Scrabble Controversy...New Words

When I read that they were adding controversial new "Q Without U" words, I knew some would relate to Islam, and naturally I was right ;) Anyway, here's the piece, with my comments.

Scrabble, one of the last bastions of grammatical purism in a world overrun by cell phone text abbreviations, is capitulating to the times.

The board game plans to add 3,000 new words to its official dictionary, including several slang terms like "thang" (9 points) and "grrl" (5 points) as well as pop culture touchstones, like Facebook and MySpace.

Oh FFS, "thang" and "grrl"??? NO! Fuck Scrabble. That's it, I'll never buy a new board or dictionary again. Also, Facebook and MySpace don't even QUALIFY for the game because they have capitals? Hello? WTF? (Why don't they add WTF?)

Turning the most heads is the inclusion of "innit," a condensation of "isn't it" that will earn you 5 points - and the undying hatred of any English majors who are playing along.

Innit? INNIT? Hate. Rage. Loathing. I say it occasionally conversationally, but it is NOT acceptable in a Scrabble game. Well, it is NOW; thanks, assholes.

In addition, two new "Q" words have been added that don't require a "u". "Qin" (a Chinese zither, with strings stretched across a flat box) will earn you 12 points, while "Fiqh" (an expansion of Islamic sharia law) will add 19 to your score. Each will also almost certainly have your opponents rushing to challenge the words.

Told ya'!

The push to make the game more relevant to a generation that's more familiar with "Words with Friends" is a risky one. While updating the dictionary makes it a more hip game, the move is bound to upset some fans, who have always taken pride in the fact that the game was never "dumbed down".

SOME fans? SOME? EVERYONE hates this shit. I don't give a damn what "Words with Friends" players think - some of us have been playing Scrabble for 40 or 50 or 60 YEARS and we've submitted to every bullshit change that came along. This is a step too far. Period.

The game's publishers say the additions make this the "most comprehensive Scrabble wordlist ever produced," but that's doing little to soothe some players' ruffled feathers.

"I don't like slang words at all, but if they are going to put them in we will have to use them," Jean Gallacher, of Scotland's Inverness Scrabble Club, told The Scotsman. "I think there is too much slang in the English language as it is, with the way young people are talking."

Let's face it: it might be fun to earn 12 points by laying down "blingy," but you certainly won't impress the person across that table that has just dropped "Quixotry".

BLINGY? Oh seriously, fuck this game forever.

I bet you thought I was joking about the "controversial" bit, didn't you? I really wasn't, because it's bad enough when they pull this shit, but this...no. Just no. It's a bridge too far and they know it. See, we take that shit seriously. Just think if all of a sudden there was a new poker hand in between 2 pair and 3 of a kind, like 2 pair plus one card lower than the opponent's 3 of a kind? How would you like that if you were a longtime poker player? Or some change to golf scoring that enabled you to take one stroke off your score if you make it to the next tee in 5 minutes? I mean, that's what this is like. It's bogus bullshit. Why don't they change the board? Throw in a few random triple word scores? Or take a dump in the letter bag before they ship it? Jackholes.