Unique Words I've Learned

[2cute]

I like the "stroaming" word too.

Today I found PHYTOPLANKTERS (27/14) for the first time. After seeing PHYTOPLANK- I thought the word would be PHYTOPLANKTON but it wasn't there. I thought I'd try the plankters option but decided to attempt PHYTOPLANKETTES first: no go. Interestingly, the previous record holder had found PLANKTERS for 19 pts.

The M-W definition is a phytoplanktonic plant.

Sounds like a green cocktail.

[2cute]

So do the rest of you actually know the names of high numbers that we're being given now, or like me do you just figure them out? I'm so thrilled that I've finally found a use for my four years of high school Latin! I'm also excited that I found quinquaquadragintilliard all by myself in a brand new game today.

Wow, that is amazing! Congrats.

What do you mean by names of the high numbers?

[mdyak]

So do the rest of you actually know the names of high numbers that we're being given now, or like me do you just figure them out? I'm so thrilled that I've finally found a use for my four years of high school Latin! I'm also excited that I found quinquaquadragintilliard all by myself in a brand new game today.

[lalatan]

I like the "stroaming" word too.

Today I found PHYTOPLANKTERS (27/14) for the first time. After seeing PHYTOPLANK- I thought the word would be PHYTOPLANKTON but it wasn't there. I thought I'd try the plankters option but decided to attempt PHYTOPLANKETTES first: no go. Interestingly, the previous record holder had found PLANKTERS for 19 pts.

The M-W definition is a phytoplanktonic plant.

[2cute]

STROAMED. (14 pts, 8 letters)

To STROAM is to wander about idly or vacantly. It is apparently obsolete, at least in a UK dialect.

I think it is time to pull it out of obsoletion and start using it again.

It is the perfect Monday morning word.

I am going to go into the office and STROAM about until the inevitable Monday morning crisis appears.

Monday mornings find me STROAMING about my home, wondering where my weekend went.

I love not only did you find the meaning, you used it in a sentence. I think it would be easy to remember as it has 'roam' in the middle of it.

I Stroam when I've walked into a room & have forgotten why I came.

[Naboka]

STROAMED. (14 pts, 8 letters)

To STROAM is to wander about idly or vacantly. It is apparently obsolete, at least in a UK dialect.

I think it is time to pull it out of obsoletion and start using it again.

It is the perfect Monday morning word.

I am going to go into the office and STROAM about until the inevitable Monday morning crisis appears.

Monday mornings find me STROAMING about my home, wondering where my weekend went.

For some reason the word evokes shrooms. Like someone wandering idly while on shrooms.

STROAMED. (14 pts, 8 letters)

To STROAM is to wander about idly or vacantly. It is apparently obsolete, at least in a UK dialect.

I think it is time to pull it out of obsoletion and start using it again.

It is the perfect Monday morning word.

I am going to go into the office and STROAM about until the inevitable Monday morning crisis appears.

Monday mornings find me STROAMING about my home, wondering where my weekend went.

[Spike1007]

I should have said that I count words & not games played, so I don't consider myself officially done for the month until I have at least 51 words. lalatan, like you said, "empty" games (no words entered) count as played but don't affect APPW. Those should be irrelevant for me as long as I get enough words, hence the "irrational desire" remark.

[lalatan]

Thanks for your compliment.
I think the APPW competition should have an official rule stipulating a limit of 1 word or more/game avg (and make it a qualification like the 51 games played requirement) to give the trophy more credibility. But you knew that from previous discussions so this is for others who don't know. I know that you, kate, myself, John13:34, dadsbricks (not 100% sure of last 2), others I can't recall and L9UR91 from 4x4 all play it by that standard but I don't recall others who may not.

currerbell: since I'm on here again I thought I'd suggest you start out on 5x5 by playing only games where the best word record is 20-26 pts. Some will likely be words you're familiar with from 4x4 so it could be a chance for you to find them in the 5x5 setting to get used to it. The distribution of games is similar to 4x4. The opportunity to play a game with a best word pt value >=38 pts doesn't happen very often. The majority of the records I set are in the 26-34 pt region.

[Spike1007]

lalatan, thanks for the compliment. My strategy for choosing boards to play used to be more complicated, but now I'll take anything with at least 4 ultra-rare 9+ letter words. (I'll also play "new" unplayed boards with at least 2-3 such words.) Anyway, if you have a record for the board (a very common occurrence), I take it as a challenge match it. That seems to be getting harder over time. However, I also have an irrational desire to keep my average words per game at 1 or more, so if I give up on finding your word I'll usually just toss the board even though it means I'll never know what you got. Luckily, some (like QUERIMONIOUSNESSES) are reported here, and occasionally (if I think I'm close but just can't pull it out) I do yield to temptation just to see what you got. Sometimes I just kick myself for not seeing it. Other times, I'm amazed at what you managed to put together.

[lalatan]

1) Wait, wait -- did you not find a longer word than I did in that board? Really? And you were like, actually trying? Oh, a small encouragment. Joy, joy overflows in my heart. (No offense.)

3) I've been seeing a lot of boards that seem to be about dried up, at least for longer words, but I'm also finding boards in both 4x4 and 5x5 that have been played 20-30 times and yet no one has found any of the longer words, even the common ones (and I count myself in that group). I think, hmm, has lalatan seen this board? Spike? Where is John13verse34 when you need him? Sometimes I wish I could just ask for the answer key -- I would happily be banned from playing that particular board again -- just show me what those words are!

Yes, I did not find a longer word. I'm glad you were inspired.

I only play a board if the stats tell me I have a chance of winning both best and longest word. (I'm not going to divulge my method because I spent too much time developing and refining it, it has a variety of variables and it may not work for another player.) If a board has been played 20-30x and the stats look right for me, I'll play it and have had many successes doing so.

That said, sometimes after I've loaded what I thought would be a suitable board all I see is a jumbled mess of unpromising letters that probably won't yield a word w a high enough pt value. Nevertheless, I will usually press on and maybe find something worth 12-16 pts that is long enough to possibly retain the longest word record. Then I wind up dumping the game anyway. Recently, I decided to trust my first impression more and dump the game right away.

General note: I have been trying to play the 5x5 boards this month, so not only am I not finding any "unique words I've learned," I'm not finding much of any ununique words I already know! Might be time to go back to the 4x4s.

There's no shame in going back to 4x4. I went back and forth a few times between the 2 while learning 5x5. As you say, the boards there at first looked like chaos but eventually I started spotting patterns.

Spike, whenever I play 1 of your games where your best word record is >= 38 pts, I look forward to see what you came up with. Others produce good wine but yours are often fine wine that I like to savor, metaphorically speaking. One that comes to mind is anatomicophysiologies for 40 pts. That is a beaut! And I didn't figure it out either.

Thanks, Spike1007 and bwt1213...I am so wrapped up in my small interest in trying to find long words that I forget that it's not only about finding the words, necessarily, but also about scoring strategy. This game has a lot of layers.

[bwt1213]

My goal for the month (in terms of average points per word) mostly depends on how I'm doing at any particular time & whether or not I'm on track to get there. (And that depends a lot on luck). I'll reluctantly throw away boards where I've found something good point-wise, but not quite good enough. Then again, if I really LIKE a word that lowers my average, I'll take it & try to make up for it. It's kind of a spur-of-the-moment decision. (Unfortunately, there are other times where I'll enter a low-scoring word & get distracted & wander off before I kill the board.) Anyway, sometimes the longer words on a board may have been found, just not officially.

Sometimes, I'll be distracted by a board that looks like it just HAS to have a long word on it, and I'll find it. And then near the end of the three minutes I will realize that I'm a solid three hundred points less than I want to be and I'll dump the game. I've used up most of the game's time finding that one word. There is a benefit, though; if I get that board again, I'll usually remember the word and have a decent chance to have a high-scoring game.

[Spike1007]

My goal for the month (in terms of average points per word) mostly depends on how I'm doing at any particular time & whether or not I'm on track to get there. (And that depends a lot on luck). I'll reluctantly throw away boards where I've found something good point-wise, but not quite good enough. Then again, if I really LIKE a word that lowers my average, I'll take it & try to make up for it. It's kind of a spur-of-the-moment decision. (Unfortunately, there are other times where I'll enter a low-scoring word & get distracted & wander off before I kill the board.) Anyway, sometimes the longer words on a board may have been found, just not officially.

Ooo, that's a good one! LOL ... 'they don't drink ... wine' Probably because they're enjoying me, those insects just love drinking my blood. Eeeek!

Thank you! I was wondering if anyone would notice. It is, of course, heading toward Halloween, and I just saw the original Dracula again a few weeks ago. Love me a good old scary movie. (BTW, Dracula is not my favorite.)

I'm with you -- I have a dreadful mosquito problem. I have bug spray in my purse and by the back door in my home. Next year I might even throw some in my car, as long as it won't explode in the heat.

General note: I have been trying to play the 5x5 boards this month, so not only am I not finding any "unique words I've learned," I'm not finding much of any ununique words I already know! Might be time to go back to the 4x4s.

And, 2cute, keep it up. 9 letters is good. I played for at least a year before I even registered a username. And I'm still hit-and-miss. One thing I've noticed some players mentioning recently is having good days or not-so-good days. I think that is entirely true. And I have no idea what triggers my better days or even different times in a day. Stick to it -- if it brings you joy, or fun, or a giggle, or makes your brain work in a different way. Don't judge your accomplishments by what you see others doing. And, generally, don't judge your accomplishments, or what you see as lack thereof. I've enjoyed this thread you started, because I am learning new words, and because I now know that dannyb is funny, and I'm not the only one with opinions on and interactions with chocolate. Or, vanilla Oreos.