Scrabble Bingo of the Day: REAPHOOK

REAPHOOK  n pl. -S  an implement used in reaping

67 points (17 points without the bingo)

After guisard was featured a couple days ago, it seems right to keep throwing in a few Halloween related Bingo of the Days. I doubt it will be one everyday, but just a few here and there to keep the Halloween spirit alive. So...

Most of you probably already know what a reaphook looks like, or at least one of the other reaping blades out there. A reaphook is basically a hand sickle with a large hooked-shaped blade and a short, sometimes offset handle for cutting and harvesting crops and grass. In some parts of the world, a reaphook is called a badging hook, bagging hook, fagging hook or rip hook, and is most commonly separated as "reap hook."

While reaphooks are still in use today, most have transitioned to large scythes with long wooden shafts, which in turn was replaced by animals and then tractor-drawn machinery. Death (aka Grim Reaper) is commonly depicted holding a large scythe, and it could also be seen in the Children of the Corn film series, along with smaller reaphooks and curved sickles.

Interesting fact: Hollywood starlet Naomi Watts played the lead in Children of the Corn IV.

Similar Words: BILLHOOK(S), REAPER(S), SICKLE(S), SCYTHE(S)

 A scene from the original Children of the Corn with somebody holding a reaphook (or sickle).
 Photo by calitreview

 Covers from the Children of the Corn series, all depicting some type of sickle.

 Various sickles, including reaphooks, line an Italian market.
 Photo by funadium

 Traditional reaphook.
 Photo by dicts

So, just what is a Scrabble Bingo?

A bingo is when a player empties his or her rack in one turn, placing all seven of their letters on the board to create a word that's at least seven letters long. The term "bingo" is used primarily in the U.S., but elsewhere it's simply known as a "bonus" because you get a bonus of 50 points added to your turn's score. "Scrabble Bingo of the Day" will focus on these high scoring plays, teaching you some interesting and possibly unusual seven-letter or longer words accepted in a game of Scrabble.

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