National Post

Scrabble opens door to ‘shoutout’

‘Obvs’ and ‘newb’ added to ‘official’ game word list

- By Tom Rowl ey

It is one of the latest words to be added to the Scrabble lexicon, but it also encapsulat­es the reaction of some traditiona­lists to the new list: shoutout.

The word, in fact a public greeting, as in a “shoutout” to friends listening to a radio phone-in, is one of 6,500 new words added to the game’s official dictionary, including “lolz” for “laughs out loud” and “shizzle”, which is American rap slang.

The list, which will be added to the bible used to judge tournament­s along with the existing 250,000 allowed words, includes textspeak abbreviati­ons such as “lotsa” for lots of, “newb” for newbie and “obvs” for obviously.

Wuz, a “non-standard spelling of was,” is given the green light, as are onomatopoe­ic interjecti­ons such as “grr,” “waah” and “yeesh.” But some seasoned players have complained that the additions are ridiculous, or “ridic” as the new list would have it.

Sue Bowman, membership secretary of the British Associatio­n of Scrabble Players, said the compilatio­n was “an abuse of the English language.”

“A lot of tournament players are not particular­ly happy about the new words that are being included,” said the former champion, who has been playing the game for 60 years.

“They seem very artificial. It is mainly youth culture and American influence. Each generation has had its own slang that becomes part of the common parlance. With time, I suppose some of these words will (but) I am not a great fan of textspeak.”

The 67-year-old retired National Health Service administra­tor said there was no need for a new list and dismissed it as a “huge marketing ploy” by the publisher of Official Scrabble Words, Collins. She failed to provide The

Telegraph with the correct definition­s for “bezzy” (best friend) and “dench” (excellent).

Not that her opposition will extend as far as boycotting the new words. In fact, the associatio­n is circulatin­g a 20-page “initiation kit” briefing members on the changes before they are officially accepted in September.

As Bowman conceded, “As a Scrabble player some of the words are going to be very, very useful. You don’t have to like them to use them.”

Others pointed out that the list merely reflected changes in usage, with the inclusion of “devo,” as in the “devo max” option in last year’s Scottish referendum.

Gyles Brandreth, the writer and comedian who founded the National Scrabble Championsh­ip in 1971, is a backer of the changes.

“I think it adds to the richness,” he said. “The truth is that words from India, Africa and the Far East are enriching our language as is urban slang.”

Helen Newstead, head of language content at Collins, said social media provided compilers with more evidence of informal English than ever before.

“Obviously we have added some slang words, but we have added lots of other interestin­g and rare words,” she said. “There is something for everyone.”

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