The strange, the bizarre and the unexpected

[RussDNails]

Definitely a smart move, more money and opportunity in computer science.............I've made some good friends in the IT department at my hospital and have enough experience with software and operating systems that I could probably find something in this area but I'm getting a little long in the tooth now and change doesn't come as easy as it used to

[bwt1213]

I talk to my daughters almost every day. My younger one gets the vocabulary lesson most of the time, and I don't know why. The most recent "odd" word was desquamation, which came up when we were discussing world record attempts that Guinness would no longer sanction. I like taking long showers, and I said there would not be a record for that because of (cue the trumpets) desquamation. So she looked it up on her smartphone and told me the definition was in French, which she had had one year of in high school (she's nearly 50) so she had a little trouble with it. I looked it up on my computer, and it meant what I thought it meant and what I'd earlier told her -- and my definition came up first in French, too. But it's such a PERFECT word! It's basically "the removal of the top layer of skin" and it can come mechanically by abrasion or by exposure to harsh chemicals or prolonged exposure to water. Here's the thing: English is great at borrowing words from other languages, and evidently "desquamation" is one such word. But I have NEVER had a word where the primary definition was given in French. I'd thought it was entirely an English word. Are there any other such? BTW, RussDNails, her degree is in laboratory science and she began her career as a lab tech, later moving more into the programming/CS end of things but staying entirely within hospitals and health care.

[Naboka]

Screen Shot 2020-09-21 at 9.08.04 AM.png

The difference between learning a lot of weird new words worth more points: 88 more points despite one less word.

I imagine the really good players would easily have scored well over 750 on this.

Looking at the board, I should have scored 500 with a couple dozen words I'd normally see, but I just woke up and...

[leabhar]

I knew the rhino- had a use! Screenshot 2020-07-25 at 11.56.58 AM.png
I like how it simply means "ear, nose and throat doctor."

Where do you get those boards? I never see one like that. I already have to click over 10 times to get a playable one, let alone a dream board like that

[rosedraws]

Rollerbladings!

[flops]

there's no need for the jury to retire.

[bwt1213]

I think I'm beginning to recognize this word when I see it. For the second time so far this month (and this time on a "new" board that I thought I recognized):
Game Results

YOUR STATS:Total points: 590 New record!
Total words: 89 (40 common,13 wide,7 rare,29 ultra rare) New record!
Best word: INCONTROVERTIBLENESSES (42 pts.) New record!
Longest word: INCONTROVERTIBLENESSES (22 letters) New record!

This time, I also entered "convertibleness(es)" and "convertible(s)". I'm not sure I entered "controvertibleness(es)", though; I thought I remembered those weren't allowed. Perhaps I was wrong and could have had more points.

[DrPlacebo]

The dictionary is surprisingly up to date. RETWEET and RETWEETS count.

[bwt1213]

I almost duplicated the impossible feat of three years ago: the famous "invisible game". If I had scored precisely 499 points instead of 517, I would have tied for everything and my game would have been completely invisible. As it was, I tied for the word total, best word, and longest word.
Game Results

YOUR STATS:Total points: 517 New record!
Total words: 99 (51 common,15 wide,10 rare,23 ultra rare)
Best word: WEANERS (12 pts.)
Longest word: LEARNERS (8 letters)

PUZZLE STATS:
Played: 5 times
Average Score: 344.7 points
Average Words: 69 words
High Score: 499 points by ktschnider
Most Words: 99 words by ktschnider
Best Word: WEANERS (12 pts) by Troglodyte
Longest Word: LEARNERS (8 letters) by Troglodyte

[lalatan]

I stitched together what I thought were some interesting Frankenstein words this month for new best and longest word records:

SELENOMORPHICALLY (30/16, I learned the word SELENOGRAPHY a couple years ago so I thought, "Why not?")
TUMORIGENICITY (26/14, I didn't think the combo form tumori- would be valid.)
ARCHAEOMETRIST (26/14)
METAGENETICALLY (28/15)
ANTHROPOPATHIES (28/15)

I like how it simply means "ear, nose and throat doctor."

Yeah, that word is a beaut. I learned it from ThunderRock 3 years ago. It took another year or so to play it on a board that had it. I've always loved convoluted words like that. I'm glad I can fully indulge my sesquipedalian appetite on this website.

[walden123]

I knew the rhino- had a use! Screenshot 2020-07-25 at 11.56.58 AM.png
I like how it simply means "ear, nose and throat doctor."

[davidlamb12]

It seems you misread the game results. Megaword actually played 200 words during that game. He is the only person who has ever played 300 words in a game. How does he do it? It think it has something to do with his playing over 96,000 games, learning thousands and thousands of words, constantly striving to improve his typing speed and having a talent for it. If you don't believe that could ever be done, then watch his videos and see for yourself.

I looked at last month's 5x5 avg words/game competition results and there were 14 different people who averaged over 108 words/game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wf9HW8mg8z0&list=PL6UdZLw3YKXH4Vn2uRqB5rK9F-eIJwQTY

[lalatan]

How does anyone get 108 words in the time allotted. I know Megamword is good, but come one...

.. Played: 2 times
Average Score: 580.3 points
Average Words: 108 words
High Score: 1125 points by MegaWord
Most Words: 200 words by MegaWord

It seems you misread the game results. Megaword actually played 200 words during that game. He is the only person who has ever played 300 words in a game. How does he do it? It think it has something to do with his playing over 96,000 games, learning thousands and thousands of words, constantly striving to improve his typing speed and having a talent for it. If you don't believe that could ever be done, then watch his videos and see for yourself.

I looked at last month's 5x5 avg words/game competition results and there were 14 different people who averaged over 108 words/game.

[JoanM19]

Thanks for the encouragement, my high words so far is 80... but I do get in the high range quite a bit,,, have a lot better go of it when there aren't a ton of words in the puzzle because I do find obscure words and given time I find more than average most of the time.

[bwt1213]

Here's the deal: if you start out not being able to touch-type very fast, this game gives you a good reason to learn. You WILL get better. There is no guarantee you will get as good as Megaword, but I can almost guarantee you will pass 108 words in 3 minutes, someday. If you have a physical problem --well, maybe not. I remember taking a typing test one-handed when I was in high school and getting more than 50 wpm, though. I doubt I can do that with two hands now, but I'm 73. But I can imagine all kinds of things that would slow someone down, which is why I have lobbied for a version of this game where there is no fixed end time -- so long as you enter a new valid word before 10 seconds run out, the game would continue. I think it wouldn't change the top scores much (from what Megaword has said), but it might really help people who have typing troubles.