# New Scrabble words Qi and Za.Plus Tangleword **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 11, 2007, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-scrabble-words-qi-and-za-plus-tangleword/387590 "2007-01-11T18:21:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2007, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-scrabble-words-qi-and-za-plus-tangleword/387590/1 "2007-01-11T18:21:58Z")
I have just recently started playing Scrabble again after taking a few years off. After about sixty games or so I’ve decided that the inclusion of Qi and Za in the new dictionary take away from the strategy of the game.At least the game I am use to playing.I suppose I will get use to them but I think it really cheapens the game.The Q is no longer a burden whatsoever and should not be worth ten points anymore. What do you think? Also does anyone play Tangleword at Playsite? If so who are you there? Chez moi anyone? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2007, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-scrabble-words-qi-and-za-plus-tangleword/387590/2 "2007-01-11T19:24:41Z")
[QUOTE=MadTheSwine] I have just recently started playing Scrabble again after taking a few years off. After about sixty games or so I’ve decided that the inclusion of Qi and Za in the new dictionary take away from the strategy of the game.At least the game I am use to playing.I suppose I will get use to them but I think it really cheapens the game.The Q is no longer a burden whatsoever and should not be worth ten points anymore. What do you think? Also does anyone play Tangleword at Playsite? If so who are you there? Chez moi anyone? [/QUOTE] I don’t mind QI being used since I do actually see it in print occassionally. If I’ve seen the word used in real life then I really can’t have any objection, can I? I’m also used to playing QI because the British editions of Scrabble have always (at least for the last dozen years or so) listed it as a valid word in the 2-letter word list that comes with some sets. It’s part of the OSW (Official Scrabble Words) and it’s about time it’s included in the American edition. I’m not sure how I feel about ZA, though. I’ve always thought of it as 'za, as a contraction, and don’t think I’ve ever seen the word in print or even used in conversation. My main objection is that I think it’s a contraction rather than a two-letter word, but oh well. It does tinker with the strategy of a game, though. I managed to come from behind and beat one opponent once by forming two QI words (vertically and horizontally) with the Q falling on triple letter score. That’s 60 points alone for the Q. _shrug_ You gotta defend against those possibilities. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2007, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-scrabble-words-qi-and-za-plus-tangleword/387590/3 "2007-01-11T19:36:12Z")
No, but I don’t use the OSPD, either. Merriam-Webster is the final authority when I play. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2007, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-scrabble-words-qi-and-za-plus-tangleword/387590/4 "2007-01-11T19:41:00Z")
But to answer your question, I’d be willing to bet that they don’t take ability to unload easily into point assignment. There are a lot more words with “k” and “v” in them, but try to unload one if you’re trying to maintain your other letters. Not that easy. I know you can use your turn to exchange if you get a crappy draw, but I never do that, either. I always play my draw. ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2007, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-scrabble-words-qi-and-za-plus-tangleword/387590/5 "2007-01-11T19:41:50Z")
[QUOTE=pulykamell] It does tinker with the strategy of a game, though. I managed to come from behind and beat one opponent once by forming two QI words (vertically and horizontally) with the Q falling on triple letter score. That’s 60 points alone for the Q. _shrug_ You gotta defend against those possibilities. [/QUOTE] Yeah,I know.I am sure I will get used to it but after so many years of playing it is hard to adjust.The other day I was patting myself on the back for making a moderately good Z play and killing a TWS square in the process,forgetting about Za.My opponent hammered the TWS for 70 or so points. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2007, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-scrabble-words-qi-and-za-plus-tangleword/387590/6 "2007-01-11T19:44:54Z")
[QUOTE=Earl Snake-Hips Tucker] No, but I don’t use the OSPD, either. Merriam-Webster is the final authority when I play. [/QUOTE] Merriam-Webster has the advantage of having vulgar words in its favor. I was really pissed off to find out that even words like “jew” (as in “to jew someone”) are left out of the OSPD (yet “gyp” is included), but present in other Scrabble collections of words. I don’t like using the Merriam-Webster dictionary alone because it doesn’t have certain words like “aa,” which I think is a perfectly good word that, once again, I’ve seen in print in National Geographic articles about Hawaii. As long as both players agree on dictionary, though, the point is moot. ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2007, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-scrabble-words-qi-and-za-plus-tangleword/387590/7 "2007-01-11T19:48:07Z")
[QUOTE=pulykamell] Merriam-Webster has the advantage of having vulgar words in its favor. I was really pissed off to find out that even words like “jew” (as in “to jew someone”) are left out of the OSPD (yet “gyp” is included), but present in other Scrabble collections of words. I don’t like using the Merriam-Webster dictionary alone because it doesn’t have certain words like “aa,” which I think is a perfectly good word that, once again, I’ve seen in print in National Geographic articles about Hawaii. As long as both players agree on dictionary, though, the point is moot. [/QUOTE] There is an uncensored version of OSPD which is used at the site I play at.The uncensored version is also used in tournaments,or was last I knew. ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2007, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-scrabble-words-qi-and-za-plus-tangleword/387590/8 "2007-01-11T20:01:30Z")
[QUOTE=Earl Snake-Hips Tucker] I know you can use your turn to exchange if you get a crappy draw, but I never do that, either. I always play my draw. [/QUOTE] Stragetically, I always toss my Q if I haven’t played it towards the end of a close game. Are there Scrabble acceptable words that end in the letters J or Q? ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2007, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-scrabble-words-qi-and-za-plus-tangleword/387590/9 "2007-01-11T20:08:03Z")
“Hajj” ends end a “j,” but you need a blank, unless you’re playing Super Scrabble. And for “q,” I’d give the source, but I don’t recall what it was (possibly a Scrabble site): Q without U words accepted in the U. S. Scrabble list are: QAT, QAID, QOPH, FAQIR, QANAT, TRANQ, QINDAR, QINTAR, QWERTY, SHEQEL, QINDARKA, and SHEQALIM (alternate plural of SHEQEL). The combined US/UK list (SOWPODS) adds (from Chambers Dictionary), with their plurals: BUQSHA, BURQA, INQILAB, MBAQANGA, MUQADDAM, QABALAH, QADI, QAIMAQAM, QALAMDAN, QASIDA, QI, QIBLA, QIGONG, QINGHAOSU, QIS, QIVIUT, QWERTIES, QWERTYS, SUQ, TALAQ, TRANQ, TSADDIQIM, TSADDIQ, TZADDIQIM, TZADDIQ, UMIAQ, WAQF, and YAQONA [Stuart Kidd]. [Some words containing Q and U but not the QU sequence are QIVIUT, UMIAQ, and BUQSHA.] ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2007, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-scrabble-words-qi-and-za-plus-tangleword/387590/10 "2007-01-11T20:09:04Z")
[QUOTE=Askia] Stragetically, I always toss my Q if I haven’t played it towards the end of a close game. Are there Scrabble acceptable words that end in the letters J or Q? [/QUOTE] Yes here are some of them: Haj,Hajj,Hadj,Raj,Taj,Umiaq,Tranq and Suq. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2007, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-scrabble-words-qi-and-za-plus-tangleword/387590/11 "2007-01-11T20:22:02Z")
[QUOTE=pulykamell] I’m not sure how I feel about ZA, though. I’ve always thought of it as 'za, as a contraction, and don’t think I’ve ever seen the word in print or even used in conversation. My main objection is that I think it’s a contraction rather than a two-letter word, but oh well. [/QUOTE] I’ve never heard the word used, either … and I’ve seen it in print exactly once: in Neil Stephenson’s novel _Snow Crash_. I thought it was a nonce invention of Stephenson’s, not living, breathing slang in use anywhere. Had I not seen the word in _Snow Crash_, I’d have no idea of the meaning. For those wondering: _'za_ is supposed to be short for _pizza_. ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2007, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-scrabble-words-qi-and-za-plus-tangleword/387590/12 "2007-01-11T20:29:54Z")
[QUOTE=bordelond] I’ve never heard the word used, either … and I’ve seen it in print exactly once: in Neil Stephenson’s novel _Snow Crash_. I thought it was a nonce invention of Stephenson’s, not living, breathing slang in use anywhere. Had I not seen the word in _Snow Crash_, I’d have no idea of the meaning. For those wondering: _'za_ is supposed to be short for _pizza_. [/QUOTE] Wasn’t Za valley girl speak? ---
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2007, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-scrabble-words-qi-and-za-plus-tangleword/387590/13 "2007-01-11T20:41:57Z")
> [@](#): > > There is an uncensored version of OSPD which is used at the site I play at.The uncensored version is also used in tournaments,or was last I knew. I believe this is the OWL, or Official Word List. I think it’s on its third edition. ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2007, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-scrabble-words-qi-and-za-plus-tangleword/387590/14 "2007-01-11T20:48:24Z")
Thank you, **MadTheSwine** and **Earl.** ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2007, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-scrabble-words-qi-and-za-plus-tangleword/387590/15 "2007-01-11T20:51:13Z")
[QUOTE=MadTheSwine] Chez moi anyone? [/QUOTE] Did you just invite us to your house? ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2007, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-scrabble-words-qi-and-za-plus-tangleword/387590/16 "2007-01-11T20:57:59Z")
[QUOTE=pulykamell] Merriam-Webster has the advantage of having vulgar words in its favor. I was really pissed off to find out that even words like “jew” (as in “to jew someone”) are left out of the OSPD (yet “gyp” is included), but present in other Scrabble collections of words. [/QUOTE] At my friends’ house where I play, we keep three editions of the OSPD in order to have access to the old vulgar words. Edition two has them but three and four don’t. Hmm, I didn’t know about ZA. But I did hear about QI and OI from the fourth edition. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2007, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-scrabble-words-qi-and-za-plus-tangleword/387590/17 "2007-01-12T01:15:19Z")
plus there’s FE and another one with K (KI? KE?) that just got added. The tiles should definitely have their values changed. “C” and “V” are now (I believe) the only two words that aren’t in any two-letter words, and thus should be worth far more points to compensate. (In Yahoo! Literati, “C” is only worth ONE point. Crazy.) ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2007, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-scrabble-words-qi-and-za-plus-tangleword/387590/18 "2007-01-12T01:49:05Z")
[QUOTE=MaxTheVool] plus there’s FE and another one with K (KI? KE?) that just got added. The tiles should definitely have their values changed. “C” and “V” are now (I believe) the only two words that aren’t in any two-letter words, and thus should be worth far more points to compensate. (In Yahoo! Literati, “C” is only worth ONE point. Crazy.) [/QUOTE] Ki ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2007, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-scrabble-words-qi-and-za-plus-tangleword/387590/19 "2007-01-12T02:06:53Z")
[QUOTE=bordelond] I’ve never heard the word used, either … and I’ve seen it in print exactly once: in Neil Stephenson’s novel _Snow Crash_. I thought it was a nonce invention of Stephenson’s, not living, breathing slang in use anywhere. Had I not seen the word in _Snow Crash_, I’d have no idea of the meaning. For those wondering: _'za_ is supposed to be short for _pizza_. [/QUOTE] Wow. Yet more Straight Dope synchronicity. I’m making some pot roast and my brother just walked into the room and asked, “Whaddaya makin’, za?” I asked him about where he’s heard that word and he said he last heard it on Family Guy, but has heard it used before then.