My Word Games Blog

Feb 23, The Last Word - February Issue Is Ready

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 16:03:05 GMT

The February issue of The Last Word e-newsletter for Scrabblers is now out at www.thelastwordnewsletter.com For those who prefer going directly to the PDF, use the following link: http://tinyurl.com/tlwfeb-12 I hope you enjoy it! Thanks to the many who contributed! Cornelia Guest, Editor

Feb 16, Vocabulary Word List - Particle Physics for Word Buffs

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 12:35:56 GMT

Learn how to really master vocabulary word lists. This time we're going to learn some physics. It's not as hard as it sounds.

Jan 30, 21st Century Crossword Puzzle Dictionary

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:39:38 GMT

Here's my review of the best crossword puzzle dictionary on the market today.

Jan 28, Memory Techniques & Tips

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 02:19:48 GMT

Here is a collection of the best memory techniques and tips I've come across over the years.

Jan 26, New Official Scrabble Words

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 22:37:31 GMT

Everything you need to know about the NEW Scrabble words added to the official Scrabble dictionary from New Years Day, 2012..

Jan 25, Word Buff Stuff! Issue #5 is waiting for you!

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:22:20 GMT

If you're a Word Buff member (i.e. you've subscribed using the free 'Join Word Buff' form on my site) you should have a link to the latest issue of Word Buff Stuff! in your inbox by now! This issue tells you everything you need to know about all the weird and wonderful new Scrabble words that came in with the latest change to the official Collins Scrabble word list. I hope you enjoy the read, and join in the discussion at the end of the newsletter. All the best, Derek, aka Word Buff

Jan 23, Do You Remember Crossword Butler?

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 21:15:05 GMT

If you're a crossword buff, you might remember the great little app called Crossword Butler I used to talk about. You could tell this little servant to run out into the rain, hail, or shine each morning to deliver all your favorite crossword puzzles to your inbox ;-) Well, that app has been out of commission for a while, so I was pleased to see a post in the word games forums recently by its creator, Alex Boisvert, who has revamped the app and put it online. Here's his post with all the details... --------------------- Hi all. I am pleased to announce the launch of Crossword Butler v. 2.0. Those of you who remember the original Crossword Butler will notice some differences from the old version, namely: 1. It is now an online interface, accessible at http://crosswordbutler.com 2. It doesn't blindly get all available crosswords; only the ones from providers who have given their permission. 3. Most importantly for cruciverbs, it gives independent crossword constructors a site to host their puzzles and distribute them easily for free or for profit. Right now the site is essentially a souped-up puzzle pointers page, that in addition to most of the standard links, also links to puzzles like Matt Gaffney's weekly contest and Andrew Ries's weekly Rows Garden puzzle. But the fun part will begin when independent constructors start using the site to host their puzzles. Right now there isn't a one-stop shopping destination for independent puzzle-makers, so constructors have to set up Paypal accounts, websites, e-mail lists, etc. to be able to distribute their work. Crossword Butler will take care of all of that; all a constructor has to do is upload the puzzles to the site (through a simple interface). If the puzzle is paid, I would take a (small) cut; if the puzzle is free I'll happily host it free of charge. You might have questions about how this would work, and I hope you do! If you e-mail me... boisvert42 (at) gmail.com I'm happy to answer any questions you might have, and I'll answer important questions with another e-mail to everyone in a few days. For now, feel free to become a member of the site and poke around. If you have suggestions feel free to bring them up to me. Thanks for reading, Alex

Jan 16, Cool New Crossword Games Scoresheet App

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 23:22:18 GMT

Below are the details for a new Crossword Games Scoresheet app for iPhone/iPad. The app keeps track of scoring in crossword games such as Scrabble. You enter the word played and location on the board, and the app will take care of the rest. No more keeping track of score manually! At the end of the game, you can send the completed scoresheet to Facebook, Twitter or email.

Adds up scores automatically for each turn -- just enter the word and touch the location on the board
Calculates tile premiums such double and triple letters and words, and calculates adjacent words created
Keeps track of tiles played with NSA standard frequency list
Counts tiles remaining in bag
Send final scores (includes both scoresheet and board view) to Facebook, Twitter or email

You'll find more details here. The first 25 people to email feedback@ericdsouza.com can get a free promo code for the app!

Jan 10, Scrabble Help Glossary

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 01:14:57 GMT

Here's a quick, slightly tongue-in-cheek, summary of all the unusual terms you'll hear serious Scrabble players use...

Jan 7, Another Zyzzyva update

Sat, 07 Jan 2012 21:05:02 GMT

I've released a new version of Zyzzyva, 2.1.6. Zyzzyva is a program for studying words, practicing anagramming, and adjudicating challenges. It runs on Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7, NT, 2000, 98, and Me; Linux 32-bit and 64-bit systems; and Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later. You can get the latest version here. This is a bug-fix update. The main change in this version is to fix the Limit By Playability search condition, which was very messed up for the CSW12 lexicon. Many word definitions have also been improved thanks to feedback from several users. I hope for this to be the last update for several months as I will be working on Zyzzyva 3, which will include many significant improvements. I also recently submitted the initial version of the Zyzzyva iPhone app to the App Store. If all goes well, it should be available within 1-2 weeks. I will send more details when it is available. Please give me feedback about how you think Zyzzyva could be improved! I'm always trying to make it the best word study program it can be. If you would like more information about Zyzzyva, please join the Zyzzyva Users list here. I hope you enjoy using Zyzzyva, and have fun with it! -- Michael W. Thelen mthelen@gmail.com

Jan 6, Promising New Scrabble Website

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 03:03:33 GMT

Check out a new website called Scrabble Matters from Mark Nyman, which intends to give a quirky view of the Scrabble world. Any light-hearted short (300 words) articles on anything Scrabble will be included - please get in touch with Mark at nnymans@aol.com if you are interested in contributing. --Ed Martin (from the Scrabble forums)

Dec 31, Update for Zyzzyva fans

Sat, 31 Dec 2011 23:46:31 GMT

Just a note with a few pieces of Zyzzyva news, sneaking in under the wire in December because one of the pieces is an ad. :-) 1. I've submitted the initial release of the Zyzzyva iPhone app to Apple. If all goes well, it will be available in the App Store in 2-3 weeks. It will run on all iPhones, iPads, and iPods touch that are running iOS 3.1.3 or later. I know there will be a lot of questions about the app, so I'm currently building a Frequently Asked Questions page that will (hopefully) answer most of your questions. 2. I'll be creating a bug-fix version of Zyzzyva in the next day or two, called Zyzzyva 2.1.6. Playability numbers for CSW12 are completely messed up in Zyzzyva 2.1.5, and the 2.1.6 release will fix them. 3. I still have some Zyzzyva T-shirts ($15), Scrabble tile sets with Zyzzyva blanks ($10), and Zyzzyva lapel pins ($2) available for sale on my web site. Supplies have become very limited, and it's first come first served. If you're interested, please visit here. Thanks and have a very happy New Year! -- Michael W. Thelen mthelen@gmail.com

Dec 17, Unique Gifts for Serious Word Buffs

Sat, 17 Dec 2011 00:43:18 GMT

Classy and original gift ideas for lovers of word puzzles and games.

Nov 27, It's About Time!

Sun, 27 Nov 2011 08:23:48 GMT

I can't wait to show this informative interview with Merl to my passionate cruciverbalist husband, David Blackwell. This dear brilliant man while unemployed

Nov 24, List of Single Word Palindromes

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 02:16:50 GMT

Here is a list of all the single word palindromes I've been able to locate so far. Let me know if you have any more!

Oct 27, Great news for Zyzzyva fans. It's now on the iPhone!

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 20:06:14 GMT

Zyzzyva Lite version 1.0.0 is now available in the App Store! This free "lite" version of the app only includes word judge and search functions. Quiz functionality will be available in the full Zyzzyva app by the end of this year. You can get Zyzzyva Lite here: Zyzzyva Lite The app comes with several word lists, including OWL2 for North American club and tournament Scrabble, OSPD4 for school Scrabble, and WWF for playing Words With Friends. It also allows you to download your own custom word lists, and create special display symbols to denote words that are specific to a particular word list. If your favorite word list is not included with the app, you can add it as a custom word list by downloading it from a plain-text file. To add a custom lexicon, go to Settings, then Lexicon, then Add a Custom Lexicon. I've placed downloadable versions of all the existing Zyzzyva lexicons in this directory for your convenience: Zyzzyva Lexicons To celebrate the Zyzzyva Lite release, I've also discounted all the Zyzzyva merchandise that I currently have in stock. I have lapel pins, Scrabble tiles, and T shirts in a few different colors and sizes. Check the link below to see what I have available. Once I run out, the deals will be gone. Zyzzyva merchandise To discuss the app, or if you have comments or questions, please email me or join the Zyzzyva Users mailing list: Zyzzyva mailing list Thank you to everyone who has made this possible. I appreciate the support more than I can say. There will be more where this came from! -- Michael W. Thelen

Oct 8, How to Memorize a Speech Without Notes

Sat, 08 Oct 2011 02:37:40 GMT

Memory Champion Ron White explains in detail how he memorizes speeches and presentations so that he can talk for hours on end without notes.

Sep 26, Crazy NEW Collins Scrabble Words Are Almost Here

Mon, 26 Sep 2011 05:13:13 GMT

From 1 January 2012 a hefty list of new Scrabble words will be legally playable in World English Scrabble. This lexicon is usually referred to as Collins Scrabble Words.

I've put together a list of all the new Collins words to give you a sneaky head-start over your opponents. It's in the Members Area. (Not a member? No worries. Just sign up when you get there. It's free and easy!) Even if you don't intend to play to this dictionary, you'll just love browsing some of these crazy new Scrabble words, like ERHU (a Chinese stringed instrument), TAIKO (a large Japanese drum), and RAKIJA (a type of fruit brandy). So pop on over to the members area and download it right now! Forgotten your password? Just search your emails for "word buff". It'll be there somewhere! If all else fails, just drop me a line.

Sep 20, Launch of Word Buff TV

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 20:33:42 GMT

Take a peek at Word Buff's new YouTube channel. Thought I'd start with number 1 in my Grandma & Arachna series. Hope you like it. If you do, make sure you subscribe to Word Buff TV -- then you'll be notified when I add more videos soon!

Sep 10, A Chuckleworthy Misspelling Story

Sat, 10 Sep 2011 14:51:46 GMT

After questioning a denial of payment on a Medicaid claim, I received this cheery reply earlier yesterday morning, followed with my note of (empathic) appreciation. Days like yesterday make dealing with insurance programs worthwhile. Mike Baron Good Morning Mr. Baron, My name is ___ and I am a Claims Funding Specialist I believe I've helped you in the past. I did look at the claim you submitted to us for ___ for DOS 07/25/2011 in which we did deny for the reasons you stated in your email. I did pull up ___'s eligibility in the NM Medicaid Portal and she does in fact have full Medicaid benefits. I have submitted an eligibility request so that our system will reflect her current eligibility and also send her claim #___ in the amount of $____ to be reprocessed. I'm sorry for the incontinence. Sincerely, ____ Dear Ms. ____, Thank you for your quick reply, and to ____ who routed my concern with lightning speed to you. BTW, I appreciate your heartfelt apology, though I believe and certainly hope, if only for your sake, you really meant "inconvenience." :) Hang in there, Mike Michael Baron, Ph.D. www.michaelbaronphd.com Author of SCRABBLE Wordbook

Sep 3, Research Shows Scrabble Players Are Actually Good At Something!

Sat, 03 Sep 2011 22:28:06 GMT

It's always nice to hear something positive about the zillions of hours some of us have devoted to the somewhat questionable task of memorizing and rearranging meaningless letter sequences ;-) Have a read

Aug 31, Your Word Games Community Noticeboard

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 00:35:29 GMT

Get connected with other word buffs, just like you. Or tell us about an event or club you've organized for us die-hard word-lovers...

Aug 30, The National Brain Game Challenge

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 22:25:58 GMT

From the desk of Merl Reagle... First Prize, $5,000 / Second Prize, $1,000 / Third Prize, $500. Fifteen $100 prizes for various placement winners (such as 10th place, 20th place, 50th place, etc.) It's a game of skill involving four unusual crosswords (by me) that each lead to Key Answers and a Secret Link that connects all the puzzles together. Players must send in just the Key Answers and the Secret Link, not the completed puzzles, to a secret email address that will be revealed in one of the puzzles. The puzzles are of medium difficulty and the key to winning is seeing the connections rather than knowing a lot of esoterica. (You can try a sample puzzle, which is available free at the AFA site listed below. I recommend reading the answer page after you've solved it.) The order in which the emails come in will determine the winners. Entry fee is $25 and absolutely all proceeds go to the Alzheimer's Foundation of America. If you'd like to play, mark that time and date on your calendars! For more information, you can visit my web site or AFA's web site. All I can say is that I think you'll have fun -- crazy, under-pressure word-game fun, but still fun -- and that it's for a really worthy cause!

Aug 28, Against Jobs

Sun, 28 Aug 2011 06:59:22 GMT

10 Reasons You Should Never Get a Job

Aug 27, Scrabble Rules That Cause The Most Arguments

Sat, 27 Aug 2011 11:49:03 GMT

Ever wondered what the 'official' Scrabble rules say about the way you play at home?

Aug 24, End of Causeway era

Wed, 24 Aug 2011 21:09:11 GMT

Not long after announcing his grand plan for a global Causeway circuit, Michael Tang stunned the Scrabble world with a new announcement - that the circuit would not go ahead, and the upcoming Causeway 2011, in Johor Bahru, would be the last. His exact wording was: "Due to personal reasons, it is with deep regrets that I hereby announce the cancellation of the proposed Causeway Grand Slam 2012. I would like to sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused. I would also like to announce that Causeway 2011 shall be the 10th and FINAL edition of Causeway Scrabble Challenge. I would like to thank players from all over the world for making Causeway such a memorable experience for me." You can read more at the link below...

Aug 13, Why Balderdash is my Favorite Party Game

Sat, 13 Aug 2011 23:05:28 GMT

Here's why pulling out your Balderdash game at a party always works...

Aug 11, Nigel Richards is the National Scrabble Champion (Again!)

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 23:07:56 GMT

Once again Nigel Richards has wowed the Scrabble world by winning the 2011 National Scrabble Championship, thereby keeping the crown. The North American's play to a different Scrabble dictionary to Nigel (who plays to the international dictionary), but it never seems to stop him. The link will take you to Nigel's final scorecard where you can see what happened game by game...

Aug 6, The Last Word Scrabble Newsletter

Sat, 06 Aug 2011 18:42:43 GMT

The August edition of the cool Scrabble newsletter "The Last Word" is now out, and definitely worth a peek when you've got a few minutes to spare.

Aug 1, Words With Friends coming to Facebook?

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 20:32:04 GMT

The new owners of Words With Friends (Zynga) have announced that they'll soon be launching a Facebook version of the hit game. Read the full article for more details...

Aug 1, Fun Interview with New York Times Crossword Editor Will Shortz

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 19:36:33 GMT

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Jul 29, Is Scrabble Just Luck?

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 03:13:46 GMT

Thanks to Scrabble champion Andrew Fisher for pointing out this cool article analyzing the value of certain Scrabble tiles.

Jul 25, The US Presidents For Crossword Fanatics

Mon, 25 Jul 2011 18:58:28 GMT

Here is a list of all the US Presidents with likely crossword clues to help you find them...

Jul 23, Causeway Scrabble Challenge 2011

Sat, 23 Jul 2011 02:40:41 GMT

Dear Scrabblers, I am pleased to inform you of the new prize structure for the 10th and Final Causeway Scrabble Challenge which will be held in Johor Bahru, Malaysia from 30th November till 4th December, 2011. The venue will be the same as previous years at Zon Regency Hotel. * A) Premier Division***** ** ** Champion: US$10,000**** 1st Runner Up: US$5,000**** 2nd Runner Up: US$2,500**** 4th Position: US$1,000**** 5th position: US$800**** 6th position: US$700**** 7th position: US$600**** 8th position: US$500**** 9th position: US$400**** 10th position: US$300** ** ** Registration Fees: US$250**** Criteria: Above Wespa 1800 ratings point**** Dictionary: Collins 2007**** Challenge Rules: 5 points per word**** No. of Games: 45** ** ** * B) Masters Division***** ** ** Champion: US$3,000**** 1st-Runner Up: US$1,500**** 2nd-Runner Up: US$1,000**** 4th position: US$700**** 5th position: US$600**** 6th position: US$500**** 7th position: US$400**** 8th position: US$300**** 9th position: US$200**** 10th position: US$200** ** ** Registration Fees: US$150**** Criteria: Between Wespa Ratings 1500 and 1800**** Dictionary: Collins 2007**** Challenge Rules: 5 points per word**** No Of Games: 45** ** ** * C) Open Division***** ** ** Champion: US$1,000**** 1st-Runner Up: US$700**** 2nd-Runner Up: US$600**** 4th position: US$500**** 5th position: US$400**** 6th position: US$300**** 7th position: US$200**** 8th position: US$200**** 9th position: US$150**** 10th position: US$150** ** ** Registration Fees: US$100**** Criteria: Below Wespa Ratings 1500**** Dictionary: Collins 2007**** Challenge Rules: 5 points per word**** No. of Games: 45 Closing Date: 30th September 2011 *Zon Regency Package:* 5 nights Full Meals package: Single room : RM1,550 Nett per person Double room: RM1,050 Nett per person Room + Breakfast only: Single room: RM250 Nett per person per night Double room: RM150 Nett per person per night I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the Scrabblers who have made Causeway such a memorable experience for the last 10 years. I look forward to welcoming as many of you to the Final Causeway Scrabble Challenge. Michael Tang Organising Chairman

Jul 15, Words that are part of a phrase

Fri, 15 Jul 2011 19:30:02 GMT

This was a close game where ZOO was completed with a T formed from a word crosswise, ELITE (on a double word score tile). When challenged, my opponent

Jul 7, Where do I start learning?

Thu, 07 Jul 2011 23:05:13 GMT

There is a ton of places to start learning about Scrabble- two letter words, Q without U, three letter words, common eight letter words, common seven letter

Jul 3, Merl sneaks in an extra general

Sun, 03 Jul 2011 06:32:37 GMT

In the July 3, 2011 Washington Post, in addition to the 14 U.S. Civil War generals found in the horizontal answers (7 northern/7 southern), Merl tucked

Jul 1, New Zyzzyva Release (2.1.5)

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 22:49:53 GMT

A message from the creator of Zyzzyva... I've released a new version of Zyzzyva, 2.1.5. Zyzzyva is a program for studying words, practicing anagramming, and adjudicating challenges. It runs on Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7, NT, 2000, 98, and Me; Linux; and Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later. You can get the latest version here: http://zyzzyva.net/download.shtml This is a bug-fix update. I would especially like to thank Leighton 'Sandy' Gelling for going far beyond what could reasonably be expected in helping me track down and fix a number of irksome issues on 64-bit Linux. Thank you! Here is the full list of changes in this version: - Account for screen size when displaying Word Judge - Add user preference for hyphens to denote inner hooks - Enlarge CSW copyright notice - Fix a bug when loading saved searches and quizzes containing umlauts - Fix a bug that caused blank lexicon names to appear in lexicon list - Fix multiple bugs that caused failures on 64-bit Linux - Word definition fixes This will probably be the last update for a few months as I'm trying to focus my efforts on the Zyzzyva iPhone project. However, if any critical bugs are found, I will fix them. Please give me feedback about how you think Zyzzyva could be improved! I'm always trying to make it the best word study program it can be. If you would like more information about Zyzzyva, please join the Zyzzyva Users list here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/zyzzyva-users/ I hope you enjoy using Zyzzyva, and most of all, have fun with it! -- Michael W. Thelen mthelen@gmail.com

Jun 15, Word Buff's Word of the Day -- At Last!!

Wed, 15 Jun 2011 09:40:52 GMT

For a couple of years now, people have been hassling me to start a word-of-the-day. I've finally decided to do it! I won't be doing it through my site though -- I'll be doing it on Twitter. Here's the idea... I've decided to work through my Merriam Webster Collegiate Dictionary (11th edition) from beginning to end, and highlight each and every word I find interesting. Some of the words will be selected because of their unpredictable spelling, some because they make perfect additions to our vocabulary, some are obscure crossword favorites and, yes, many are great Scrabble words. Anyhow, if you'd like to receive my word of the day, all you have to do is follow my Twitter persona: @word_buff Here's the link... Follow Word Buff on Twitter And by the way, followers will also get all my website updates at Twitter -- so if you prefer Twitter to RSS, this is the ticket. Oh... one more thing. The official start date for this little journey is the 1st of July (yes, that's 2011!). My first cool word from Merriam Webster will appear on that day. I hope you like it. And let me know if there's anything else I can do through Twitter that you'd enjoy. Catch you on Twitter real soon! Follow Word Buff on Twitter Ciao for now, Derek, aka Word Buff

May 27, Cheats

Fri, 27 May 2011 05:51:11 GMT

Facebook Scrabble keeps scores/rankings like most online games. What irritates me is those who will play 20 games with poor players to one player their

May 25, Sleep and Memory

Wed, 25 May 2011 16:48:14 GMT

Hey guys, Ron White here, the Memory Guy, and I want to talk to you today about probably one of the worst enemies for your memory, and that is sleep deprivation.

May 22, New Zyzzyva Release: 2.1.4

Sun, 22 May 2011 22:15:59 GMT

The following update comes from Zyzzyva creator, Michael Thelen. If you're not familiar with these names, you might like to read this interview I did with

May 13, Those New Scrabble Words. A Level-Headed Account.

Fri, 13 May 2011 00:12:30 GMT

Stefan Fatsis, author of Word Freak, has written an excellent 'summary' article about all the brouhaha surrounding the new Scrabble words everyone is talking about. Trust me. This guy knows his stuff, and this is the only article you need to read about the issue.

May 10, Has Scrabble become ridiculous?

Tue, 10 May 2011 10:58:01 GMT

Chris Howse has something to say about us more obsessive Scrabblers. What do you think?

May 8, When the first player to go forfeits his turn

Sun, 08 May 2011 11:39:34 GMT

If the first person to play cannot take a turn (due to not having a vowel, say) does the second person to play a word get to use the centre double word

May 7, Help! I have ONE RASH

Sat, 07 May 2011 23:08:53 GMT

Must find out or die: seven-letter word(s) from ONERASH How to get 50 bonus points in almost every game! Hi David - I hope you're still among us!

May 7, All About Lexulous

Sat, 07 May 2011 04:09:51 GMT

An introduction to Lexulous - a very popular free online Scrabble game.

Apr 20, Is passing on the first turn a good strategy?

Wed, 20 Apr 2011 02:00:41 GMT

I'm playing Words With Friends and I keep thinking it's a little unrewarding and not much of a challenge to put down the first word. I started passing

Apr 9, Dolch Words - Introduction & Handy Resources

Sat, 09 Apr 2011 05:36:43 GMT

If you're teaching a child to read, you really need to know all about Dolch Words. Here's a simple introduction along with some useful tips to get you going...

Apr 3, Merl Reagle - All 'Round Nice Guy!

Sun, 03 Apr 2011 21:05:03 GMT

I have been an online friend of Merl's since the early days of the Cruciverb-l discussion list. He has been an important contributor, always ready to provide