Ping-pong ball launchers and chemical Scrabble: Welcome to the Academic Olympics

DurhamRegion (Canada): Ping-pong ball launchers and chemical Scrabble: Welcome to the Academic Olympics

BOWMANVILLE -- So here’s the deal: Take a ping-pong ball, a bunch of ordinary materials like wood, screws and elastic bands, and launch said ping-pong ball 25 metres. And you’ve got 75 minutes to do it.

Sound easy?

Think again.

The creation of a functioning launcher is a significant challenge, as students participating in the Academic Olympics event Saturday at Clarington Central Secondary School (CCSS) learned.

One team of four -- Krystyn Ewert, Brian Perry, Becca Lascar and Emily DeHaas, all of CCSS -- returned a number of times to the drawing board as they addressed the challenge presented them.

“We were going to launch it through that tube,” Krystyn said, indicating a piece of black plastic plumbing pipe lying on the gym floor, “then it evolved into a catapult -- and then a slingshot.”

Krystyn noted that the team had consulted on a concept beforehand and brought the materials they’d likely need, “but it’s trial and error.

“It’ll probably all come together in the last five minutes,” she said, watching as Brian hammered a nail into a board for the base of the slingshot.

The Clarington Central crew was among 11 teams of four from Bowmanville, Port Hope and Peterborough to participate in the Academic Olympics, an event begun several years ago at Peterborough Collegiate and Vocational School. It’s a chance for students to apply the knowledge and principles they learn each day in a practical and fun way, said Chris Warren, head of the science department at CCSS.

“We have big sporting events, but the kids are academic minded don’t have the same thing,” he said.

Teams generally consist of one member from each grade from 9 to 12 and they spend the day addressing a number of challenges that require them to draw on the full range of their knowledge and experience. The ping-pong ball launch, for instance, is an exercise in physics. Teams are rated on how far their ball flies, as well as travel time, so they have to consider not only the strength of the device they create, but the trajectory the ball will take.

In other areas of the school participants were involved in activities such as a Scrabble-type game based on chemistry and an Amazing Race event that saw them scrambling to complete tasks and solve puzzles.

“That’s one of the things about this competition: they have to work as a team,” Mr. Warren said, noting each member brings strengths and attributes that contribute to the overall effectiveness of the group.

“The kids are worried if they’re going to do well. All we’re worried about is if they have a good time,” Mr. Warren said.

At the other end of the gym the CCSS team had assembled their slingshot and were ready for a trial run. The initial results were -- um -- disappointing. The ping-pong ball sprang about half a metre in the air, fell to the gym floor and trickled off into a corner.

“It’s not going to stand up,” said Becca, who had been holding the base of the device.

“You’re so pessimistic,” observed Brian, scrambling after the ping-pong ball, which threatened to dribble off under the bleachers.

A few tweaks, a realignment of personnel, and another attempt. The ball arced through the air -- as gracefully, one reckons, as a ping-pong ball could -- about five metres and bounced smartly on the hardwood.

“Yeah!” Brian cheered. He hastily gathered the team for further consultation.

Across the sprawling gym Yifan Ou and Calvin Choi of Peterborough were assembling a medieval-looking catapult consisting of 2-by-4s and metal screws. Anyone observing a test would do well to stand back. Other teams huddled in consultation, taking little notice of their fellow competitors.

Laughter and the sound of ping-pong balls skittering across the floor filled the gym.

That’s the Olympic spirit for you.

6 letter word: R S N T S E

6 letter word
Sterns

5 letter words
tress
terns
stern
rests
rents
nests

4 letter words
tern
tens
sets
sent
rest
rent
nets
nest
erst

3 letter words
set
net
ens

ABC Fun: a, an

There's no real reason to define a or an, they are definite articles.

I just wanted to start with this because of this statement:
The Anglo-Saxons tended not to use an article at all.

The Anglo-Saxon being the English.

If you listen to British radio, or watch British TV, (or even read a certain kind of book!) you will see sometimes that the "rustic" character will not use the a or an, when talking.

Take for example the famous first Spanish Inquisition sketch from Monty Python:

Chapman: Trouble at mill.
Cleveland: Oh no - what kind of trouble?
Chapman: One on't cross beams gone owt askew on treadle.
Cleveland: Pardon?
Chapman: One on't cross beams gone owt askew on treadle.
Cleveland: I don't understand what you're saying.
Chapman: [slightly irritatedly and with exaggeratedly clear accent] One of the cross beams has gone out askew on the treadle.
Cleveland: Well what on earth does that mean?
Chapman: *I* don't know - Mr Wentworth just told me to come in here and say that there was trouble at the mill, that's all - I didn't expect a kind of Spanish Inquisition.

Bibliography
Dictionary of Word Origins, by John Ayto

The Zen of Scrabble

AZCentral: The Zen of Scrabble
Today's question:

Why can't I use the word “Zen” when playing Scrabble?

Well, because you just can't, can you?

“Zen,” a form of Buddhism, is considered to be a proper noun and as all God-fearing, right-thinking people of all races and creeds know: You can't play a proper noun in Scrabble.

(I think I'm supposed to make that trademark sign behind “Scrabble,” but for what I get paid I'm not going to bother to find out how).

Anyway, I suppose if you and your opponent mutually agreed to bend the rules to allow proper nouns, that would be your business.

However, we all know that the rules of Scrabble, along with the 10 Commandments, the Magna Carta, the Bill of Rights and Major League Baseball, are the foundations of our civilization.

On the other hand, the rules of golf are, if you ask me, open to interpretation. I say such rules depend on which of you and your opponents is the biggest cheater or the most creative interpreter of the rules.

My late father, for instance, had a rule that you could not score more than 10 on any hole, no matter how many strokes you took. Plus, since he preferred to play in the morning, you got one stroke off for any hole played after noon.

Anyway, should you happen while playing Scrabble (trademark thingy) to be blessed with a “z” and a blank tile you you could play “zazen,” which on a triple-word score would be worth 27 points. No, 39 points.

“Zazen” is a Japanese word meaning “to sit” as in to sit in Zen meditation. I know it is more or less a foreign word, but it is allowed in Scrabble (trademark thingy). If you have z-e-n- tiles you also play citizen or frozen or a bunch of other -zen words.

6 letter word: M S E O V R

6 letter word
MOVERS

5 letter words
VERSO - right hand side page of a book
SERVO
ROVES
OVERS - an "inning" in critic
MOVES
MOVER
MORES - "mor-ays" - folkways of central importance accepted without question and embodying the fundamental moral views of a group.

4 letter words
SORE
SOME
ROVE
ROSE
ROES
REVS
OVER
ORES
MOVE
MORE

3 letter words
ROE
REV
REM
ORE
OMS - plural of om. (noun Hinduism .
a mantric word thought to be a complete expression of Brahman and interpreted as having three sounds representing Brahma or creation, Vishnu or preservation, and Siva or destruction, or as consisting of the same three sounds, representing waking, dreams, and deep sleep, along with the following silence, which is fulfillment. )
EMS - the letter "M", plural

Scrabble Dictionary

CBCRadio: Scrabble Dictionary
The official Scrabble dictionary is adding nearly 3,000 new words to its pages including a handful of slang terms that have some players up in arms but as word spread at this scrabble tournament in Saskatoon... there were other emotions. We aired some tape of competitive Scrabble players at a recent tournament in Saskatoon reacting to the news that the Collins Official Scrabble Words Book -- the dictionary most commonly used in international Scrabble play -- is adding words such as Myspace, webzine, Facebook and Wiki as well as some slang such as innit --which means isn't it ... thang -- a substitute for thing and grrl, spelled g-r-r-r-l. Apparently either 2 or 3 r's are acceptable.

(The original site has a radio program where three scrabble enthusiasts comment on this addition of slang words to the dictionary.) Go there, via your computer, if you'd like to listen to it.)

For my own part, how can Myspace, Facebook and Wiki be added when they are capitalized??

Scotland: Scrabble clubs closing as game thrives online

Scrabble clubs closing as game thrives online"

THE figures spell the end for diehard fans of one of the world's most popular board games. Scotland's Scrabble clubs are in rapid decline, with several closing their doors.

Clubs in Perth, Crieff and Dundee have all closed recently, while the Aberdeen Scrabble club now has only three members. The falling numbers have been attributed to a lack of young people joining the game, despite more than half of all British homes owning a Scrabble board.

Alan Sinclair of Edinburgh Scrabble club, which has 12 members, the youngest of whom is 30 and at its peak had more than 30 active players, said: "Numbers have halved in the past 20 years. People have died or they've become too old to play and there aren't enough young people coming in."

Jean Gallacher of the Inverness Scrabble Club said that numbers were now down to just eight. "We used to have a very busy club but time takes its toll, people move away, people die and you're left with the diehards trying to keep it going," she said.

Despite the decline, however, the game has experienced a recent resurgence in popularity on the internet, where it is played on social networking sites such as Facebook.

"On the internet it's a completely different story," said Sinclair. "But the problem is that the popularity of the game on the internet doesn't seem to translate into people wanting to come along and join clubs and play in tournaments."

Ross Mackenzie, a member of the Glasgow Scrabble Club and chairman of the Association of British Scrabble Players, said: "The Facebook generation plays Scrabble on their lunch break but they don't join clubs. The inevitability is that while there will always be Scrabble clubs, in the future there will be fewer of them and they'll be more centralised."

Mackenzie added that Scrabble was now rarely played in schools, which had also contributed to its decline in popularity among young people.

"There used to be schools competitions and that's how a lot of people, including myself, came into the game. You would play at local level and then progress to a national final. But that doesn't happen any more."

Philip Nelkon of Mattel, which makes Scrabble, said: "Sales of Scrabble are still holding up extremely well, but in terms of people playing the game it's so much easier now to play on Facebook or on the iPhone. There are a million people worldwide playing on Facebook and a similar number playing on iPhone or iPad."

6 letter word: R Z D A I L

6 letter word
LIZARD

5 letter word
LAIRD - landed proprietor in Scotland

4 letter words
RIAL - a silver or cupronickel coin and monetary unit of Iran, equal to 100 dinars.
RAIL
RAID
LIRA
LIAR
LARD
LAIR
LAID
DIAL
ARID

3 letter words
RID
RAD - a unit of absorbed dose equal to 0.01 Gy
LID
LAD
AIR
AIL
AID
ADZ - an axlike tool

6 letter word: L S M P A A

6 letter word
PLASMA

5 letter words
PSALM
PALMS
LAMPS
LAMAS

4 letter words
SPAM
SLAP
SLAM
PALS
PALM
MAPS
LAPS
LAMS
LAMP
LAMA - a priest or monk
AMPS
ALPS
ALMS
ALAS

3 letter words
SPA
SAP
PAS - plural of pa, father
PAL
MAS - plural of ma, mothers
MAP
LAP
LAM
ASP
AMP
ALP

6 letter anagrams: W S R L O D

6 letter word
WORLDS

5 letter words
WORLD
WORDS
WOLDS
SWORD
LORDS

4 letter words
WORD
WOLD
SOLD
SLOW
ROWS
RODS
OWLS
LOWS
LORD

3 letter words
SOW
SOL
SOD
ROD
OWL
OLD
LOW
DOS

Transitions: World’s oldest scrabble player passes away

TheExpressTribune (Pakistan): Transitions: World’s oldest scrabble player passes away

KARACHI:
Ishtiaq Chishti, the oldest scrabble player in the world – fondly called ‘Baba Scrabble’ (the father of scrabble) – passed away after liver failure complications late on Saturday.

He is survived by wife Malka Chishti and four children.

Chishti, 77, became the oldest player in the World Scrabble Championship in 2003 when he played at the age of 69 years and came 44th out of 150 players. Before him, the previous record holder for the oldest scrabble competitor was Bil Rose, who died in 2003 at 98.

Chishti was born in March 1933 in Ajmer and after the subcontinent’s partition, migrated to Pakistan and later moved to Saudi Arabia to pursue his career. There, his love for scrabble grew when he started playing the game in 1960 after a friend gave him the board game as a present on his return from the United States.

“In Saudi Arabia, he became the founding member of the Dhahran Scrabble Club, the oldest club in the world today,” his son, Sohail Chishti, told The Express Tribune.

Over 300 trophies adorn his drawing room. But they are eclipsed by a letter from Alfred Mosher Butts, an American architect who invented the board game in 1938. In his hand-written letter, he appreciated Chishti’s efforts and contribution to the mind sport.

The oldest scrabble player played in tournaments across the world, in Sri Lanka, Australia, Malaysia, England, Canada, the United States, Bahrain, Qatar and Dubai among others.

He resettled in Pakistan after retiring in 2005 and since then, he had been working to promote the stimulating mind sport.

A colleague, Tariq Parvez, who is the director of the Pakistan Scrabble Association’s Youth Programme, recalled his vigour and untiring efforts to make the game popular among the youth of the country. “He was instrumental in promoting the game and despite his age, he actively went to schools and gymkhanas to urge students to play scrabble,” he said.

Chishti had been playing scrabble for 46 years and used to call it a “stress buster” and “a game of the literates”.

In an earlier interview with The Express Tribune, he had said, “Skills learnt for any other game are limited to the game alone, but those acquired in scrabble can be used across the board.” His pun was intended.

Chishti and his wife, Malka, started playing from home and they made it to the list of the best scrabble players in the world. Malka once made a world record with the word ‘Computerization’ that stretched across the board.

Javaid Iqbal, the Pakistan Scrabble Association vice president, told The Express Tribune that Chishti was the most patient person he had ever met. “Whenever a difference of opinion arose, he never argued and never became angry.” Recently, when Muhammad Sulaiman secured first position in the Malta International Scrabble Open Championship 2010, Chishti hosted a celebration in his honour.

New Scrabble Tech Words Include Facebook, Scrobble, Blook

Talk about pandering. None of these new "words" should be included!

PCMag.com: New Scrabble Tech Words Include Facebook, Scrobble, Blook
Whether you use "badware," "vlog," and "pharm" in real life, rest assured they're words - in Scrabble. As are "MySpace" and "Facebook," defying the traditional rules of the game.

The most recent edition of the Collins Official Scrabble Words dictionary was released this week, and the 3,000 words added to the new edition contains several entries from the tech world, including those that don't get used all that often.

What's a "blook"? A book serialized on a blog roll, according to Collins. I had to look up "splog" (a spam blog, which the author uses to promote affiliated Web sites, according to Wikipedia) and double-check that "scrobble", the term that Last.fm uses to report to the service the names of the songs you're listening to. "Pharm" isn't a nickname for "pharmaceutical," but a hack to redirect a Web site's traffic to another for purposes of profit.

Other generic tech terms include "wiki" and the already-approved "blog," plus a derivative, "vlog". "Badware," "fansite," "webzine," "inbox," and "darknet" all made it, too.

And then there are the two social networking firms: MySpace and Facebook, which are now approved terms as well.

Collins claims it's the authority on Scrabble, serving as the "essential reference for all Scrabble players". But the official rules, of course, prohibit the use of capitalized words.But that comes with a caveat.

"Before the game begins, all players should agree upon the dictionary that they will use, in case of a challenge," Hasbro, the owner of the license to Scrabble within the U.S., writes. "All words labeled as a part of speech (including those listed of foreign origin, and as archaic, obsolete, colloquial, slang, etc.) are permitted with the exception of the following: words always capitalized, abbreviations, prefixes and suffixes standing alone, words requiring a hyphen or an apostrophe."

Also joining the ranks: "grrl," or "grrrl," describing a rough-and-tumble female or female punk; "thang," "innit," "biach," "blingy" and - believe it or not - "punanny," which you can look up yourself.

"Qin," a Chinese zither, was also added, adding another word (besides "qi" that includes a "q" but does not require a "u". Other words that had previously been excluded but have now been added include "heatwave," "catflap," and "pushbike".

Not sure if a word is legitimate or not? Check it yourself, with the Collins widget below - which at press time, needed to be updated with the new dictionary!

6 letter word: S O S E L R

6 letter words
LOSERS
LESSOR

5 letter words
SORES
SOLES
SLOES
ROSES
ROLES
LOSES
LOSER

4 letter words
SORE
SOLS
SOLE
SLOE - the small, sour, blackish fruit of the blackthorn, Prunus spinosa, of the rose family.
ROSE
ROLE
ROES
ORES
LOSS
LOSE
LORE
LESS

3 letter words
SOL
ROE - the mass of eggs, or spawn, within the ovarian membrane of the female fish.
ORE
OLE

6 letter word: E U C E D S

6 letter words
SEDUCE
EDUCES - to draw forth or bring out, as something potential or latent; elicit; develop.
DEUCES

5 letter word
SUEDE
EDUCE
DEUCE
CEDES

4 letter words
USED
SUED
SEED
SCUD
ECUS
DUES
CUES
CUED
CUDS
CEDE

3 letter words
USE
SUE
SEE
SEC
ECU
DUE
CUE
CUD

6 letter word: O S D W U N

6 letter word
WOUNDS

5 letter words
WOUND
SOUND
DOWNS

4 letter words
UNDO
SOWN
SNOW
OWNS
ONUS
NOUS
NODS
DUOS
DUNS
DOWN
DONS

3 letter words
WON
SUN
SOW
SOU
SON
SOD
OWN
NUS
NOW
NOS
NOD
DUO
DUN
DOS
DON

6 letter word: I O L D Y B

6 letter word
BODILY

5 letter word
DOILY

4 letter words
OILY
IDYL
IDOL
IDLY
BOLD
BOIL
BODY

3 letter words
YOB
OLD
OIL
OBI
LOB
LID
LIB
BOY
BOD
BIO
BID

6 Letter word: P D R E D I

6 letter word
PRIDED

5 letter word
REDID
PRIED
PRIED
DRIED

4 letter word
RIPE
RIDE
PIER
PIED
DRIP
DIRE
DIED

3 letter word
RIP
RID
REP
RED
PIE
PER
IRE
DIP
DIE
DID

7 letter word: L N E S H C U

7 letter word
LUNCHES

6 letter word
UNCLES

5 letter words
UNCLE
LUNCH
CLUES

4 letter words
SUCH
SLUE - to turn (a mast or other spar) around on its own axis, or without removing it from its place.
SHUN
LUSH
LENS
HUES
HENS
ECUS - plural of middle ages shield
CUES
CLUE

3 letter words
USE
SUN
SUE
SHE
SEC
NUS - 1. the 13th letter of the Greek alphabet
HUE
HES
HEN
ENS
ECU - the shield carried by a mounted man-at-arms in the Middle Ages.
2. any of various gold and silver coins of France, issued from the 13th through the 18th centuries, bearing the figure of a shield.
CUE

7 letter word: N I A W H K G

7 letter word
HAWKING

5 letter words
WAKING
HAWING
AWING

4 letter words
WINK
WING
WAIN
NIGH
KING
KHAN
HAWK
HANK
HANG
GNAW
GAWK
GAIN
ANKH
AKIN

3 letter words
WIN
WIG
WAN
WAG
NAH
NAG
KIN
INK
HAW
HAG
GIN
AWN
ANI

Giveaway: Kalimat a fun word game with a difference

From Macgasm: Giveaway: Kalimat a fun word game with a difference
Word board games have always been a popular choice of game to play, and now the craze seems to have spread on to many iOS devices, the most popular games being Scrabble and Words With Friends.

Kalimat is a word game brought to you by Apps Arabia. It is a game based around the popular game Scrabble. If you have played Scrabble or Words With Friends, then you will certainly enjoy this game, and you will no how to play it. For those that don’t, it is easy to pick up.

The game play is almost the same as scrabble, each player is to take turns placing tile letters on the board spelling out a word. Once the word is created you earn points on how many tiles you have placed. Each tile has a score. Depending on where you place the word, you may earn additonal bonus points for placing tiles on a double or triple letter or double or triple word.

The player that starts the game needs to place the word at the starting point — one of the letters needs to be on the square that is in the centre. Any tiles that then follow must be joined to at least one tile that is already on the board. The word can be placed horizontally or vertically.

You start with 7 tiles and every time you use a tile to spell a word, you are given more from the stock of tiles still available. You then take turns until all the letters are used up. When the first player uses all of their tiles, the scores are then calculated and the person with the highest score wins. It is also possible the game will end another way. If you make three ‘no moves’ the game will end.

There are the usual options that you will have seen in Words With Friends where you can swap a tile or pass your turn. There is also an option to shake the device to shuffle your tiles up and see if you get some inspiration to find a good word.

What’s MacgasmicTo add a little something different to the game, you can play the normal version or the remix mode. This is where this separates itself from Scrabble and Words with Friends. You follow the same rules as in the normal mode, but there is a timer that counts down at the start of each turn. You score additional points for how quick you place a word. So if you place a word within one minute the word score is tripled. If it is within two minutes they are doubled. If it took you longer then the two minutes, well it’s tough luck you took too long and you don’t deserve any extra points!

The game is also supported with OpenFeint and Game Center. The more games you play, the more achievements you unlock and the higher up the leader board you will get. You can play your listed friends or a random player and there is also the option to pass and play. You can invite your friends on Facebook and Twitter quickly also.

What’s not?
While it is nice playing against your friends, it is fun to have the option to play with a random opponent. I tried this and at times it can take a while for someone to start playing with you. Obviously this isn’t the developer’s fault that a player is taking a while to play, but I think if more and more people played the game this would not be the case.

Conclusion
The game is great if you are looking for a change from the normal Scrabble and Words With Friends. There is even a lite version for you to try if you are still unsure whether it is your kind of game. If that is not enough, we have got 6 copies to give out to 6 lucky readers. If you want to have a chance to win a copy, read the rules below on what you need to do.

6 Letter word: A E L L W T

6 letter word
WALLET

4 letter words
WELT
WELL
WEAL
WALL
WALE
TELL
TEAL
TALL
TALE
LATE

3 letter words
WET
TEA
LET
LEA
LAW
ETA
ELL
EAT
AWL
AWE
ATE
ALL
ALE

Canadian teen Scrabble champions defeat Jimmy Kimmel in style

Yahoo News Daily Brew: Canadian teen Scrabble champions defeat Jimmy Kimmel in style
Canadians are known for their sportsmanship and it was on full display last night in a Scrabble duel between two Toronto teens and late-night host Jimmy Kimmel.

Every year, Kimmel challenges the winners of the National School Scrabble Championship to a match on his TV show. This year, the winners were Scarborough Grade 8 students Alex Li and Jackson Smylie.

Kimmel lost last year's duel, so the Canadians entered the game by telling the late-night host he shouldn't be "overly confident."

The comedian soon got his payback in a series of questions about how a couple of Canadians managed to get into an American National Championship.

The Canadian teens let their game speak for itself, throwing down "pointer" for 90 points.

Kimmel responded quickly with a seven-letter word of his own: "phasing" for 84 points. Living up to the Canadian reputation for politeness, Smylie noticed an error and corrected Kimmel's score to 92.

It was of little consequence though, as the Canadians laid down the questionable "zowie" for 58 points. After Kimmel lamented their use of the "zee" tile, Li jokingly asked, "Sorry, what's a zee?" in reference to the difference between U.S. and Canadian pronunciations.

After a few more words, the Canadians stood just nine points from defeating Kimmel (they agreed to play a shortened game to 200). After placing "jager" for the win, Kimmel challenged the word but was overruled by the official Scrabble dictionary. Final score: 249-155.

Asked what they would do with their prize money (they won $10,000 in the tournament), Smylie indicated they might buy some iPads in addition to making investments. Kimmel proved to be every bit as polite as the Canadians, presenting the two of them with free iPads.

Tobacco Valley Teachers Federal Credit Union Participates In Scrabble Challenge Fundraiser

Hartford Courant: Tobacco Valley Teachers Federal Credit Union Participates In Scrabble Challenge Fundraiser
Tobacco Valley Teachers Federal Credit Union (TVTFCU) staff members recently participated in the Literacy Volunteers of Northern Connecticut's Scrabble Challenge. This annual fundraiser raises funds for this non-profit organization to continue their work in providing adult basic literacy and English as a Second Language classes at no charge. The event was held at the Holiday Inn in Enfield and consisted of teams that worked together on creating words on their Scrabble game boards. Teams could buy extra letters and peeks at the dictionary for a donation. It was a fun night for all!

The Tobacco Valley Teachers Federal Credit union is a not-for-profit, member owned, financial co-operative which has been serving its members since 1936. Financial services include savings and checking accounts, online home financial services, a variety of loans, mortgages and more. Member eligibility includes all public and non-public school employees who work in the towns of Enfield, East Windsor, Windsor, Windsor Locks, Suffield and Somers. Enrico Fermi High School students. Enfield High School students. Employees of Community Health Resources. Employees, commissioners and volunteers of the Enfield Fire Department. Plus, spouses of persons who died while within the field of membership of this credit union, persons retired as pensioners or annuitants from the above employment, members of their immediate families and organization of such persons.

6 letter anagrams: A I E L R A

6 letter word
AERIAL

5 letter word
AREAL - vacant piece of level ground

4 letter words
RILE
RIAL - monetary unit of Iran
REAL
RAIL
LIRE - a coin of Italy
LIRA - a coin and monetary unit of Italy
LIAR
LAIR
ILEA - third and lowest division of small intestine
EARL
ARIA
AREA

3 letter words
LIE
LEI
LEA - tract of open ground
IRE
ERA
EAR
ARE
ALE
AIR
AIL

6 letter amagrams: B B S E Y A

6 letter word
ABBEYS

5 letter words
BABES
ABBEY

4 letter words
YEAS
EBBS
EASY
BYES
BEYS
BAYS
BASE
BABY
BABE
AYES

3 letter words
YES
YEA
SEA
SAY
EBB
BYE
BEY
BAY
AYE
ABS

Jamin Smith, Videogamer Staff Writer – Scrabble, iPad

Videogamer: Jamin Smith, Videogamer Staff Writer – Scrabble, iPad
Before last weekend, the last time I'd played Scrabble was about seventeen years ago; I was six-or-so, and forced my little sister to be my opponent. After exhausting my limited vocabulary, I'd invent elaborate meanings for barely pronounceable words, and she'd lap it all up - it was hilarious. Anyway, Scrabble was 59p on the App Store over the Easter Weekend, so I snapped it up. In the modern day version, however - with its touch screen technology and integrated dictionary - there's no way to cheat! Calling your opponent's bluff with ridiculous definitions was such a big part of Scrabble for me as a kid, and now I had to play by the damn rules. Thankfully, I was able to beat my girlfriend fair and square - or to be more precise - I was winning up until the point she got bored and decided she wanted to do something outside instead. Subsequently, I didn't actually play many games last week, hence this slightly dull account of my history with the board game Scrabble.

Scrabble win fair and square

The Star: Scrabble win fair and square
Louise Brown’s article about the National School Scrabble Championship winners and ensuing column by Kathy English (April 23) implied that the Scarborough winners clinched the victory by playing the word “carnate.” Leaving aside the debate about the authenticity of the word, the contention that the team won the tournament by playing this word is false. This play was made early on in the final game, and numerous other plays went into winning it. There were also seven other games prior to the final one.

As the mother of one of the winners, I know that he and his partner studied diligently and systematically to prepare for the tournament, memorizing stacks of index cards with obscure words, reading books about strategy, and playing/analyzing hundreds of games. They played the tournament with integrity and style, and there was nothing capricious about their victory.

Gabrielle Bauer, Toronto