The strange, the bizarre and the unexpected

[bwt1213]

It also has no words of 8+ letters, and only one of 7 letters. It seems like a board that no one would want to play -- not for high score, not for long words, not for high point words. Perhaps someone would like to take a try at finding every word on the board. Are there even 100?

[DonGuy47]

I don't usually look at the Board Stats, so I'm not absolutely sure this counts as "bizarre", but it seems at least "rare" to me that this board has no "rare" words.

[DrPlacebo]

Just got points for NAZIFY.

I got points for DENAZIFICATION in the past, but I didn't the DE-prefix wasn't on this latest board, so I tried NAZIFY without the prefix. It worked.

However, RENAZIFY didn't score.

[Spike1007]

Hi flops, I think this story counts in this category, although it's a little more exciting than the usual post. I'm glad that it all worked out (except for the lighter & phone).

[flops]

So, Dears, not really on point, but unexpected....Every Tuesday morning after I drop Offspring 4 to school, I meet my 76 year old neighbour, aka Moonlight (which makes me Sunshine), down at the local creek to walk my dogs (Mud and Moose) and his dog (Mia). Remember it is winter here, in fact the ski season opened this "Queens Birthday" weekend (yes, just another Australian excuse for a public holiday, I don't think it is even the Queen (of England's) birthday). So it is relatively cold but still maybe 10 degrees c. I always thought that all dogs can swim, like, instinctively....perhaps they can, but not all dogs seem to understand that if you fall in the creek, and the bank is too steep, just paddle downstream to where, with all four of your strong boxer legs, you can. So Mud and Moose are in the water, swimming after the ducks, Mia ventures too close to the bank, and skitter, twist, somersault, splash...there she is in the water...trying to get purchase to get out..I put down my backpack, my phone (learnt my lesson last time) and my coffee, preparing to lie on my tummy, grab her collar and haul her out. Moonlight is already lowering himself down the nearly vertical bank...you know, his dog, he has first rescue rights..ceptin he is clinging to the bank now too, and can't get a foothold. I'm holding his arm, kinda, and trying to put all 85kg of him up the bank, but we are going nowhere fast. Moonlight grabs the collar, hauls Mia half way, I grab it and pull her all the way out, losing Moonlights arm..turns out the creek at that point is nearly chest deep if you are 6ft or so. Mud and Moose are out too, Moose is trying to dig away the bank so Moonlight can get out (Kelpies are problem solvers) and Mud is licking everyone (Border Collies are pleasers). Moonlight has a dog leash (nice strong leather one) draped over his shoulders, so I ask for that, and eventually haul him out with that (you will have to imagine the physics, because it was not probable, but turns out to be possible).

Mia is happy as Larry, and Moonlight suggests we continue our walk. His lighter and his phone arent working so well, atm, but at least in his retirement, he has a few extra jobs today (phone in the fridge, hot shower, load of laundry).

Not bizarre, cause weird stuff tends to happen here, we are all strange, but yeah, I think we totally nailed the unexpected! Anyways, Hi Ho, Hi Ho....flops out.

[Spike1007]

I found a number of -DACTYL- words before, but somehow I don't think I'd have gotten that one. Good job!

[DrPlacebo]

ZYGODACTYLISMS. 29 points, 14 letters. I strung together the word parts based on having seen them all in human anatomy. Turns out it's not a human anatomical term, but refers to one of the possible configurations of the digits in birds' feet.

[RussDNails]

Yeah, I think you are Just kidding of course--I can see from your avatar that you're a youngster compared to me.........

One indication that I'm spending way too much time here--look at my spot on the 5 x 5 all time list--I'm catching people that have been playing 10+ years more than I have.........maybe I should just go watch some Netflix once in a while

[Brisul]

Hey Russ,

It's funny; I was thinking you were some cagy veteran here. It turns out I've been here over three more years than you! Am I turning into one of Wortwist's graybeards?

[RussDNails]

Hey Brian,

I keep an eye out for your games too since you play for high average--I know if I find one of your boards I can usually kick some butt! Hard to find because you play fewer games but I do see one of your boards from time to time. You're correct, playing the minimum number of games to see how high I can average just isn't fun for me--I like to play a lot more boards and don't worry too much about my average. I also don't type that well so I don't think I'll ever get to the fasteddie or Megaword level even though my vocabulary is relatively strong.

The 5 x 5 winning streak is more a by-product of my obsession with the game more than a desire to keep winning but it's been a nice run and it looks like I have some work to do this month if I want to keep it going, man some of these people play a lot of games, don't know how they find the time.........thanks for writing, it's fun to see how we tend to influence each other during our WordTwisting..........

Cheers,

Russ

[Brisul]

Hi Russ,

I like to look at your scores as sort of a "pace car" for me. I also know that you have a different style of play because you are always in the running for top overall points accrued per month. I'm guessing this means that, while you're still pulling in high scores, you're not dumping games if you don't think you'll get to a 900 point threshold the way I would. If you score 870 on a board, you'll keep it because you play a higher volume of games, and making the top three in average score per game every month isn't your top priority. When I come across a game where you score in the high 800's, I think "if I just keep my eye out for a few more words, I can get to 900" and some times I do.

[RussDNails]

That big of a difference is a bit out of the ordinary but my thought is that I don't type very well but I've memorized a lot of oddball words and letter combinations so perhaps that explains the discrepancy.........that's why I can typically maintain a decent average with a lower word count than some of the stronger players..........if you look closely at my numbers my average points/word usually puts me on the top 50 list every month, again because the more unusual words have a higher point value........

Best,

Russ

[bwt1213]

I have been playing RussDNails (games on which he has the highest score), hoping to outscore him again. I haven't succeeded, but one recent game struck me as absolutely amazing. He got 850 something, and I got 650 something, so we both did well. He found about 150 words, and I found about 120, which is also usual for that score for each of us. BUT, of all the words we both played, we played only 28 in common. I still can't believe it, and I've been mulling it over for a few days.

[crazykate]

I finally found WHATCHAMACALLITS in a 4x4.

[Brisul]

This time, I was ready: Game Results

YOUR STATS:
Total points: 600 New record!
Total words: 92 (41 common,18 wide,9 rare,24 ultra rare) New record!
Best word: INCONTROVERTIBLENESSES (42 pts.) New record!
Longest word: INCONTROVERTIBLENESSES (22 letters) New record!


PUZZLE STATS:

Played: 3 times
Average Score: 491.3 points
Average Words: 80.5 words
High Score: 533 points by bwt1213
Most Words: 90 words by bwt1213
Best Word: CONVERTIBLENESSES (32 pts) by bwt1213
Longest Word: CONVERTIBLENESSES (17 letters) by bwt1213

Nice work!

In other news of strange, bizarre and unexpected; it took me one game to go from 920 to 849, and it's taken me 36 games since that fiasco to get to 909...still 11 points below what it was.