Which is likely to be a higher scoring game of scrabble? Obviously, you get an extra point with all those "U"s we put in intriguing places (favoUrite etc) but with the Yanks using "Z"s instead of "S"s (analyZe par example) that's an extra 9 points RIGHT THERE.
Perhaps there are stronger lines of argument on this subject but nonetheless, this is the one I'm going with so what other words are there where Britain wins.
Also, feel free to just express random opinions on the subject.
― uptoeleven (uptoeleven), Wednesday, 1 February 2006 19:15 (eighteen years ago) link
Along with Canada, Israel, Thailand and Mexico, Americans playing in English use TWL98. The rest of the world uses SOWPODS (these are word lists). SOWPODS games are higher scoring because the
list has more two letter words, which are crucial to getting more than a few tens of points of a turn.
Things like analyse/yze would make do difference because US and international boards have the same distribution of tiles. There is only one Z and it pretty much always gets played.
Also, -ize endings are usually allowed in SOWPODS since they're the endings you'll find in the Oxford English Dictionary (the OUP house style is in opposition to normal British usage for this). Even if they weren't, it's the two letter words that are more important for building high scores.
There are ongoing attempts to unify the dictionaries, but they meet resistance from Americans because they'll have to learn many more words (essentially, all TWL98 words are OK in SOWPODS).
Note, the major TWL98 tournament is ambitiously referred to as the World Championship, despite the fact that the only people who enter are Americans (and the odd Thai). See also: World Series.
― Mike W (caek), Wednesday, 1 February 2006 19:36 (eighteen years ago) link
OUP's house style doesn't really affect which words get in its dictionary. The Concise Oxford generally lists both British and American spellings for everything in it, although the proper British spelling is given as the headword of the entry.
― Forest Pines (ForestPines), Wednesday, 1 February 2006 19:51 (eighteen years ago) link
You're right, and my even mentioning the OED was silly because SOWPODS Scrabble players use Chambers.
― Mike W (caek), Wednesday, 1 February 2006 20:31 (eighteen years ago) link
You're better off hoarding your Us in case you get a Q. Also to keep them away from your opponent in case he or she has a Q. Go for the KILL, people. U in itself is low-scoring.
― Beth Parker (Beth Parker), Wednesday, 1 February 2006 20:53 (eighteen years ago) link
While I'm on the subject, racial slurs and offensive words were removed from the US word list in 1993, before being returned after complaints. The list of words removed is here:Badass? Fart? Jesuit? Jew? Nooky? Peeing? Popish? Pommie!!?? Get one life!
I note that "Fuckwit" is not listed. How appropriate.
― Si.C@rter (SiC@rter), Wednesday, 1 February 2006 21:25 (eighteen years ago) link