Did you know that “xi” is a word? So is feh. And jeu, xyst, and zyme, and ut, re, hm, even ye.
They are all recognized by Webster, the global guru of words. Most of us have no idea what they mean. They are also, however, located on the official list for a word game that has found a home in Sun City – Scrabble.
In fact, as of 1986, Webster hadn’t even recognized the game, it defined scrabble as “to scratch or claw about clumsily or frantically.” But Scrabble players, such as those in the Scrabble charter club, don’t care much about Webster. They have their own dictionary of Scrabble words, based on Webster, and the paperback version is nearly two-inches thick. They even have electronic, computerized dictionaries, and they use them extensively in lively game sessions in Prairie Lodge’s game room on Tuesday afternoons.
“Scrabble was invented in the United States by an unknown person or group, and Parker Brothers bought all the rights to the game in the ’50s or ’60s,” Mary Kozy, club president, said during a club session last week. “There is even a National Scrabble Association, which sets standards for competition, conducts tournaments, and defines all of the “words” that go into the Scrabble dictionary.”
Scrabble is played on a board about 18 inches square. Two or more players can play, but one-on-one games are most common in clubs like Sun City. Words are formed by placing letter tiles that form words on the board, vertically or horizontally. Some squares offer bonus points for some letters or words at random points on the board. All words have to connect with at least one established word on the board. Each letter is worth points, ranging from one point for common letters, such as most vowels, to eight or 10 points for letters x and z. Strategy comes into play when players have to figure out how to place their tiles in the best positions to obtain maximum points.
Kozy is a veteran player who plays the game often with friends or family members in addition to the weekly club sessions.
“I learned the game as a child, when it was called “skip-a-cross,” she said. “I play it a lot with my children and grandchildren, and I am competitive enough to enjoy it when I can beat them.”
Kozy adds a large dose of inspiration to the club because she has been blind since she was 18 years old. She has memorized the board and all of its bonus point squares, and she uses a customized set of Braille tiles with raised dots that identify each letter and its point value for her. Using her fingers, she quickly identifies the squares and tiles and plays with as much skill as any sighted player.
“Mary is amazing; she really is very good at the game,” said her opponent, Doris Kopp.
“Scrabble is a computer game, much like bridge,” Kozy said. “Some players play Scrabble using email on a computer with players from around the world. It’s a great way to develop a vocabulary and learn about new subjects and activities while having fun at a game. On most weekly game days, we allow the use of ‘cheat sheets,’ like the word list and special dictionaries. But on the last week of the month, we play absolute Scrabble rules and don’t allow the use of the lists. The only way you can use them is if you challenge an opponent’s word choice. In this way, we are exposed to the relaxed way to play, and the more challenging way.”
“I find it relaxing, and I have made it a big part of my life,” Nancy Brandenburger, former club president, said.
She has been a Scrabble enthusiast since she came to Sun City about seven years ago.
“I find it is a great way to have fun and compete in a friendly way and make friends along the way,” she said.
Brandenburger and fellow club member/opponent Ella Hochstadt, who is a native of Romania and also came to Sun City seven years ago, both played last week with electronic dictionaries. They frequently used them to check to see if a word they wanted to put on the board was acceptable to official Scrabble rules.
“People from other countries are frequently very good players,” Hochstadt said. “The game is played in many countries. Crossword puzzle enthusiasts also are often very good at this game. You can play with only a maximum of seven tiles at a time, so you are limited in your options, and you have to be creative in forming words.”
The Sun City club was formed about seven years ago by a group of residents led by Lillian Berg, who has since moved away.
“She started games in her home, and when the group got to about 25, she applied for and got a charter for the club,” Brandenburger said.
“Now, we have 44 members, and we have two or three social events each year in addition to our weekly games in the lodge,” Kozy said. “We usually recruit a few new members every year at the Charter Club Expo, and we’re always anxious to welcome new members. We don’t have tournaments or anything like that. We want to keep it informal with one-on-one games each week.”
Oxes, suq, zouk, or zzz, anyone? Trust me, they’re actual words; ask a Scrabble player, they’ll know about a lot of them.
