# Do you play 'adult' words in Scrabble or WWF with friends of the opposite gender? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [April 5, 2014, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-play-adult-words-in-scrabble-or-wwf-with-friends-of-the-opposite-gender/685433 "2014-04-05T20:43:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Polerius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d78d45/32.png) [@Polerius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polerius)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2014, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-play-adult-words-in-scrabble-or-wwf-with-friends-of-the-opposite-gender/685433/1 "2014-04-05T20:43:03Z")
I play Words with Friends (it’s like Scrabble) with some female friends (I’m male) and I sometimes find that I can make good words, but they are of an ‘adult’ nature: eg ‘horny’, ‘erection’, etc I choose not to play them, even if it costs me points, because I don’t want to give any wrong impressions What do you guys do in these situations? Also, have you been on the receiving end if such words, and how did you feel about it (assuming the other person was just a friend) ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2014, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-play-adult-words-in-scrabble-or-wwf-with-friends-of-the-opposite-gender/685433/2 "2014-04-05T20:45:26Z")
That’s \*all \*I play. I’m a very lonely man. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2014, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-play-adult-words-in-scrabble-or-wwf-with-friends-of-the-opposite-gender/685433/3 "2014-04-05T20:47:47Z")
I do, although I’m gay. The only exception is when I’m playing coworkers. I even play a friend of mine who is a priest. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Accident](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Mr.Accident](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Accident)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2014, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-play-adult-words-in-scrabble-or-wwf-with-friends-of-the-opposite-gender/685433/4 "2014-04-05T21:29:38Z")
All the time; I don’t care of the person is female, male, or related to me\*. If I can score high points playing a word, I’m playing it. \*Exception being my nieces, who are 10, 9, and 8. They’ve probably heard these words at school already, but I’m not going to expose them to them. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2014, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-play-adult-words-in-scrabble-or-wwf-with-friends-of-the-opposite-gender/685433/5 "2014-04-05T21:39:56Z")
Heck, around here, we play it with a five point bonus for obscene words. (We picked it up from Bored of the Rings.) ---
**Author:** ![Sahirrnee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sahirrnee/32/13937_2.png) [@Sahirrnee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sahirrnee)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2014, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-play-adult-words-in-scrabble-or-wwf-with-friends-of-the-opposite-gender/685433/6 "2014-04-05T21:48:02Z")
Yep and if they don’t like it they can find somebody else to play with. Since I play with a strangers I have no clue if they are male or female, young or old, or anything else. If it’s a valid word I play it. ---
**Author:** ![Anamorphic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anamorphic/32/3057_2.png) [@Anamorphic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anamorphic)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2014, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-play-adult-words-in-scrabble-or-wwf-with-friends-of-the-opposite-gender/685433/7 "2014-04-05T21:52:42Z")
Sure. I don’t live in the 1950s. ---
**Author:** ![Polerius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d78d45/32.png) [@Polerius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polerius)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2014, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-play-adult-words-in-scrabble-or-wwf-with-friends-of-the-opposite-gender/685433/8 "2014-04-05T22:12:55Z")
> [@Anamorphic](#): > > Sure. I don’t live in the 1950s. Yes, because living in the 1950s is the only reason to avoid these words. Glad you’re so 2014 that you can use words like horny with friends and coworkers of the opposite sex :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Polerius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d78d45/32.png) [@Polerius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polerius)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2014, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-play-adult-words-in-scrabble-or-wwf-with-friends-of-the-opposite-gender/685433/9 "2014-04-05T22:14:14Z")
> [@Sahirrnee](#): > > Yep > and if they don’t like it they can find somebody else to play with. > > Since I play with a strangers I have no clue if they are male or female, young or old, or anything else. If it’s a valid word I play it. The OP, and the title, mention playing with friends. With strangers it’s a whole different ball game ---
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2014, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-play-adult-words-in-scrabble-or-wwf-with-friends-of-the-opposite-gender/685433/10 "2014-04-05T22:23:16Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > Heck, around here, we play it with a five point bonus for obscene words. (We picked it up from Bored of the Rings.) Yeah, in Boggle, it’s an extra point for anything obscene. It doesn’t even have to be inthe Scrabble dictionary. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2014, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-play-adult-words-in-scrabble-or-wwf-with-friends-of-the-opposite-gender/685433/11 "2014-04-05T22:25:52Z")
I don’t see any reason not to. The only reason I wouldn’t play a word like that is if I had a higher scoring word somewhere else. ---
**Author:** ![Silophant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a698b9/32.png) [@Silophant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silophant)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2014, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-play-adult-words-in-scrabble-or-wwf-with-friends-of-the-opposite-gender/685433/12 "2014-04-05T23:05:36Z")
Another vote for “Yeah, I don’t live in the 1950’s”, especially for the examples given. Depending on who I’m playing with, I might refrain from actual obscene words, like “shit” or “fuck”, but “erection”? “Horny”? Yeah, if that’s the valid word that makes sense to play, no way am I not going for it. ---
**Author:** ![Anamorphic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anamorphic/32/3057_2.png) [@Anamorphic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anamorphic)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2014, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-play-adult-words-in-scrabble-or-wwf-with-friends-of-the-opposite-gender/685433/13 "2014-04-06T00:18:45Z")
> [@Polerius](#): > > Yes, because living in the 1950s is the only reason to avoid these words. Glad you’re so 2014 that you can use words like horny with friends and coworkers of the opposite sex :rolleyes: You’re obviously insulted by my response, but to be honest, I find your question to be kind of insulting. My friends and coworkers don’t need their delicate sensibilities protected. If I was playing with someone like, say, my grandmother, then yeah, I might avoid certain words. But that’s not what you asked. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2014, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-play-adult-words-in-scrabble-or-wwf-with-friends-of-the-opposite-gender/685433/14 "2014-04-06T00:21:40Z")
I have two good friends that met via WWF and just got married last weekend. ---
**Author:** ![InsomniaMama](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ad7895/32.png) [@InsomniaMama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InsomniaMama)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2014, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-play-adult-words-in-scrabble-or-wwf-with-friends-of-the-opposite-gender/685433/15 "2014-04-06T00:58:45Z")
I’ll play any word that gets me the points. It pisses me off that there are valid words that the game won’t recognize for being offensive. I don’t use slurs in my speech, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t words. So annoying. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2014, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-play-adult-words-in-scrabble-or-wwf-with-friends-of-the-opposite-gender/685433/16 "2014-04-06T01:59:44Z")
Why would you be ashamed to play words like erection (the process of building a building) or horny (an adjective describing a species of toad)? Even words like pussy (as in cat) and cock (as in rooster fights) have legitimate meanings. And I play Scrabble to win, not to see who’s the best at modesty bingo. About the only word I probably wouldn’t play in mixed company is cunt. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2014, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-play-adult-words-in-scrabble-or-wwf-with-friends-of-the-opposite-gender/685433/17 "2014-04-06T02:28:00Z")
Moving from IMHO to Game Room. ---
**Author:** ![Melchior](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Melchior](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melchior)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2014, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-play-adult-words-in-scrabble-or-wwf-with-friends-of-the-opposite-gender/685433/18 "2014-04-06T03:10:19Z")
> [@Polerius](#): > > I play Words with Friends (it’s like Scrabble) with some female friends (I’m male) and I sometimes find that I can make good words, but they are of an ‘adult’ nature: eg ‘horny’, ‘erection’, etc > > I choose not to play them, even if it costs me points, because I don’t want to give any wrong impressions > > What do you guys do in these situations? > > Also, have you been on the receiving end if such words, and how did you feel about it (assuming the other person was just a friend) ‘Gender’ is a linguistic term that refers to a quality of nouns in certain languages having a synthetic rather than analytic syntax. German and most Romance languages have nouns with genders. Organisms do not have genders, they have sexes. Organisms are male, female, both (yes, some snails), or neither (bacteria and other single-celled organisms). Nouns in certain languages are masculine, feminine, or in some languages, neuter. When both sexes are present at events, the term is “mixed company”. In tennis, the term is “mixed doubles”. So, you should have asked “when playing scrabble in mixed company, are there certain words you avoid using?” ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2014, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-play-adult-words-in-scrabble-or-wwf-with-friends-of-the-opposite-gender/685433/19 "2014-04-06T03:16:33Z")
Horny = horn-like. If you don’t want to hear it, don’t visit a podologist or see a dermatologist about your cracky feet. Erection = what you do to build a crane. Anybody who only can think of the sexual meaning of the above = needs to get laid. ---
**Author:** ![Enlightening\_Meditation](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecc23a/32.png) [@Enlightening\_Meditation](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enlightening_Meditation)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2014, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-play-adult-words-in-scrabble-or-wwf-with-friends-of-the-opposite-gender/685433/20 "2014-04-06T03:50:36Z")
At my place, there’s a house rule for Scrabble that specifies bonus points (double score) for dirty or sexual words. I have effectively ended a game on ‘F_**ing’ and ‘go’ (same play) with 7 letter bonus and and naughty bonus combined. Thank goodness for a blank tile to make that happen. There was also a 'p**_y’ clincher by one of my friends. I’ve never played WWF though. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-play-adult-words-in-scrabble-or-wwf-with-friends-of-the-opposite-gender/685433.md?page=2)