The strange, the bizarre and the unexpected

[DrPlacebo]

I didn't expect to get points for ALGOLOGISTS. It turns out they study algae.

[crazykate]

As someone who merely has passing knowledge of medical terminology, I was not expecting to get points for BALLISTOCARDIOGRAPHIES. I read the definition and the description of the equipment and it sounds made up.

[Spike1007]

Word rarity is one thing that's always kept me guessing. Anyway, my guess in this case is that the "singular" form already functions as a collective term, so that adding an s means we're talking about different kinds or classes of fornication or something. (Kind of like when peoples is used as a plural noun.)

[Naboka]

Yah just gotta wonder sometimes.

Why the plural of a common word is ultra rare.

Especially when something has such an obsessive hold on our thoughts and behaviour.

Maybe someone has a rational or roguish explanation.

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[Somervillain]

It seems that something can be Ultrapasteurized, but you cannot Ultrapasteurize it.

[DrPlacebo]

After finding REGURGITATIONS, I wondered if GURGITATION(S) was a thing. Apparently it is.

[Boulevardiere]

Nice work on DIRHOMBICOSIDODECAHEDRONS. As far as I know this is a new 25 letter word that hasn't been found yet. Had to google it to get the definition

I could have sworn someone had already gotten the 25-letter word on that board before I did, but I can't find them in the current or most recent longest word lists. Either way, I certainly couldn't have defined it, either, beyond "shape with a lot of sides"!

[RussDNails]

Nice work on DIRHOMBICOSIDODECAHEDRONS. As far as I know this is a new 25 letter word that hasn't been found yet. Had to google it to get the definition

[Boulevardiere]

Not being up on my exotic zoological taxonomy, I was surprised to get points for PARADOXURE(S). Apparently, a paradoxure is one of three species of palm civets in the viverrid family, genus Paradoxurus. Noting it for all the times that'll come in handy in the future!

[BoggleOtaku]

Just as an aside, I would think it would be improbable to clear most boards of all words by any means, fair or not, even negating time limits, just because there may be an ultra rare word included that isn't in any common source dictionary. (Holeablenesses is a possible example.) Even if you combine 10 large word lists, there still might be the odd word or two that were included by some other way or source.

[BoggleOtaku]

These were external sources, so no guarantees!

[RussDNails]

Nice! Definitely something to watch out for and use in the future.......always hunting new words

[BoggleOtaku]

I've both capitalized on and have been bitten by this.

After reading your post, I learned that the common other examples for both spellings in rateable-, useable-, loveable-, likeable-, moveable-, saleable-.

More obscure but with historic usage both ways have roots: blame, tame, name, hire, give, live, tune, chase, dance, hole (capable of being holed or perforated).

[RussDNails]

I just played a board where the highest scoring word was 25 points. Keyed in "sizablenesses" and finished the game which I was 100% sure I matched the 25 point word. Stared at it over and over and couldn't figure out why I only received 19 points for the same word. Turns out you can add an "e" to make "sizeablenesses" which bumps it up to 25 points! It took me quite a while to spot the difference

[crazykate]

I found the word PSYCHOGALVANOGRAPHS on two consecutive days. That was strange and unexpected.