SCRABBLE

[MathsMadMummy]

Was anyone watching HIGNFY last night? There was a news item about the official Scrabble rules changing from July to allow any proper noun. So any name, place, brand etc. Apparently it's to get younger generations into it. (I'm 23 BTW)

WTF? I was hoping it was a delayed April Fool. Is it true?

AIBU to have wanted to throw my Scrabble set at the telly in toddler-style protest?

Don't care if I am BU, the rules won't be changing in our house!

I'm with you on this one - yet another example of "dumbing down" !

YANBU. It is a disgrace to change the rules to make it easier.

FGS

YABU, its too early in the morning to worry about scrabble!

Yes it is true. The example in the paper showed Beyonce on a triple word score.

Just because it is in the official new rules though does not mean that you have to allow it in your games.

We always agree rules at the start of the game. For example, if you are going to lay an obscure word you have to know what it means. You can look something up in the official words book but you can only look up one word, you cannot sit browsing through it trying to work out a word etc etc.

Just ignore them and have more sensible "house rules".

YABU -

(but only because YANBU is now a word and is worth about 10 points)

YANBU, we won't be changing the rules in this house. Scrabble is a great game and I refuse to dumb it down at all.

lol WhoIsAsking!

BigBadMummy - we do that too, Mum gave us a set of Scrabble books but we only use them after laying the word down i.e. if it's a challenge. We've also agreed that when DD is old enough to play it'll be a good chance for her to learn new words, but we won't use words that are completely out of the realms of her understanding. Which, if she's anything like her word-crazy family, won't be many

I was very impressed with Victoria Coren on HIGNFY working out the scores for all the words!

I do tend to think 'dumbing down' is an over-used phrase, but in this case it is definitely true. What a load of rubbish

I still can't get over Facebook scrabble not allowing the word 'zen' but allowing all kinds on nonsense! and now they will let you have Zeus!

I've always thought you should be able to use zen too.

Noooooooooooo, YADNBU

I am also 23, we play scrabble lots and we definitely don't use proper nouns.

am not hugely annoyed, we will continue to play the old rules. I agree, Victoria Coren's calculating the score immediately was pretty impressive!

Can this be true?

Nooooooooo

(YADNBU is about 14 points - woohoooo!)

Are you sure they wont just be bringing out a new scrabble with different rules, a bit like all the different versions of monopoly. think i will stick to the original scrabble.

YANBU

I love scrabble and now my sleb-loving SIL's will probably beat me at Christmas, boo.

yes, I'm assuming they'll just put it in the new rules next time they manufacture a new load. so no obligation to follow the rules (can you imagine, they'd have to employ a load of Scrabble police!) - although presumably the people who compete at it will be most upset!

it's not really the actual rule change I'm upset about, as we can ignore it - it is the principle of it I suppose, treating us all like idiots who can't understand the proper rules. Hmmmmmph.

You only have to look at the Baby Names threads to see that proper nouns can have any number of alternative and 'creative' spellings. How are you going to stop people arguing about what is a valid proper noun? Traditional rules will stay in this house!

Thats a point MummyDoIt, they'll be adding numbers next and calling it Skr@bl or something