Blank Tiles Word Game

You’re listening to A Way with Words. I’m Martha Barnette.

And I’m Grant Barrett. And on the line is John Chaneski, our quiz guy. Hello, John.

It’s me. Hi, guys. Hi, Grant. Hi, Martha.

Tis you.

I’m on the line. I’m in line. Probably in line somewhere.

In New York, you’re online.

For an exclusive Shake Shack or something. I don’t know.

Will you have something for us today?

I do. Remember that scandal at the National Scrabble Championships?

Oh, yeah.

Yeah, a young player ejected it because he was caught cheating.

And his method of cheating was this.

While putting the tiles back in the bag, he held on to two blank tiles, which, as you know, can be used for any letter.

And that can be a big advantage.

Let’s play a non-copyrighted generic word-building game that uses tiles.

In our game, you are both the cheaters who have two blank tiles up your sleeves.

I’ll give you a word.

Your job is to use both blank tiles at the beginning and end of the word to make a valid Scrabble-exil-less words with friends play.

Okay.

So it’s one tile at the beginning and one at the end?

Right.

Okay.

For example, if I said the word rouse, R-O-U-S-E, it was on the board, what would you play on that?

Probably A-D.

A-D-4.

How about trouser?

Ooh, nice.

T and R?

Very good.

Good.

I’ll take multiple answers on any of these that you’ve got.

Some of them only have one answer.

Or groused.

Oh, a roused.

Groused is good.

Yeah, that’ll work.

Good.

Very good.

I should tally up the points.

Now, the first few have two or three valid plays.

Here’s the first.

The word eight, E-I-G-H-T.

Okay.

Martha has one?

Yes.

Grant?

Yes.

Okay, what do you got?

I have heights.

Heights is good.

Grant?

Mine is weights.

Weights is good.

I would take in weighty is good.

Those are probably the only three valid plays on eight.

Very good.

Let’s try Ravel, R-A-V-E-L.

Okay.

Ravel.

I have one, but…

Well, one’s good.

Yeah, I’ve got one.

Maybe the same one.

Grant, let’s go with you first.

What do you have?

Bravely.

Bravely’s good.

Oh, very good.

Martha, did you have another one?

I went with Travels.

Travels, Bravely.

Bravely and Travels are two of my three.

I also have Gravely is also good.

How about Event, E-V-E-N-T?

Seventy?

Seventy is one.

Okay.

Seventh.

Seventh is right.

Very good, Martha.

Got them both.

Now, for almost all of the others, I’m pretty sure I only have one valid play.

So let’s see how we do.

Okay.

Rob, R-O-B.

Probe.

Probe is it.

Very nice.

How about hose, H-O-S-E?

Chosen.

Chosen’s right, Grant.

Thank you.

Sorry, I should have raised my hand.

Let’s try.

This one’s a tricky one.

Ears, E-A-R-S.

Ears.

I see a proper name, but we can’t use that, can we?

Yeah, hearse doesn’t work, I don’t think.

That might lead you to it, though.

You’re close with that.

Oh, really?

Oh, hearse.

Hearse is right.

Very good.

How about the word gains, G-A-I-N-S?

I have one.

Against.

Against is right.

Very good.

Let’s try the word witch, W-I-T-C-H.

Twitchy.

Twitchy is correct.

Very good.

And let’s end up with, this one I think is kind of challenging, the word ought, O-U-G-H-T.

This one’s hard, I think.

Is it?

No, it’s not.

Oh, you know what that is?

I guess nots would be correct.

That’s not the word I had there.

I have one.

What do you got?

How about doughty?

Doughty, right, yes.

Very nice.

Doughty was very challenging.

Well, triple word scores all around for both of you.

Nice work on that.

That was very much.

Thank you. That was a very good one. I can see that my Words with Friends games have paid off.

That’s right. It’s all for good.

Thanks, John. Much appreciated, buddy. Take care.

Thanks, guys. Take care.

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