Scrabble Miscellany – Strategies, Trivia, and Tricks - Articles

Why I Stopped Using Dictionaries in Scrabble and Other Word Games 1. Fair Play Comes First – Even Among Friends I used to think consulting the dictionary was a clever strategy. After all, everyone wants to win, right? But I quickly realized that this "help" was killing the spirit of competition. Imagine a soccer match where one team has access to a secret map of the opponent's moves. Where’s the fun in that? In Scrabble, the rules are simple: you play using your own knowledge. Once I started playing without a dictionary, I felt like my wins truly reflected my skill – not just sneaky tricks. It's like climbing a mountain without a cable car – harder, sure, but infinitely more satisfying! Many online platforms automatically block dictionary access during games, which just confirms that this is widely seen as unsporting. In real life, no one’s looking over your shoulder – but that's where the real challenge begins. When I openly ditched "scientific aids" during game nights with friends, ...

Linguistic Archetypes: Why Do Some Words Exist in All Languages? 1. "Mama" and "Papa" – Universal Words That Bridge Cultures Ever noticed how "mama" and "papa" sound almost the same in so many languages? From English "mom" to Chinese "māma" and Arabic "mama"—it's no accident. Researchers explain that these words come naturally from infant babbling. Babies easily produce sounds like "m" or "b" combined with open vowels like "a," which leads to those familiar repeating syllables. Parents, in turn, interpret these sounds as referring to themselves, creating a universal language of closeness and care. It's linguistic evolution at its most primal—when the basic need to connect leads to the same solutions everywhere. Georgian is a quirky exception, where "mama" means father and "deda" means mother. Still, the syllable patterns are familiar. Anthropologists say these early words act as a social glue, bonding families and communities. Many cultures also create affectionate versions by doublin...