-STONE extensions?

Saw this ad at the top of my gmail window, and wondered if any of these were good (in TWL):

 

Nope, they're not.

There are 78 front extensions, though- here's a few of the coolest:

 

AMAZONSTONE

BUHRSTONE/ BURRSTONE/ BURSTONE

COPINGSTONE

FLOWSTONE

HOLYSTONE

JACKSTONE

MIFEPRISTONE

ROTTENSTONE

THUNDERSTONE

VEINSTONE

...I haven't really done too many blog entries- I mostly do shorter iPhone-friendly entries these days on my Facebook page if you're interested.

 

 

Found Extension of the Day

True story: I'm currently on vacation in Virginia, so of course I ordered a soft shell crab sandwich for lunch today. (It didn't come with the bite taken out of it; I just forgot to snap a shot first.) Later today, while waiting for my wife to run into a store for something, I whip out a scrabble game I'm playing on my cell phone vs. the bot. I had opened with BEATERS at the usual position, earlier in the week. Guess what three letter extension the bot played against me? It's not EGGBEATERS.

7 things I learned from club this week

1. CHAIR has two 3 letter front extensions: ARM and BED.

2. EUPHORIA can be extended with -NT.

3. NIELLO is good. (It's both a noun and a verb, plural is -LI or -LOS.)

4. TALUK is good. (another interesting 5 I didn't know, it takes an A or S.)

5. An F (or any other high point tile) will score you more points on a TLS (in two directions) than as part of a DWS.

6. COELIAC is good. Luckily I didn't challenge- CELIAC takes an S, but this one doesn't.

7. I don't think I knew TELOI. A highly probable, but not playable, five.

 

Here's the game I played against Mike, our club's best player- I only needed both blanks and a late Z/S draw to win it. I try and explain some of my strategy, flawed though it may be. Feel free to leave your input. 

 

Words are fun.

I'm getting a kick out of learning words lately-- even though half the time I don't even know what they mean! As many of you know, there's a common method of study in competitive scrabble which generally involves going through words by probability or length- a method which I've mostly ignored. Of course, I learned the two letter words first, and the Q without U words, and the TISANE + blank bingos, but after that I pretty much have picked up words randomly. These days, I add new words to my study list one of the following ways:

1. I'm going through all the four letter words- any I don't know, I add.

2. Any interesting fives that are made from adding a hook to a four from above.

3. Any bingo (or 5 or 6 letter word) I find I've missed after reviewing a game, regardless of its probability. 

4. Fun, though mostly useless extensions that I find myself wondering about after a particular play in a game.

5. Any other random word that catches my eye for any reason (i.e. strange letter distribution)

So here's a few words I've added recently:

MUSTH a state of frenzy occuring in male elephants (interesting hook for MUST)

CATHOLICON a universal remedy, REQUIESCAT a prayer for the dead (file under 'useless extensions')

BENZOYL a univalent chemical radical (just caught my eye, I mean, hey, it has a Z in it)

MINIMILL a small scale steel mill (was looking up extensions for MILL, and look at all those I's!)

VALVAL, VALVAR pertaining to a valve (missed in a game, nice double V words.)

 

Directional Anomaly

EASTERNMOST, 

NORTHERNMOST and NORTHMOST

SOUTHERNMOST, 

WESTERNMOST and WESTMOST, 

but no

EASTMOST*

or SOUTHMOST*.

 

 

Some PHYL- words...

Some shorter ones (which are what got me started on this):

PHYLA, plural of
PHYLUM, a taxanomic division- also PHYLAR

PHYLAE, plural of
PHYLE, a political subdivision in ancient Greece- also PHYLIC

Of course, there's the delicious PHYLLO, very thin pastry dough (also FILO, FILLO)
but here are the cool extensions:

PHYLLOCLADE
PHYLLOTAXIS, PHYLLOTAXES, PHYLLOTAXIES, PHYLLOTAXY
PHYLLOGENETIC, PHYLLOGENY/IES
PHYLLOXERA(S)

That's not all of them, feel free to post your favorite that I left out.

Quick tip...

It's OVERDUB, not OVERBUD*.

On the other hand, UNDERBUD, not UNDERDUB*.

For bonus points: UNDUBBED, DUBBIN/DUBBING/DUBBINGS, and REDUB(BED/BING), plus DISBUD(DED/DING).

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.

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*

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.

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

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.)

Found word of the day

APICAL: a sound articulated with the apex of the tongue... or in this case, a type of seal a dentist uses, accompanied by a nasty picture.

Also:
APICALS
APICALLY
ABAPICAL
SUBAPICAL

Oh, and PICAL and EPICAL are good.

Sweet Front Extension

I've been playing a guy on Facebook Scrabble who has the last name of Axelrod- often when I find someone whom I have a fun (usually close) game with, I'll end up playing several games in a row with them.

Another thing I do with people I repeatedly play on Facebook is title the games with interesting 'scrabble' words...  So in this case, I was looking for a longer word that contained AXEL in it.. and apparently, the only one is


PACLITAXEL n. An anticancer drug derived from the bark of the Pacific yew tree and used in the treatment of ovarian and breast cancer that has not responded to prior therapy.

How cool is that!? I guess this is actually the full name for another 'scrabble' word, TAXOL. Oh, and ANTICANCER is good, too, in case you were wondering. Now I just have to remember to check for ACILPT on my rack next time someone plays AXEL next door to a TWS or DWS.

Oh, and if you're interested in playing me on Facebook, (and if you're relatively indiscriminate about who you 'friend' there, like me), feel free to email me.

Today's Link

In the most recent podcast, I mentioned a blog that often lists interesting groups of words, most currently WEED words. Find it here.

Found Extension of the Day

I'm always on the lookout for new words.. so when I was following a Cook's Illustrated recipe for Strawberry Rhubarb pie, I was intrigued by ARROWROOT, not only because I didn't have any on my spice rack, but because it would be a cool extension to play in scrabble.

Here's a few other back extensions to the word ARROW:
ARROWHEAD
ARROWLESS
ARROWLIKE
ARROWWOOD
ARROWWORM

Listener Found Word of the Day

Thanks to Jeff W. for this one..

I think I had an old school Casio watch when I was a kid with this word on it:

CHRONOGRAPH

which brings us to.... Bonus Extensions!
There are too many -GRAPH words to list, so I'll limit it to other 6 letter front extensions which also happen to stand as words by themselves.


CARDIOGRAPH
CORONAGRAPH
CRYPTOGRAPH
PSYCHOGRAPH
SHADOWGRAPH
STEREOGRAPH

Note: these all take an S as well, and all but PSYCHOGRAPH take a Y.

Send me your word/ picture and I'll post it here!

UMBELULE*

So what are the chances of this-
I see someone play UMBEL in an annotated game (I think that's where I got it from, anyways), and look it up in my OSPD4 while at work. I see UMBELULE* listed, and say, 'cool! an 8 with two U's! I'll make a flashcard and learn two words at once!' Unfortunately, I happened to stumble upon one of a handful of words that was mistakenly added to some printings of the OSPD... Turns out it can only be spelled UMBELLULE.

UMBELED
UMBELLAR
UMBELLED
UMBELLET
are all good, though.

Here's a list of those words along with all the other changes from OSPD3 to OSPD4, if youi're interested:
http://www.scrabble-assoc.com/boards/dictionary/ospd4-changes.html

The 'words missing from early printings' can be especially fun to play because a lot of players have never heard of them.

some fun VAC extensions

No, I'm not talking about these:

I'm talking about ways to extend the word VAC, which has a tendency to close down the board. This is probably because it's the only three letter word that contains V and C, which don't form any two letter words...

I've done a couple other extension lists of 'popular' high point 3 letter words, i.e. JET (episode 42/43) & OXY (episode 32)... So keep an eye out for more in the future.

Also, according to the site, my blog follower-ship has skyrocketed 50% in the last month or so! Ok, so it's gone from 10 to 15, but still... it was inspiration for me to make a March entry. So thanks for reading! And now, back to our regularly scheduled anagramming:

first,  a sweet back bingo extension:
VACUOLATED containing vacuoles (AUTOCLAVED)

the only front extension:
MEDEVAC to evacuate the wounded from a battlefield by helicopter
(a verb, can be -VACING or -VACKING)

And my four favorite play-through extensions:
CARVACROL an aromatic phenolic compound, found in plants such as oregano and savory and used in flavorings and fungicides.
NOVACULITE a very hard, dense, even-textured, silica-bearing sedimentary rock used in whetstones.
OLIVACEOUS  of an olive color (VIOLACEOUS)
ULTRAVACUA (ULTRAVACUUM) couldn't find a definition....but this may lead to and ULTRA- extension series in the future!