SCRABBLE Features
The Octopus Conundrum: Octopuses vs. Octopi vs. Octopodes
A couple of days ago, I had some questions regarding the mighty tentacled beast of our oceans— the octopus. Actually, I was just curious as to what an octopus was, and I found the answer, which was a cephalopod mollusk in the order Octopoda.
Scrabble Challenge #4: How Fast Are You at Building Words? Find Out…
A recent study in Canada concluded that competitive Scrabble players are twenty percent faster than non-Scrabble players at identifying real words on a Scrabble rack. In light of this news, this week's challenge is actually just a game of Scrabble Sprint from Pogo.com.
News: The Simpsons Family Gets Scrabbled!
My JO was watching The Simpsons on FOX the other day, like she wholeheartedly does every evening, and I joined her, much like I always do— though I must admit, I'm not as obsessed with the cartoon family as much as she is. Just like she isn't as obsessed with SCRABBLE as I am.
News: W.E.L.D.E.R. Blends Bejeweled, Boggle and Scrabble into Word-Building Addiction
There are tons of mobile apps out there for the gaming logophile, but there's a new word building game taking over iPhones and iPads, and it not only wants you to have fun, it wants you to fight back in the "war against words". It's the Word Examination Laboratory for Dynamic Extraction and Reassessment. But you can just call it W.E.L.D.E.R. Since its release earlier this month, W.E.L.D.E.R. has developed quite a following with its addicting mesh of Bejeweled, Boggle and Scrabble gameplay. It...
News: Nigel Richards Definitely Not "DYVOUR" — Wins $10,000 at 2010 National SCRABBLE Championship
DYVOUR n pl. -S one who is bankrupt Nigel Richards played this word in his very first game in the 2010 National SCRABBLE Championship (NSC) held in Texas, which ended today. Richards won that first game against Lucas Freeman with a 462 to 392 score, but "DYVOUR" was no forewarning for Richards — not at all.
News: Ogilvy & Mather's Mattel SCRABBLE Prints
Aside from the popular television commercials Ogilvy & Mather did for Mattel's Scrabble back in 2000 and 2001, they also have a large history in print with Mattel. From 1998 until the present, they've been designing graceful, risible and salacious Scrabble and Junior Scrabble adverts, winning prizes for advertising prints at the Cristal Awards, Golden Hammer, Loerie Awards, Cannes Lions, Epica Awards and FIAP. Without further ado…
Scrabble Challenge #9: Can You Win the Losing Game on the Last Move?
The end game is a very important aspect of playing Scrabble. If you have just a few letters left on your rack and there are none left in the draw bag, but you're currently losing the game, you still might have a chance to win if you play your cards (er… tiles) right. No matter if you're playing a casual game at home with a friend or competing against diehards in club or tournament games, the scoring process at the end provides the same results.
Scrabble Challenge #15: What Would Be Your First Move in Words with Friends?
The concept of Scrabble and Words with Friends is the same—play words, score points, win. But the games require different strategy in terms of letter placement, premium squares, tile point values and word choices. Here's the main differences between the two games.
News: All of the Other SCRABBLE Prints & Posters
This is my fourth (and final) installment on SCRABBLE adverts. I'm sure there's a lot I haven't found, but that's for another day. But this post features all of the remaining SCRABBLE advertisements (prints and posters) that haven't already been listed in my previous posts:
Death Sentence for SCRABBLE: The Racism Debate Continues...
In a previous post, I wrote about how controversy changed SCRABBLE, about how the SCRABBLE Dictionary evolved thanks to Judith Grad and her crusade to rid the world of derogatory and racist words. She won, at least in some manner, but the fact still remains, racist or not—words are words, and they're here to stay.
How To: Get an Official SCRABBLE Rating to Play in Tournaments
Many new players wonder how one actually gets a rating in SCRABBLE. Now, we're talking about an official rating, not one you would get on SCRABBLE Beta or with the ISC WordBiz player — I mean an "Official SCRABBLE Rating". A rating that allows you to play in the National SCRABBLE Championship (NSC), which is held once every year (sometimes two).
News: Complete List of SCRABBLE Commercials (VIDEO)
The SCRABBLE Brand trademark has been around since 1948, but video advertisements for the popular board game didn't appear until the start of this millennium. Although there may be a few SCRABBLE video spots out there that predate 2000, I haven't come across them.
Scrabble Bingo of the Day: GEOPHAGY
Scrabble Bingo of the Day: GEOPHAGY [n]
How To: Answer to Scrabble Challenge #20
It's sad to say, but I will no longer be writing up anymore Scrabble Challenges. Frankly, I just don't have the time to make them now. And though they are incredibly fun and "challenging" to conjure up, I'm not sure that people are finding them as useful as I had hoped. But really, it all comes down to time. So, unless I have a future craving for puzzle-making, last week's Scrabble Challenge #20 was the last one.
Scrabble Bingo of the Day: GRAMARYE
GRAMARYE n pl. -S occult learning; magic 64 points (14 points without the bingo)
News: Faucet Sculpture Spews Out Scrabble Tiles
This is art at its finest. Portland sculptor Ron Ulicny created this faucet sculpture that spews out Scrabble tiles. It's simply called "Spew". Genius. It's just one of the many sculptures he's made repurposing ordinary objects and materials into new and unexpected things.
News: $10,000 First Prize for the Upcoming 2010 National SCRABBLE Championship in August
Yes. That's right. The 2010 National SCRABBLE Championship (NSC) is almost here. In fact, it starts in less than 2 weeks! And if you were lucky enough to register for the competitions, you could win a first place prize of $10,000!
Scrabble Bingo of the Day: COXSWAIN
COXSWAIN v -ED, -ING, -S to direct (a crew) as coxwain 70 points (20 points without the bingo)
Scrabble Challenge #5: Put Your 2-Letter Word Skills to the Test
Two-letter words are one of the most important parts of playing Scrabble. If you don't know all of the small ones, then you're missing out on one of the easiest ways to score big. Check out How to Score Big with 2-Letter Words in Scrabble and memorize all that you can. Definitions are optional, but you won't need them for this challenge.
Scrabble Challenge #1: Double Bingos, Trivia and Common Letter Groupings
To make things a little more fun here on Scrabble World, I've decided to start a weekly feature for word freaks to ponder about it... a challenge. No, I'm not 'challenging' any of your words... I'm challenging your brains. See if you can figure some of these Scrabble puzzles out. You can print this page or hand write the questions out to play at home (or wherever).
News: 10 Peculiar Game Rules for Competitive Scrabble Tournaments
The 2011 Toronto International Scrabble Open (TOSI) took place last weekend, with former World Champion Adam Logan beating out all of the human competition for the $3,000 grand prize. But when it came time to take on the Quackle program in the Human vs. Computer Showdown, he lost his first two games and won the last two, ultimately losing with a measly 28-point differential of the combined total scores. But he still came out three grand happier.
Scrabble Challenge #3: Can You Find the Game Killing Triple-Triple?
There are two types of Scrabble players in the world—those who enjoy it and those who love it. I definitely fall into the latter category. Unfortunately, most of my friends don't. I'm lucky to have a few who simply enjoy it from time to time—some are even standing on the edge of Scrabble geekdom, afraid to take that last step. Maybe someday.
Scrabble Challenge #14: Which Variant Word Wins the Game (And Which Doesn't)?
Nearly every game takes strategy to win, but when it comes to games like Scrabble and Words with Friends, you've also got to have a lexically inclined mind full of wonderful and weird words. Most start out by learning all of the two-letter words in the Scrabble dictionary, then work their way up to three-letter words. But where do you go from there?
How To: Play the word "oxyphenbutazone" in Scrabble Blitz
Watch and learn how to play "oxyphenbutazone" in Scrabble Blitz. Now, some might call you a cheater for this, but who cares what they think? Maybe you are cheating. Just don't try this is any tournament play, and you'll be fine. Unless Scrabulous or whoever kicks you off, which they might do, so beware!
News: Scrabble Showdown Game Show a Disgrace to Competitive Scrabblers Everywhere
Scrabble has invaded just about every medium out there. It started as a mere board game, but has since spawned numerous board game spinoffs and variations, an electronic version, mobile apps for just about anything (Android, iPhone, iPhone, iPad and Kindle), games for both PC and Facebook, and video games for handheld consoles like the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP. Heck, it's even on the PlayStation and Xbox 360 gaming consoles. And it hasn't forgotten about film. You can see Scrabble featured in...
News: Winning with 3-Letter Words
If you think you're a Scrabble genius because you have all the two-letter words memorized, you're sorely wrong. To be a Scrabble genius, you have to know practically "every" word acceptable in Scrabble, so I'm guessing there's not too many Scrabble geniuses out there, because it's an impossible feat.
Scrabble Bingo of the Day: COLOSSUS
COLOSSUS n pl. COLOSSUSES or COLOSSI a gigantic statue 60 points (10 points without the bingo)
Scrabble Bingo of the Day: ZEBRASS
ZEBRASS 68 points (18 points without the bingo) Definition: the offspring of a zebra and an ass [n]
News: The SCRABBLE Keyboard
This is the ultimate Scrabbler's wet dream. The Scrabble computer keyboard. Richard "Doc" Nagy, a steampunk artist, has successfully designed a keyboard made with real Scrabble tiles. He's currently in the process of building a batch of them for sale, so keep an eye out for them.
Scrabble Bingo of the Day: HOOSGOW
HOOSGOW 64 points (14 points without the bingo) Definition: a jail [n]
News: Kylie Minogue Plays Scrabble?
Apparently, the Aussie pop singer is quite the Scrabble player. At least, that's what the word is. An article in 2009 from Mirror.co.uk reports that a very close friend of Minogue is tired of losing:
News: Extreme Scrabbling
If you thought playing Scrabble in your grandparents' kitsch and musty old house was your most dangerous gaming experience, you haven't heard of Extreme Scrabble yet.
Scrabble Bingo of the Day: PLASTRUM
PLASTRUM n pl. -S plastron 62 points (12 points without the bingo)
Scrabble Bingo of the Day: POSTICHE
POSTICHE 65 points (15 points without the bingo) Definition: an imitation [n]
Scrabble Bingo of the Day: APOLOGUE
APOLOGUE n pl. -S an allegory 61 points (11 points without the bingo)
How To: Play Scrabble fast, when your short-tempered with kids
If you get annoyed playing Scrabble with your kids, because you get frustrated with "the" and "cat" and "ice", then learn how to play it fast, so you can get it over with, so you don't regret slamming the board on the ground in defeat, crying like a baby, while you're kids stare at you and laugh. Avoid it. Watch this, and sleep well at night.
Possible Scrabble Challenge: Creating Poetry From All the Tiles
Now here's a challenge for the above-average Scrabble fan - can you create a good poem out of all the tiles, in iambic pentameter? The poem that's created here doesn't make too much sense, but it does sounds really pretty if you read it out loud. Scrabble Tile Poem.
Scrabble Bingo of the Day: YANQUIS
YANQUIS 68 points (18 points without the bingo) Definition: United States citizens [n/pl.]
News: Scrabble Finally Hits Android Devices... But Does It Beat Words with Friends?
Three years ago, Scrabble was one of the very first 500 mobile applications to appear on the new iTunes App Store, allowing iPhone users the chance to kill their Scrabble cravings on the go. It was a smart move for Hasbro and Electronic Arts (EA), but it's been two years and eight months since the Android Market opened for business, and they've just now released an official app for Android smartphones—Scrabble Free.
Word Nerds Unite: Planning a SCRABBLE-Themed Wedding
Wedding themes are no rarity, but a SCRABBLE wedding? I never would have guessed, until I came across "10 Ways to Incorporate Scrabble Into Your Wedding" at CasaSugar. Now, I'm one of the biggest SCRABBLE nerds out there, but I could never see myself getting hitched amongst SCRABBLE tiles and SCRABBLE cakes and SCRABBLE cuff links. I'd also be afraid that none of my guests would actually come if they knew SCRABBLE was the theme. Hell, it's hard enough to get any of my friends to play a simple...