The strange, the bizarre and the unexpected

[2cute]

I often like to take on the challenge of a board that has only 1 or 2 ultra-rare 9+ letters with no words in the 8 letter column. It's usually going to be some bizarre scientific word. I tried one yesterday and found a Frankenstein word: MECHANOENZYMATIC (33/16). It seems to me that the 2 halves should never be together but they are nevertheless valid when combined. MECHANOENZYME: (biochemistry) Any enzyme that converts chemical energy into mechanical energy and hence into movement. I learn something every day on this website...

That is cool, thanks for sharing what your Frankenstein word meant.

[lalatan]

I often like to take on the challenge of a board that has only 1 or 2 ultra-rare 9+ letters with no words in the 8 letter column. It's usually going to be some bizarre scientific word. I tried one yesterday and found a Frankenstein word: MECHANOENZYMATIC (33/16). It seems to me that the 2 halves should never be together but they are nevertheless valid when combined. MECHANOENZYME: (biochemistry) Any enzyme that converts chemical energy into mechanical energy and hence into movement. I learn something every day on this website...

[2cute]

More than 1 word was found by other players in the previous games. I cropped off the "Puzzle Stats" section to only show the games previously played. The rest of the stats shown are my stats for that game in the "Your Stats" section.

Ohhh, I see. Excellent cropping. I obviously couldn't tell you did that.

[lalatan]

How could the game be played 40 times but each time only 1 word was found? Were all the other 39 players searching for just one word & it was you that found the longest?

More than 1 word was found by other players in the previous games. I cropped off the "Puzzle Stats" section to only show the games previously played. The rest of the stats shown are my stats for that game in the "Your Stats" section.

[2cute]

Nope, none of the above. I dutifully went and checked everyone's suggestions, but nada... I have the clipping somewhere, so the answer exists in that same somewhere.

No problem, that's how it works out sometimes. Thanks for looking anyhow.

[2cute]

Thanks for the compliment, 2cute. Actually, I don't know. I focus on ultra-rare words since they have a higher pts bonus. I occasionally set a record with a "rare" word but don't pay much attention to its category as long as the length and pt value is good enough for me.

I found this today. It's always a good feeling to take on a game with 40 previous plays and still beat the best/longest record. I wonder if 40 plays is now the threshold to recycle games. I don't recall seeing anything higher than that recently.
30 PTS HEMOAGGLUTINATES WHT SCRN.jpg

How could the game be played 40 times but each time only 1 word was found? Were all the other 39 players searching for just one word & it was you that found the longest?

[kittencaboodle]

Great word!

[lalatan]

This word made me lol when it was accepted. I almost talked myself out of even trying it but I reasoned the prefix was there for a reason: KLEPTOPARASITICAL (33/17). KLEPTOPARASITISM is defined as "Noun. The parasitic theft of captured prey, nest material, etc. from animals of the same or another species."

[mdyak]

I still think it has to be by Joe Martin. My memory may be deceiving me, but I seem to remember that cartoon in Willy 'n Ethyl. It's exactly the kind of thing Willy would say to Ethyl.

Yeah, sort of... but I remember the characters very clearly, and they don't look anything like Willy or Ethyl. Sorry.

[bwt1213]

Nope, none of the above. I dutifully went and checked everyone's suggestions, but nada... I have the clipping somewhere, so the answer exists in that same somewhere.

I still think it has to be by Joe Martin. My memory may be deceiving me, but I seem to remember that cartoon in Willy 'n Ethyl. It's exactly the kind of thing Willy would say to Ethyl.

[lalatan]

Lalatan would KNOW. He's the King of S-U-P-E-R-L-O-N-G-W-O-R-D-S. I think its amazing the words he has stored in his brain.

Thanks for the compliment, 2cute. Actually, I don't know. I focus on ultra-rare words since they have a higher pts bonus. I occasionally set a record with a "rare" word but don't pay much attention to its category as long as the length and pt value is good enough for me.

I found this today. It's always a good feeling to take on a game with 40 previous plays and still beat the best/longest record. I wonder if 40 plays is now the threshold to recycle games. I don't recall seeing anything higher than that recently.
30 PTS HEMOAGGLUTINATES WHT SCRN.jpg

[mdyak]

I'd love to know who did this cartoon, it sounds like Gene Weingarten or Pickles by Brian Crane.

Nope, none of the above. I dutifully went and checked everyone's suggestions, but nada... I have the clipping somewhere, so the answer exists in that same somewhere.

[2cute]

Sorry for the *very* late response, I don't know if the number of boards like that has decreased since that purge a while back. I never thought of this, but would that be the longest rare word ever? I like to "collect" long rare words as I have found them to be more challenging than ultra rares. (Although I will gladly take an ultra rare)

Lalatan would KNOW. He's the King of S-U-P-E-R-L-O-N-G-W-O-R-D-S. I think its amazing the words he has stored in his brain.

BTW I just LOVE your avatar, is it a wren or a hummingbird?

[2cute]

I always loved the cartoon of the guy lazing on the couch, looking up at his perturbed wife, and saying "I'm leader of the greatest nation on earth! Procrastination!"

I'd love to know who did this cartoon, it sounds like Gene Weingarten or Pickles by Brian Crane.

[bwt1213]

Ooops... don't know who Willy and Ethyl are... after my time likely as nothing much was before other than the dinosaurs.

Willy 'n Ethyl is a current strip by Joe Martin, who lives one town over from us in Lake Geneva. He does that strip, plus Porterfield, Cats With Hands, and other stuff. If you look on line you can find references to see the last week or so of any of them. It sounds exactly like something he'd do. I think he's really funny, but then I have an odd sense of humor. I like pretty much everything he does. I prefer him to Dilbert or Garfield. I strongly recommend you check him out.