Scrabble
Probably not the first, definitely not the last.

I like scrabble, and I'm reasonably good at it. Not brilliant, but good enough to spank the inlaws and the missus as and when we play.

In order to put a check on my supremacy, the inlaws decreed that if a word was in the dictionary it was fair game.

Excellent. The dictionary took pride of place next to the board next time we played. Thing is, it was a 'home' game, so it was my dictionary, so I had a flick through the 'word game' section prior to the game. Some pretty funky words in there, but according to the decree they were legal. This did not go down well.

Nowadays the inlaws have a concise oxford --with the games section torn out-- sitting in the glove compartment of their car so it can be produced after the merest mention of the word 'Scrabble'.

Fine. No problem. Things came to a head a few months later however when I plucked a word out of the ether and both my MIL and FIL decided between them that even though it was in the dictionary (their dictionary) it still wasn't 'right'. So it was disallowed.

I still beat them. Cunts
(mersault, Thu 28 Apr 2011, 17:53, 4 replies)

I'm not a scrabble player so perhaps I have this wrong.
I thought the rules of Scrabble were that any word in the dictionary was useable (proper nouns excepted, perhaps) and that the dictionary used was to be decided before the game?
How do you play otherwise, do you only accept words that the least knowledgeable person is aware of and how do you know whether they are cheating?
(Me, I'm not... in any way intoxicated, Thu 28 Apr 2011, 18:02, closed)

Nobody comes out of this story with very much dignity.

( Dr. Shambolic je suis charlie, Thu 28 Apr 2011, 18:09, closed)

Was that the word?
Cunts?
( sandettie light vessel automatic New Twitter - @bollocksreally, Fri 29 Apr 2011, 0:01, closed)

Too damn right.
I hate going for a dinner to a certain manager's home, only to have the host (or said host's grown son) insist on Scrabble because he relishes a challenge and imagines he can beat me.

I demur but they insist. Can't be rude and not play! So spend the rest of the evening mostly waiting while he tries, but fails, to come up with anything more than words like ess and re.

In order to prevent my brain from aspolding, I refuse to stoop to his level, instead make 7-letter words with 50-point bonuses and double/triple points and 3 additional words.

If he has been especially annoying, I deliberately use obscure words so he will challenge them and lose his turn. And block his use of the Q and other high-value letters so he ends up with all of them on his rack at game's end.

You'd think with all these strategy lessons, he'd learn a trick or two.
( kila is reading clocks upside-down as usual, Fri 29 Apr 2011, 11:47, closed)