Nationals 2012

The 2012 National Scrabble Championship will take place August 11-15, at the Royal Pacific Resort in Orlando, FL.  More than 300 tile heads will compete over 5 days and 31 games.  Players are separated into four divisions by rating.  Yours truly will be competing in Division 2.

Here are some handy links to follow the action:

• Live coverage website
• Standings by division

Good luck to all of the participants!

"Flow with whatever may happen..."

Quote of the Week:

Flow with whatever may happen and let your mind be free.
~ Zhuangzi (c. 369-286 BC)

TEGULAR

TileHead’s Word of the Day for 8 August 2012

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Word of the Day:

TEGULAR  (adj.)

Definition(s):

1. (adj.) of, relating to, or resembling a tile

Useful info for word game players:

• Front hooks: (none)
• Back hooks: (none)
• Anagrams: (none)
• Longer extensions: tegularLY
• Wraparounds: (none)
• Other Spellings: (none)
• Related Forms: TEGULARLY (adv.)

Current theme:

No theme this week — just a few selections from the good wordbook

Epilogue:

This word is used primarily in the roofing and paving industries, and indeed it comes from the Latin tegula, meaning “tile,” ultimately from the verb tegere, meaning “to roof, to cover.”  Several other words from the same roots usually refer to the outer skin, membrane, or husk of an organism, such as TEGMEN, TEGUMEN, TEGUMENT, INTEGUMENT, STEGODON, and STEGOSAURUS.  One such word, TEGULATED, is sometimes used to refer to a kind of ancient armor composed of overlapping plates.

Could it be applied to Scrabble tiles as well?  Certainly — though it rarely has been, it would seem.  Please join me in widening the figurative use of this word among the Scrabble community!  One could refer to a tournament as a “tegular competition,” or to the luck of the draw as “tegular fate,” or to top competitors as “tegular titans.” 

Speaking of tegular titans, I look forward to seeing many of you at the upcoming National Scrabble Championship!

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ATARAXIA

TileHead’s Word of the Day for 6 August 2012

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Word of the Day:

ATARAXIA  (n. pl. -S)

Definition(s):

1. (n.) peace of mind; calmness of mind; emotional tranquility; stoical indifference

Useful info for word game players:

• Front hooks: (none)
• Back hooks: -S
• Anagrams: (none)
• Longer extensions: (none)
• Wraparounds: (none)
• Other Spellings: ATARAXY
• Related Forms: ATARAXIC (adj. & n.), ATARACTIC (adj. & n.)

Current theme:

No theme this week — just a few selections from the good wordbook

Epilogue:

The Stoics and the Epicureans of ancient Greece both sought ATARAXIA (or ATARAXY), a state of tranquility and calmness, though they differed on the best means of achieving it.  Deriving from the Greek for “lack of disturbance” or “impassiveness,” ATARAXIA remains for many today as desirable — and, often, elusive — as it was for those ancient philosophers.  The English language has many terms for this and related concepts, with small shades of difference in meaning.  Some near-synonyms that I find particularly interesting are APLOMB, EQUANIMITY, PLACIDITY, SANGFROID, SERENITY, and TRANQUILITY.

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"All rising to a great place..."

Quote of the Week:

All rising to a great place is by a winding stair.
~ Sir Francis Bacon (1561-1626)