Good as Gold

I wasn’t at Scrabble last week because I was playing bridge on the Gold Coast. A blog with the theme of GOLD seemed appropriate.

A Grade Challenge

A different sort of challenge this week. There are 26 bonus words of 7 or 8 letters that include the word GOLD. Only 3 of them do not start with those four letters. They are:

MANGOLD – A type of beet

MANGOLDS

MARIGOLD – A type of flower

That leaves 23 words of that length starting with GOLD. How many of them can you think of?

B & C Grade Study List

The chemical symbol for gold is AU. We will take a detailed look at all 15 words of 3 letters that are AU plus one other letter:

AUA

The yellow eyed mullet. Pluralises with an S and takes a front hook of P for PAUA

AUE

A Maori exclamation of pain, distress or astonishment. Because it is an exclamation it cannot be pluralised and it doesn’t take any front hooks either

EAU

A river or water. Pluralises both with S for EAUS and X for EAUX. Takes a front hook of B for BEAU

AUF

An obsolete word for the child of an elf. Pluralises with an S and takes C, H and L front hooks for CAUF, HAUF and LAUF

GAU

A German political district of the NAZI regime. Can be followed by 6 different letters to make a 4 letter word. GAUD, GAUM, GAUN, GAUP, GAUR and GAUS

AUK

A type of seabird. Pluralises with an S. Also takes 4 different letters as front hooks to make BAUK, CAUK, JAUK and WAUK

ALU

A Hindi word for a type of potato which can also be spelled ALOO. Back hooks are M and S for ALUM and ALUS. Takes a front hook of B for BALU meaning bear. The alternative spelling of ALOO also takes a B front hook. The bear in the Jungle Book was called Baloo.

AMU

A unit of mass. Pluralises with an S and also has a front hook of N for NAMU which is the black New Zealand sandfly.

QUA

Latin term to indicate the capacity of something. Takes an A front hook for AQUA and takes 5 different letters as back hooks to make QUAD, QUAG, QUAI, QUAT and QUAY. Make sure you have noted that it does NOT take an S. However if you have plenty of that letter QUASS is a Russian beer

SAU

A monetary unit of Vietnam that is also spelled XU. Just like XU is does not take an S. SAUL and SAUT are words that can be made with a back hook.

TAU

A Greek letter. Pluralises with an S and also take a T for TAUT.

UTA

A type of large lizard. Pluralises with a S and takes K and O as front hooks to make KUTA and OUTA.

UVA

A grape or grapelike berry. Pluralises with an E or S for UVAE and UVAS.

VAU

A letter in the Hebrew alphabet. Pluralises with an S and also take a T to make VAUT.

AYU

A small Japanese fish. Pluralises with an S.

Answers to A Grade Challenge

GOLDARN   -   To damn

GOLDARNS

GOLDBUG   -   A gold beetle

GOLDBUGS

GOLDENED   -   Became like gold

GOLDENER   -   More like the colour gold

GOLDENLY   -   Like gold

GOLDENS   -   Becomes like gold

GOLDEST   -   Most like the colour gold

GOLDEYE   -   A freshwater fish

GOLDEYES

GOLDFISH   -   A freshwater fish

GOLDIER   -   More like gold

GOLDIES   -   A goldfish is also called a goldy

GOLDIEST   -   Most like gold

GOLDISH   -   Somewhat like gold

GOLDLESS   -   Having no gold

GOLDSIZE   -   An adhesive used to attach gold leaf

GOLDTAIL   -   A European moth

GOLDTONE   -   A photographic image with a gold backing

GOLDURN   -   An expression of anger

GOLDURNS

GOLDWORK   -   Gold articles collectively

Happy Scrabbling

Patrick