CONSIDER:

Reading the dictionary helps me express myself better. I can spend hours flicking through a thesaurus, too. It’s not about expanding my vocabulary, it’s just that I have a very specific taste with words. I’ll sit and write lists of them to help me better describe my life.

— Arlo Parks

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For writers, readers, Scrabble, crossword and word gamers like me, Succeed and Soar’s “Word Witty” posts offer little puzzles that strengthen a precious tool:  Vocabulary.

Please enjoy.

James Brunot was a social worker looking to start a business in his home when he bought Alfred Butts’ word game and renamed it Scrabble. He silk screened letters onto strips of scrap lumber. Brunot and his wife assembled 2,251 copies in their living room in 1949 and lost $450 [$5,657 in 2023 dollars].

Q [along with Z] score 10 points, the highest amount in Scrabble. Most words with Q require a U. In the American version, there are 100 tiles. Four are U. Should you draw a Q, here are five Official Scrabble words that don’t require a U. Match to their meaning and improve chances of winning your next game.

A	Qaid  or Qadi		A drug used to calm or make unconscious
B	Qanat		Monetary unit of Azerbaijan
C	Qapik		The vital life force that flows through the body
D	Qi		An Islamic Judge
E	Tranq		A hillside tunnel used to lead water to village below

Answers below.

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By the way, several dozen Q words that don’t use U are Scrabble eligible, including: