Fair play: Scrabble, samaras, sovereignty
Sandy and I met for a game of Scrabble at her apartment. You'd like Sandy; she's funny, whip-smart and makes an irresistible blueberry teabread. She twins a vast vocabulary with the concentration of a brain surgeon. I, however, might settle for a seven-point word just to move the game along, and chat while studying the board. Last week, Sandy played a word on a triple word square and then said, "Oh, wait, I can make a better one!", and began to lift her tiles. I had already accepted za (approved by the official Scrabble Dictionary, refers to pizza), but when she scooped up her tiles, I protested, "No. Tiles play, tiles lay." "Well you are strict!" she groused, settling for her 21-pointer. Her attempt was driven by competitive zeal, the kind that looks for any edge. But I didn't regret my challenge; there have to be boundaries, or we have szrygist as a word, and where does it end? Sandy's attempt reminded me of current world events. Since...
