OK admit this is not serious pastime for linguaphiles but... MUST HAVE GAMES. I prefer untimed games which exercise anagrammatic skills. But am open to suggestions. (Will also gladly accept a free trivia game should you know of - Jeopardy online costs $)

I mean folks this is how I wake up [literally. first a.m. activity after using loo (TMI)]: Jumble Solitaire at games.com. I also enjoy "Just Words" at the same site, which is a competitive scrabble game using a slightly smaller board with 6 instead of 7 tiles each. (the only time limit involves the other player's option to 'force pass' when you take too much turn time). I still miss a wonderful [gone] facebook game called Word Blox, which was similar with some interesting twists.

Anybody? Please? I'm getting sick of Just Words.

I play Scrabble online against a couple of friends. I use the iPad app, but on a couple of occasions when something went wrong with the app for a couple of days I played it on Facebook.

Arnie - thanks for responding! I haven't pursued online scrabble only because it seems you can't just sit down & play a game - looks like you just have to be around & wait for people to buzz your iPhone (I don't have one) to continue the game-- am I wrong?

You're right. You do have to wait for your opponent to make their play. However, you can also play games against the computer, which doesn't mean waiting around. The problem is that the computer uses such esoteric words (it does after all hold the dictionary) that you're unlikely to win on anything but the 'easy' setting.

How about chess?

quote:

Originally posted by arnie:
The problem is that the computer uses such esoteric words (it does after all hold the dictionary) that you're unlikely to win on anything but the 'easy' setting.

Good to know. "Just Words", au contraire, uses a PC-edited dictionary. Scatology is out, as well as any remotely-offensive ethnic word (even goy!). For example-- 'coon' the racial slur takes precedence over the animal, hence verboten.

p.s. if anyone is looking for Jumble Solitaire (a very good game), correction: not at games.com, but at shockwave.com.

p.p.s. I shall assume from meager response that my cohorts spend free time on more esoteric pursuits!

quote:

Originally posted by tinman:
How about chess?

Alas I never could understand it as a kid so did not pursue. The rest of my family can play it. Perhaps it's never to late to learn?

But you've reminded me that I dearly love bridge, tho have had few opportunities to play over the years (never got beyone pinch-hitter in lunchtime office games). I shall search for an online bridge game.

Oh, Bethree, I love bridge, too. I knew we had a lot in common!

I grew up playing bridge-derivatives like whist & pitch (a/k/a hi-lo-jack-game). August in Brewster (Cape Cod) was a clan gathering. Teens would be off at a friend's cottage playing those games plus hearts and poker, while the aunts& uncles had several tables of bridge going at one of the family cottages, every evening. I was seriously jealous of my one smarty-pants cousin who was invited to join the bridge tables when he was barely in his teens.

Remember the Goren & Sharif columns? Used to read them daily to study bidding, & at lunch hour play out foursome hands on a little gizmo with paper inserts.