Stories
*EQUIN*
I was facing off with a Cal Tech grad, and my opponent faced the letter chain of -E-Q-U-I-N-. Somehow, no word come to mind, but I could easily see "equinox", a 6th grade science term. I won but only because my opponent was "JAMMED." Others that work? mannequin, sequin - even barbequing!! Think out of the box . . .
*ELAMI*
It was 2-on-2 and it was my turn, facing -E-L-A-M-I- and I could only think of one thing, relaminate. But that just did not seem legit, and I'd get challenged to taking this mess further. Somehow . . . then came MELAMINE into the head. But what was the right spelling. What a save, a stroke of some neurons, reflexively at work.
*RDCA*
Three of us were on a whirl. I was completely stuck on -D-C-A-. How could I fake my through with a letter here? I threw up an R to make -R-D-C-A- and my left-hand opponent looked at me in disbelief. Then he smiles and says, "I know what you're up to!" and he drops the G to make -R-D-C-A-G- Then, it dawns on me - birdcage! I couldn't help but blurt out, "You saved me!" My right-hand opponent ended up getting JAMMED on "birdcages".
*EMULAT*
A 12-year tried this for the first few times. He was getting stuck with -E-M-U-L-A-T- and I thought it was a keeper. He calmly played the "O" and I get JAMMED with "emulator". Lose to a 12-year?? It happens, more than you think.
*EVY*
A teacher comes along, ready to win at any cost. Up comes -E-V-Y-, and all I can think of is levy. Bevy doesn't help this jam I'm in either. I concede. But she was thinking "chevy" (which is actually not just short for Chevrolet, but a verb meaning to hunt or chase). I could have won! But brain freeze happens.
*UTHERI*
Now, I was staring at -U-T-H-E-R-I- with nowhere to go. Perhaps a present participle and take on an -N-? After that, I was promptly challenged. Well, "scouthering" would have worked nicely, which has a Scottish origin meaning a scorching or searing of something. That took some gumshoe over the Web because our 4th grade umpire was so intent on figuring out what in the world did "scouther" mean.
*VALLE*
Simplicity hurts sometimes. My 5th grade opponent dropped an "-E-" making -V-A-L-L-E- and I was JAMMED again, with something so easy and nothing to show for it. He chuckled and offered "valley" and I was so flustered. He said, "I just think easy things and let them come to my brain." Easier said than done with this game. "Rivalled" would have worked, but that would have JAMMED me too, in our three-way play. At least I ended the agony for myself.
*LEPTO*
The paradox of this game is that overconfidence can doom you so effortlessly. A health aide caring for my father has some idle time doing newspaper puzzles. We play and I create -L-E-P-T-O- by adding the "L". I feel so good because even if in a million worlds she would think of lepton (a subatomic particle), she is JAMMED. Quietly she adds an "M" on the right tail. We are on our way to kleptomania, and I am once again JAMMED. You can start this with a 'c' too as an alternative spelling.
I was facing off with a Cal Tech grad, and my opponent faced the letter chain of -E-Q-U-I-N-. Somehow, no word come to mind, but I could easily see "equinox", a 6th grade science term. I won but only because my opponent was "JAMMED." Others that work? mannequin, sequin - even barbequing!! Think out of the box . . .
*ELAMI*
It was 2-on-2 and it was my turn, facing -E-L-A-M-I- and I could only think of one thing, relaminate. But that just did not seem legit, and I'd get challenged to taking this mess further. Somehow . . . then came MELAMINE into the head. But what was the right spelling. What a save, a stroke of some neurons, reflexively at work.
*RDCA*
Three of us were on a whirl. I was completely stuck on -D-C-A-. How could I fake my through with a letter here? I threw up an R to make -R-D-C-A- and my left-hand opponent looked at me in disbelief. Then he smiles and says, "I know what you're up to!" and he drops the G to make -R-D-C-A-G- Then, it dawns on me - birdcage! I couldn't help but blurt out, "You saved me!" My right-hand opponent ended up getting JAMMED on "birdcages".
*EMULAT*
A 12-year tried this for the first few times. He was getting stuck with -E-M-U-L-A-T- and I thought it was a keeper. He calmly played the "O" and I get JAMMED with "emulator". Lose to a 12-year?? It happens, more than you think.
*EVY*
A teacher comes along, ready to win at any cost. Up comes -E-V-Y-, and all I can think of is levy. Bevy doesn't help this jam I'm in either. I concede. But she was thinking "chevy" (which is actually not just short for Chevrolet, but a verb meaning to hunt or chase). I could have won! But brain freeze happens.
*UTHERI*
Now, I was staring at -U-T-H-E-R-I- with nowhere to go. Perhaps a present participle and take on an -N-? After that, I was promptly challenged. Well, "scouthering" would have worked nicely, which has a Scottish origin meaning a scorching or searing of something. That took some gumshoe over the Web because our 4th grade umpire was so intent on figuring out what in the world did "scouther" mean.
*VALLE*
Simplicity hurts sometimes. My 5th grade opponent dropped an "-E-" making -V-A-L-L-E- and I was JAMMED again, with something so easy and nothing to show for it. He chuckled and offered "valley" and I was so flustered. He said, "I just think easy things and let them come to my brain." Easier said than done with this game. "Rivalled" would have worked, but that would have JAMMED me too, in our three-way play. At least I ended the agony for myself.
*LEPTO*
The paradox of this game is that overconfidence can doom you so effortlessly. A health aide caring for my father has some idle time doing newspaper puzzles. We play and I create -L-E-P-T-O- by adding the "L". I feel so good because even if in a million worlds she would think of lepton (a subatomic particle), she is JAMMED. Quietly she adds an "M" on the right tail. We are on our way to kleptomania, and I am once again JAMMED. You can start this with a 'c' too as an alternative spelling.