Second Helpings

Scrabble and Unscrabble

Anyea informed us all today is Dictionary Day. As writers we're bound to love dictionaries, even if we don't use them so much in these times of spell checkers and online thesaurus hints. It's worth checking out the new words which enter our dictionaries on a daily basis however.

One dictionary I can't abide is the Official Scrabble Dictionary. It appears almost any combination of letters are acceptable as a word and as no definitions are given, who are we to argue? Anyone out there know the meaning of HAAF, CEP, UNCI, TAK or BABLAH ? Yep, they're all in there and all acceptable in a serious game of Scrabble.

But I don't play Scrabble seriously and still enjoy the word game. I can still manage to chalk up a few wins at three in the morning when insomnia strkes and I decide an online game might tire the brain cell. Anything involving words fascinates anyone with a love of writing, even if some of them are unheard of.

There are a lot of forwards I've seen before about new words and their meanings but I did receive this one the other week which I hadn't seen before. I thought it was very clever and would hate to play the person who worked out these anagrams at Scrabble in the wee small hours when I've had a few vinos. All these words can be rearranged as follows -


DORMITORY - DIRTY ROOM

PRESBYTERIAN - BEST IN PRAYER

ASTRONOMER - MOON STARER

DESPERATION - A ROPE ENDS IT

THE EYES - THEY SEE

THE MORSE CODE - HERE COME DOTS

SLOT MACHINES - CASH LOST IN ME

ANIMOSITY - IS NO AMITY

ELECTION RESULTS - LIES - LET'S RECOUNT

SNOOZE ALARMS - ALAS NO MORE Z'S

A DECIMAL POINT - I'M A DOT IN PLACE

THE EARTHQUAKES - THAT QUEER SHAKE

ELEVEN PLUS TWO - TWELVE PLUS ONE

MOTHER IN LAW - WOMAN HITLER

So, happy Dictionary Day. I'm off to Newark for the day tomorrow then to London for the weekend with my friend Joy. Were going to see the show Grease and hoping for some time at Covent Garden too. But you know how Murphy tends to join in my plans so I won't hold my breath. Just hope my Dad can stay upright for two days and there are no security alerts. Have a good weekend yourselves and no talking about me while I'm gone.