I spent many months recently playing Scrabble against "AI" (the computer) and improved to the point where I win about half the time. Hot stuff, right? Not in the world of online Scrabble.
I also play Words With Friends (who doesn't?), and haven't lost a game yet. But Scrabble? These gals and guys are amazing. My opponents -- some friends, some anonymous -- have me scratching my head and cussing to myself with their 7- and 8-letter word combos, a lot of which are brand new to me. They send me to the dictionary about as often as the computer does, which makes me wonder: How many of them are using the "hint" feature or some other word-finding software when they play online? (I am a purist; I use neither.)
The worst is when an opponent plays a 7- or 8-letter word that I never heard of, like DARIOLES. This is apparently a French dessert. (I know just enough French to get into serious trouble over there.) Equally infuriating is when they string two or three of these words together in succession. I've had this done to me both by humans and by computers.
I could rant about Scrabble for a good while, but I'll stop here and comfort myself with the knowledge that I get a little better every time I lose or have to look up a new word, and that I can do a crapload more push-ups than the vast majority of these weenies. And besides, I really love the game! :-)
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