Sunday, February 28, 2010

New Word Game

Rule #1. Put all 21 letters into a crossword-type format.
Rule #2. Take a snapshot of your result and send it to me, or type your result into the comment section, using underscores "_" to space the letters out.

Winning categories:
#1. Smallest perimeter (the shortest length of string that could be used to encircle the resulting crossword)
#2. Longest word
#3. Longest shortest word (i.e. if you use any 2 letter word, you lose, on the other hand, if all your words are at least 5 letters long, you're doing well).
#4. Shortest longest word (i.e. if your longest word is seven letters, eh, not so great. If your resulting puzzle shape is a diagonal series of two letter words, you're amazing. And you have too much time on your hands.)
#5. Least safe for work
#6. A five year old could read it (Simplest words possible)
#7. Most thematically related (all the words are fruits, colors, 'things you'd find in a wallet', verbs connoting motion, etc.)
#8. Make up your own category!


Use real English words. I will use Merriam-Webster's Original Scrabble Players Dictionary, 4th edition to verify. Honestly, it is a pretty far stretch on "real" English. I mean 'PTUI'? Really? That's a word? On the plus side, it has both British & American spellings.
Exception: this dictionary does not contain a lot of the juicy words for the LSFW winner (#5). I'm assuming it will be fairly easy to identify those unambiguously.

Here they are again, all upright and in alphabetical order.

Any suggestions for a better format for the digital/analog give and take for this game would be greatly appreciated. I'm hoping to turn this into a series.

And a big shout out to Aunt Sue for suggesting it!

4 comments:

  1. My answer:

    __CUTE
    __A___
    __JAY_
    TWO_EF
    __LUAU
    DUE__N

    (CUTE, CAJOLE, JAY, TWO, EF, LUAU, DUE, FUN, YEA)

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  2. Sue's answer:

    _YO__
    _OAF_
    JUT__
    U_EW_
    TUNA_
    E__LA
    _CUED

    (YO, OAF, JUT, EW, TUNA, LA, CUED, YOU, OATEN, JUTE, WALE, AD)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Nat's answer:

    ____J___
    ____O_A_
    ____YAW_
    ____F_E_
    ___CUT__
    UNDULATE
    ___E_U__

    (YAW, CUT, UNDULATE, JOYFUL, AWE, CUE, TAU)

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  4. ____F__
    CAJOLE_
    __U_U__
    __T_E__
    DUE_N__
    ____TAU
    _____W_
    _____A_
    _____Y_

    (FLUENT, CAJOLE, JUTE, DUE, TAU, AWAY)

    ReplyDelete