Welcome to the Jerusalem Scrabble Club

COME PLAY WITH US … VISITORS ALWAYS WELCOME!

*** NEW PLAYERS: CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION ***

 Director: Elana Simons, 054 220 6238, elanalibby@gmail.com

 THIS WEEK AT THE CLUB

Season 82,  Week 15 of 25 – November 12, 2024

If there’s one thing the hardier members of our club thoroughly enjoy, it’s a tournament, which is basically a whole-day Scrabblefest comprising nine games during which the competitors are fortified by unlimited snacks and drinks, with lunch thrown in. Our last tourney, back in the summer, was the usual success and the word (as yet unsubstantiated) is that there will be a Winter Tournament held during Chanukah. So watch this space – and pay attention to club announcements. 

After an absence of some weeks, Avi returned to the club in top form. He put down BASINET, adding the B to AR to make ARB and causing his opponent to hesitate on both counts, though she finally forbore to challenge. But doesn’t BASINET require two S’s? Turns out both single and double consonants are good. A BASINET is a light, typically pointed steel helmet frequently equipped with a visor, while BASSINET describes a baby’s basketlike bed of wickerwork or plastic, often hooded over one end. As for ARB, there are multiple definitions in the medical, legal and financial fields, but the crucial thing for us is that it’s acceptable in WOW24.

Elana played RINGERS, adding the S onto WHO to make WHOS. “It was challenged and it isn’t good,” she said, “but my thinking was that if HOWS, WHYS, WHATS, WHERES and WHEREFORES are all fine… clearly I was wrong! Go figure.” Sadly, without a Higher Authority to appeal to we are compelled to comply with the whimsies of the Scrabble Dictionary, which occasionally operates on a logic that is all its own. 

If SONLY, meaning filial or like a son, is good then SONLIER should be too, no? Actually, no. The Collins dictionary accepts it; ours doesn’t. JudyM was lucky to get away with this phony.

Win some, lose some: Ricky went home in philosophical mood. “I lost one game by 200 and won one game by 200,” he said. And Pamela had reason for satisfaction: “My opponent had both blanks and all four S’s – and I won!” It bears repeating that the assertion “It ain’t over till it’s over” could have been specially formulated for Scrabble – because you just never know how a game will work out, and hence must never lose heart.

If you missed the opportunity to communicate your hilite in person at the club you can email it to judymo@netvision.net.il or WhatsApp it (054-5552355) up until noon the following day. If you wish to mark any occasion by bringing refreshments to the club, please check with Susan up to a week in advance. 

WWW: Pamela, May, ElanaS

WOW:  BEYONDS (Rita), REFACING (Yaakov), INCURRED (Roger)

PHOW:SUPPERED (Bernard)

High Win, High Loss, High Triple:

A: 493 (Rena), 416 (DavidS),  1257 (DavidS AND Bernard!)

B1: 489 (Richard), 375 (Shirley), 1250 (Pamela)

Scores over 500

100-pt play:

Attendance: 26