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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be pissed off with my sister about 2 letter words in Scrabble?

56 replies

Destinysdaughter · 08/08/2020 23:28

Tonight I suggested to my sister and DP that instead of staring at our screens we played a nice game of Scrabble unfortunately it quickly came unstuck as I played a word underneath another word and the 2 letter words that it made were ed and da. They said that I was cheating as they were not real words. Admittedly they were using a dictionary from 1977 whilst I play on a Scrabble app which gives you the list of allowed 2 letter words which you need to learn ( although you don't need to learn the meanings) .

So we had a v v heated dispute that you should only be allowed to use words where you knew the actual meaning as it was a game about lexicology whilst I was arguing that actually it's a numbers game and it's about placing words in a way where you will gain the most points ( even if you don't know the meaning of them )

We abandoned the game but are still arguing about who us right. I think I am! AIBU?

OP posts:
Shamoo · 08/08/2020 23:29

YANBU. If it’s a permitted word it’s a permitted word, who cares what the word means!!

DramaAlpaca · 08/08/2020 23:30

And that is exactly why in our family Scrabble is known as Squabble Grin

You are right, by the way.

Bitchinkitchen · 08/08/2020 23:30

Decide the rules before you start the game. Rookie error.

Justnotfeelingit · 08/08/2020 23:31

You are right

Cabinfever10 · 08/08/2020 23:32

If it is not in the OED then its not a word

Dishwashersaurous · 08/08/2020 23:33

The most important rule before starting scrabble is agreeing which dictionary is being used for any dispute.

Then you need to agree to abide by that

bubblebubblebubbletrouble · 08/08/2020 23:33

if it's a word it's a word but you can't check if a 2 letter word exists before playing

Nottherealslimshady · 08/08/2020 23:36

If google says it's a word then it's a word.

DaphneFanshaw · 08/08/2020 23:36

I love the two letter words in scrabble, I’ve won games using them.
We always just use the scrabble dictionary.

auberge · 08/08/2020 23:36

Hmm, you're potentially both right. I agree you don't always need to know what a word means, but you do need to agree on a dictionary before you start. If the dictionary to hand is their 1977 version and your words aren't in it, then they're right.

TorysSuckRevokeArticle50 · 08/08/2020 23:38

Wasn't it a bit of a cheat to use an app to tell you what words to put down? I thought you were supposed to figure that out yourself.

auberge · 08/08/2020 23:39

Cross posted. Agree with some of the PPs.i absolutely wouldn't accept Google search as the permitted dictionary (I guess an online dictionary is OK as long as you agree which one and stick to it).

rosy71 · 08/08/2020 23:40

We use Word Chums and play each other online. It approves the words for you, saving arguments!

auberge · 08/08/2020 23:41

I assumed the OP meant that these were words she'd come across from playing on a Scrabble app on other occasions, not that she'd been looking up words to play on this occasion. And yes, words can only be checked in the dictionary retrospectively, if challenged.

TheFormerPorpentinaScamander · 08/08/2020 23:42

Words need to be in the dictionary, although I would suggest a newer version is needed.
As children we were expected to know the meaning of a word we played, and if we didn't we had to look it up.

Keha · 08/08/2020 23:42

I kind of agree with your sister. I have a friend who knows all the two letter words in existence to be good at games like this, kind of sucks the joy out of it. (unless of course you all know the 2 letter words in which case go for it, but that's not my experience of casual scrabble players).

Original poster
Destinysdaughter · 08/08/2020 23:44

No what I was saying was that I've been playing Scrabble for 3 years on a paid for game that my ex put on my tablet and on it, it has a list of the 2 letter words that are acceptable in Scrabble it is v useful to learn these words as then you can play words above or underneath other words and thereby gain more points. This is the form of Scrabble that I know and thought was now universally accepted. Am I wrong in this?

OP posts:
nocoolnamesleft · 08/08/2020 23:47

OED rules.

AlwaysLatte · 08/08/2020 23:48

We use all the good 2 letter words too, it spices things up -but our rule with any word is you have to know what it means! We always try to be the first to get zo!

HeyAsdaIAintGonBeYourBitch · 08/08/2020 23:58

My family always played it, so you had to know the meaning of the word and / or it had to be in their dictionary.

I play with my DH on the app and obviously we use all the two letter words and get massive scores!

Not sure which is right, but I've played both ways.

It is a bit weird that words which aren't in the dictionary are allowed though tbh.

1Morewineplease · 09/08/2020 00:01

@Cabinfever10

If it is not in the OED then its not a word
This
ArtieFufkinPolymerRecords · 09/08/2020 00:03

So you suggested playing a game that you've been playing for three years and have learnt all the 2 letter words for and presumably they haven't, so you were at an advantage. I'd be pissed off too if I were them.

auberge · 09/08/2020 00:03

Interestingly (or not Grin), 'zo' is in my Chambers but is not allowable on my Scrabble app.

AriettyHomily · 09/08/2020 00:04

Squabble in our house too

TildaTurnip · 09/08/2020 00:06

If it is in the Scrabble dictionary it is allowed. It is also allowed if it isn’t so long as you’re not called out on it!