Farewell to Judy - Apr 22

Judy Cronin played me in her last game at the Mt Albert club before moving to Nelson. Unfortunately, although we had played a really close game a couple of weeks previously, this time I picked up a lot of good letters and it wasn't a game for Judy to remember. However there was one play that inspired this blog. She had played the word QUITED with the Q on space D8, just 3 spaces below the Triple Word Score. There was already a tile two spaces below that so nothing could be played underneath the Q. However a few turns later I played CINQ for 45 points. Judy said "I know that word, but I didn't even think of trying to play there"

So, to remind you of the possibilities for unusual endings here are a few words that end in either Q or J.

CINQ The number five in French, but there is an interesting story for why it is allowed when some other French numbers such as DEUX are not.

Cinque and cinq are both names, in English, for the face of a 6-sided die that has the number 5 (or 5 pips on it). The names for the faces on 6-sided dice are: ace (1), deuce (2), trey (3), cater (4), cinque or cinq (5), and sice (6). They come from middle English and old French before that. You wouldn’t hear anyone but professional gamblers use those terms today, but they are still valid English words. (Thank you to James McInnes for that explanation)

TALAQ Divorce under Islamic Law. Also spelled TALAK

TRANQ Short for tranquilliser. Also spelled TRANK

UMIAQ An Eskimo or Inuit canoe commonly known as a kayak

Another way of spelling kayak is QAJAQ. I guess it is possible you might find it worthwhile using a blank as a Q to play that, but I have never seen it happen

BENJ One of the many names used for cannabis

HADJ An alternative spelling of HAJ, a pilgrimage to Mecca

AFLAJ or FALAJ An Arabic irrigation channel, especially in Oman

BASIJ or BASEEJ Volunteer vigilantes who enforce Islamic laws

SVARAJ or SWARAJ Sovereignty or economic freedom

Goodbye Judy

I hope you have a wonderful time in Nelson

Patrick