scrabble basics

How to play OXYPHENBUTAZONE on the Scrabble app for Facebook

2010-01-27T14:02:00.001-08:00

Ever wonder how the folks on the Facebook Scrabble leaderboards play the word "OXYPHENBUTAZONE" for almost 2000 points?

Here is one way.

Several postings and videos detail how to spell oxyphenbutazone for 1780 using TWL words. However, if you want to play oxyphenbutazone on the Scrabble application for Facebook there is a problem. The way the board is laid out in the 1780 point play features a word that the Facebook version does not allow. While Scrabble's Facebook version allows PREQUALIFIED it does not allow REQUALIFIED. This results in the inability to make the exact play.

In an effort to get near that high score I set out to determine how it would be possible to spell oxyphenbutazone.

Keep in mind that you must use both blanks for Ns if you do it like this.

Here are some screen captures of the steps I used to play oxyphenbutazone. Some have been left out but this should give you the basic idea. You do not have to follow this step by step but be careful to not set yourself up for a word you cannot spell in one play.

-Oxyphenbutazone you later.

Z words for Scrabble (three letters)

2010-01-27T10:07:00.000-08:00

Need a three letter Z word in a Scrabble game?
Ones you already know:
biz, fez, fiz, wiz, zag, zap, zed, zee zig, zin, zip, zit, zoo

Some less common three letter ones include:
adz, azo, coz, lez, zax, zek, zoa

Did I leave anything out?

I love you, Internet.

UPDATE:
FrackApa on Twitter reminded me of the greatest Z word of them all, "ZZZ". Thank you FrackAPa! - E.s. Gauze

X words for Scrabble (three letters)

2010-01-12T16:06:00.000-08:00

Need a three letter X word in a Scrabble game? Some less common ones include:
cox, dex, gox, kex, lux, oxo, pax, pyx, rex, vox, zax.

More common three letter X words include:
axe, box, fax, fix, fox, gox, hex, lax,
lex, lox, max, mix, nix, oxy, sax, six,
sox, tax, tux, vex, vox,
wax, and xis.

2009 Baby Names and the Sixties. Which are valid Scrabble words?

2010-01-12T14:19:00.001-08:00

I was reading a list of the top 20 popular baby names for 2009. I thought to myself, "which of these could I play in Scrabble?" Is that a bad sign? Am I a huge nerd? Probably. In any event, here is a list of playable baby names from the list of 2009's most popular baby names in accordance with TWL rules. So, if you play the US version of Facebook Scrabble these will work.

Male:
Logan - (short for pokelogan) a marshy or stagnant water that has branched off from a stream or lake.
Benjamin - another word for benzoin
Alexander - an iced cocktail made from crème de cacao, sweet cream, and gin or brandy
Dylan

Female:
Ava - adverb meaning "of all"
Lily
Grace
Riley - angry, vexed

For 2009, out of 40 names 8 are valid Scrabble words.
How do the 1960s compare?
This data was extracted from a different type of list. The top 20 male/female names in this case is based on the average over the entire decade. If you were born around the sixties your name might be included

Male:
John
Mark
Joseph
Timothy

Female:
Donna
Tammy
Laura

A few of the names are a bit obvious. For instance, Grace, John and Mark go without saying. However, I was surprised to find that Benjamin worked. A benefit of these words are that, with any luck, they will be easier to remember.