'm not sure she would have seen it.

Found word of the day

GMRUYYZ



-a branch of chemistry dealing with fermentation.

I'm sure I've seen this crazy word near the back of the OSPD, but I didn't remember it. It definitely jumped out at me off the cover of this magazine. (For those of you who haven't been reading long, I work at the post office, thus the often-captured words from magazine covers, etc.)

Found word of the day

AABIKSN.. spotted at the local florist. I've learned a few other good ones here.



an australian plant.

Add an E and you get the Japanese art of flower arranging.

7 more things I learned at club this week, and a rules question.

1. It feels good to go 4-0. I don't usually get to stay for more than 2 games.
2. I apparently have a reputation for not playing phonies. Not sure if this is a good or bad thing. (I still drew challenges on FURZY, ONERY, and RESITING, though.)
3. FORM takes and E hook. FORME also takes an E hook. FORMEE takes no hooks.
4. Double check what the blanks are before deciding you have no play. I held an X in my hand and passed for the last three turns because I thought a blank above a DWS was an 'I' instead of an 'E'. I could have played it for 36 points and instead my opponent racked up 50+ points including my X. Luckily I was up 130!
5. LOWBORN doesn't take an S (I wasn't 100% and didn't play it, luckily)
6. NICE has only one 4 letter front extension.
7. LEU only takes a D back hook.

Ok, here's the rules question: I play TODD(Y). Several turns later, opponent exchanges, and a few turns after that, on my turn, I notice that the T is missing from TODDY! Opponent says she may have taken the T somehow during her exchange but neither of us is sure. Both of us have played a T between the exchange and the current turn. Club is pretty laid back, so the club director suggests we leave the board as it is, even though ODDY* is now on the board. I end up making a play on that turn that puts another T on top of it, giving me more points than I would have otherwise gained. Seems kind of unfair, but on the other hand, I did discover that the tile was missing, (and I suspect that my opponent in fact did accidentally pick the tile up.) Anyone know the proper ruling on this? I don't want to post it to cgp if I don't have to.

If scrabble had a superheroine:

Her name might be:


Yup, delivered a letter to this person today. I've seen her name before, but never had my camera phone on me. I wonder if she knows that her last name is 'famous' in the scrabble world? I'm sure if I stopped her on the street and started babbling about it, she'd think I was really cool.

The other half of my dashboard

Some of you may have seen the scrabble rack near the center of my dash in previous posts... I thought I'd post this shot showing my flashcard storage area. (Notice my son's 'scrabble cards' label underneath) I also may use this post when people question a word I play on Facebook scrabble. I'll say, 'it's somewhere in that pile.'

7 things I learned at club this week

1. don't play a phony in a desperate attempt to win an unwinnable end game without seeing if it opens up an easy out-bingo for your opponent. (In this case, I had DDNNRU? and tried UNDeR(WET)* for 33, leaving me with an out play of D(O)N. Unfortunately, I didn't take the .5 seconds to see that I set him up for RELATIO(N)).

2. There are 4 bingos in LORSTY?.

3. There is 1 bingo in DELMNRY?.

4. There is an even awesomer* bingo in ADIRRWY?

5. GASSINGS is not a phony.

6. It's possible for me to make mistakes 2 thru 5 and still win a game.

7. I need to look harder for parallel plays when I don't have other ways to score decently.

Episode 59 notes

extensions
TARRIESt- STARRIEST
twARTIEST- HEARTIEST
RATITES- ZARATITES

snapbacks:
GLA GRA SEI ZINGS

VEXIL (vexillum, part of a feather)

HEX words
HEXAD a group of six HEXADIC
HEXADE a hexad
HEXANE a volatile liquid
HEXER one that hexes
HEXONE a hydrocarbon solvent
HEXOSE a simple sugar
HEXYL a hydrocarbon radical HEXYLIC

interesting hooks:

BLASTYier stably blowing in gusts

OBLAST(I) an administrative division of Russia OBLASTS

TRUNNELS (treenail)
FAROUCHE sullenly shy (no s) BAROUCHE: type of carriage
PHRATRY a tribal unit among primitive peoples PHRATRAL PHRATRIC
TACITRUN =URTICANTs

vAGUE a malarial fever AGUELIKE, AGUISH, AGUISHLY, AGUEWEED
CRUE* CURE ECRU
GRUEls a shudder of fear
SLUE to cause to move sideways
SPUE to spew

Episode 59

out now...
here
or
here

(ed. note: an astute listener pointed out an egregious error I made during the 'stupid tip of the week' section. this has now been seamlessly repaired and the new version uploaded.)

Another fill-in-the-blank quiz

This one has three answers, all pretty interesting, I thought. Notice the wrench in the picture, for emergency under-the-hood alternator belt tightening....

Seven things I learned at club this week.

hook1. If you're fishing off two tiles to get a bingo-prone rack, and the board is closed, put them somewhere that opens it up. (even if it's a few less points)

2. DULA* is not an alternate spelling of DOULA. (didn't challenge it, but mainly because it took the TWS for a low score, and I couldn't put anything there anyways.)

3. KAFTANS is good. (spotted on another board.)

4. AMI-, CAS-, EDU-, EVO-, PEC- and PLA- are all ways to extend an opening move of CABLE.

5. ALCADES is good. (anagram is eSCALADE; it's an alternate spelling of ALCALDES.  Interestingly, I knew ALCAIDE, which is a slightly different word, and convinced myself I was imagining it without the I.)

6. RELAYERS* is not good!!!! Best phony I've seen in a while.

7. EDGIER takes front hooks H, L, S, W. (couldn't remember them from a month ago, when someone played EDGY on me.)

The latest quiz from my dashboard

I've been staring at this one for a few days, and finally gave up on the answer (I wasn't sure if there was one.) The tiles are GHIIRT? in case you can't see.


Also, can anyone tell me why this is the most viewed page on my blog? Leave a comment, please.

Happy Birthday Zaiah!

My youngest daughter turned three today. In her honor, I'm posting all the ZAI- words good in TWL scrabble:

ZAIBATSU
ZAIKAI(S)
ZAIRE(S)