Just a dipshit with a phone…

Okay, Scrabble fanatics, let's settle this once and for all: Is QWERTY a valid Scrabble word? The answer might surprise some of you, but officially, in most competitive Scrabble circles and with popular dictionaries like Merriam-Webster's Official Scrabble Players Dictionary (OSPD), QWERTY is actually NOT a valid word. Bummer, right? I know, I've tried to sneak it in a few times myself! But wait, there's a twist! If you're playing with the Collins Scrabble Words (CSW), also known as SOWPODS, which is widely used internationally, then QWERTY IS VALID! This is because CSW includes many proper nouns, brand names, and technical terms that OSPD does not. So, depending on which dictionary your group uses, your fate with QWERTY is sealed. It always comes down to house rules or tournament rules. My friends and I usually stick to OSPD for our casual games, but I've dabbled in CSW games and it's a whole different ballgame. You get words like 'Za' or 'Qi' that are super useful, but also terms like 'QWERTY' that you wouldn't expect. The inclusion of these words can really change your strategy and open up new possibilities for high scores. Why the difference between dictionaries? OSPD generally excludes proper nouns, abbreviations, and hyphenated words. QWERTY, being the name of a keyboard layout, falls into that proper noun/technical term category for OSPD. CSW, on the other hand, is much more inclusive, aiming to reflect words in common usage across the English-speaking world, even if they're proper nouns that have become widely recognized. It’s all about reflecting the living language, which is pretty cool if you ask me. So, what's my advice for your next Scrabble showdown? Before you even start, agree on which dictionary you're using! This prevents so many arguments later. There are great apps and websites now that let you quickly check word validity against both OSPD and CSW, so no more throwing dictionaries across the room (I might be speaking from personal experience here, haha). Knowing your dictionary can seriously change your strategy. If you're playing with CSW, starting to think about common proper nouns or technical terms that fit the letter count can be a game-changer. For example, did you know 'JEEP' is valid in CSW? What about 'LEGO'? It's fascinating how many words open up! Another tip: if you're ever in doubt about a word, and you don't have an official checker handy, try to agree on a 'challenge' rule. Maybe each player gets one challenge per game, or a certain number of points are deducted if you challenge a valid word. It keeps the game moving and adds a fun layer of strategy. I remember one game where my opponent tried to play 'XEROX', and we had a hilarious debate. Turns out, it was valid in our agreed-upon dictionary! Live and learn, right? The thrill of challenging a word, or successfully defending one, really adds to the game's excitement. The bottom line is, Scrabble is about having fun with words. While knowing the rules and valid words is crucial, a little flexibility and pre-game agreement can make all the difference. So next time you're holding those precious Q, W, E, R, T, Y tiles, you'll know exactly what to do. Happy word-smithing!