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 83,  Week 21 of 25 – July 8, 2025

When the husband of one of our members who had registered for the all-day Summer Tournament this coming Monday, July 14, was reminded that the club would be going ahead with its regular weekly session the next evening, he exclaimed, “Don’t you people ever get enough?!” The short answer to that question, she informed him, is… no. A notification regarding Monday’s procedure and rules has been put on the club’s Whatsapp Announcements, and an email will be going out as well.

Members were glad to see Hilda back after several weeks away, and they welcomed Debbie Betesh, formerly of New York. Paired with Pauline for the first game, Debbie was intrigued to learn that her surname was also Pauline’s maiden name. “My family comes from Aleppo,” Pauline said, “while Debbie’s is from Syria’s border with Turkey.” Onomastics aside, Debbie said she had enjoyed herself, and we hope to see more of her. ONOMASTICS, the study of family names, features in WOW24.

Rita played it tough on a triple with SKINHEADS. Yaakov recalled last week’s Hilites in which a player, holding two blanks plus an S, recounted forgoing a low-scoring bingo and settling for 20-some fewer points in order to block a dangerous open triple spot. Yaakov: “I also didn’t play my low-scoring bingo. It was early in the game and I figured with those letters I could score better later on.” But his tile picks let him down, and he lost the game. “The difference in scores was not great,” he said, “and if I had played my bingo when I had it, I would likely have won. I now agree with those who say that if you have a bingo, you should put it down.” How does that saying go? “A bingo on the board is worth more than one in the bag.”

Judy: “I must have been possessed by a demon in the second game because for no very compelling reason I put down three words I suspected probably didn’t exist. My opening rack – CULLING – was frustrating because I went second and had nowhere to attach it. But there was an H, so I played CHULLING, thinking it could be a regional variation of CHILLING. Nothing doing; it was speedily challenged off, soon followed by CANONED and, wait for it, PRODEATH. By this time, however, my opponent had grown cocky and, feeling she was on a roll, also challenged my next bingo, RELOADER, which is perfectly good. That turned things around and led me to an eventual win.”

Overheard: “I lost one game by challenging a good word, and lost another game by not challenging a bad word.” “I scored a triple-triple – and my opponent won the game!” “Being told ‘It’s just a game’ didn’t cheer me up one bit. And anyway, it’s not true….”

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: Wendy, Chani, Judy, May

WOW: QUETZALS (Yaakov), SKINHEAD (Rita) SKATOLES, LUSTRAL (DavidS)

PHOW: RELODGES (Dahlia), OUTLIED (Yaakov)

High Win, High Loss, High Triple:

A: 522 (Wendy), 385 (Rita),  1445 (Wendy)

B1: 496 (Shirley), 399 (Richard), 1154 (Brenda)

Scores over 500:  522, 511 (Wendy), 502 (David S)

100-pt play: INTENDER 122 (Richard)

Attendance: 27