Tuesday, April 6, 2010

OVER MY DEAD BODY: In a story not dated April 1 (as far as I can tell), Mattel announced that the new Scrabble rules will allow the use of proper names. There won't be any hard and fast rules for what counts, you won't be able to use an ordinary dictionary as your referee, sharp implements will need to be banned, and failed Internet startups are going to devalue the X and the Q beyond recognition.

20 comments:

  1. Joseph J. Finn2:39 PM

    I get 64 for Lady Gaga (14 + 50 for using all seven tiles).

    Heh.  Yahweh gives you 18, but Jehovah<span></span> gives you 23.  Jesus?  Only 12.

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  2. Genevieve2:42 PM

    I bet Scrabble tournaments don't allow it, and house rules disallowing it will spring up all over. 
    Though I could've used it last week when I kept wanting to play "Veda."

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  3. bad dad2:42 PM

    Go with the Red State spelling of Jebusus. That should help.

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  4. Joseph J. Finn2:49 PM

    Well, Jeebus does give you 15.  Muhammed and Mohammed both give you 18 (plus the 50).  Ghandi is only good for 11, Luther 9, Buddha 13 (though since it's a title I think it's already allowable). 

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  5. Alex Gordon2:49 PM

    Does this mean I can use qwijibo?

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  6. Joseph J. Finn2:52 PM

    Huh.  I'd have allowed that, same as I'd think bible or torah is fine, but Scrabble online rejects it (ayurveda and vedalia are allowed, though).<span>  (And there is also deva, a Hindu god.)
    </span>

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  7. Joseph J. Finn2:52 PM

    Only if you know a hairless ape.

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  8. Andrew3:26 PM

    And in more detail, at Slate: http://www.slate.com/blogs/blogs/browbeat/archive/2010/04/06/don-t-panic-proper-nouns-will-not-be-allowed-in-scrabble.aspx

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  9. spacewoman3:55 PM

    In the spacehold, not only do we allow proper nouns, but we also allow creative spelling.  Rules subject to change once the spacies get a little older.  It's also possible isaac is not aware of these rules.

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  10. bella wilfer4:02 PM

    Stefan Fatsis's book Word Freak is AWESOME, for both Scrabble fans and non-fans alike.

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  11. Genevieve4:09 PM

    I don't think I would've allowed bible or torah, uncapitalized.  Didn't know about deva, though.

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  12. Genevieve4:10 PM

    I'll enthusiastically second the recommendation for Word Freak.

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  13. Emily4:11 PM

    I want to play Scrabble at your home, spacewoman. Creative spelling Scrabble is a game I could play.

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  14. Joseph J. Finn4:18 PM

    Deva appears to be a general term in Hinduism and Buddhism for deities/spirits/forces, not a specific deity.  Zoroastrian has it as daeva. The official Scrabble site allows both BIBLE and TORAH (and BIBLESS, which I'll have to remember).

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  15. isaac_spaceman4:34 PM

    Spaceboy 2.0's first angry missive a few months ago, slipped under the office door long after bedtime:  "MOME WAR iS Mi WOTR" 

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  16. Joseph J. Finn4:44 PM

    Did he try to play "Moops"?

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  17. What's more both interesting and frightening is "This is one of a number of twists and challenges included that we believe existing fans will enjoy and will also enable younger fans and families to get involved."  And part of this is probably a movement away from the math-based system that it has largely become, especially at very high levels.

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  18. bill.8:14 PM

    I'll recommend Unspeakable Words as a light, but fun, word game. Especially good with younger kids because short words are often safer than long words.

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  19. Change is bad.

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