Hangman: The Forum Game, Edition XX

[DrSpike]

Originally posted by Ljube
Yeah, probably, except that's not even a word.

It's in my dictionary.

[Drogue]

Originally posted by Ljube
Yeah, probably, except that's not even a word.

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=qwerty

[civman2000]

Hangman XX: Enhanced Graphics Edition II

Originally posted by Drogue
qwerty?

[DrSpike]

Ljube wont like that.

[snoopy369]

I'd (for perhaps the first time *ever*) agree with Ljube.

Qwerty is not a standard english word, in my book at least. It's essentially a slang word - a word adapted not from another language even, but simply a slang term derived from convenience. Perhaps it has become somewhat commonplace slang, but we should not allow words like this any more than we should allow "darn" or "frick". Otherwise, remove the restriction of "standard" from the rules - it limits the guessers' guesses, and thus should either limit the setters' words, or not be there at all.

[Jonny]

I disagree... I feel it's a standard english word. I've seen it in passing in many dictionaries before, and it's in the Scrabble dictionary...

[Drogue]

My assumption was that the rules are like scrabble - if it's in the dictionary, it counts. Qwerty is in the dictionary, therefore it's a valid word.

[Sparrowhawk]

Okay it is agreed that it is a debatable word (not one I have a problem with though I never would have guessed it).

How about a new word Drogue?

/me

[Drogue]

OK, I'm going to work on the presumption that if it's in the OED, it's fine, as it's the only dictionary I have around and it's what I use to check if something counts as being in the English language.

New word:

_ _ _ _ _

10 guesses remaining
incorrect guesses:

[alva]

I

[Zopperoni]

E

[snoopy369]

I guess it's a difference on the nature of the word "standard". You see a lot of words in the OED that I'd consider absolutely inappropriate for this game. It's not supposed to be a test of obscure vocabulary, but a test of guessing letters ... or at least that's how I see the word "standard".

If it's not that, then we should remove the word "standard" from the rules, as that's what it implies to me (unless that's not the feeling of most people?)

[joncha]

Qwerty is a standard english word.

[DrSpike]

Originally posted by snoopy369
I guess it's a difference on the nature of the word "standard". You see a lot of words in the OED that I'd consider absolutely inappropriate for this game. It's not supposed to be a test of obscure vocabulary, but a test of guessing letters ... or at least that's how I see the word "standard".

If it's not that, then we should remove the word "standard" from the rules, as that's what it implies to me (unless that's not the feeling of most people?)

Standard can only reasonably mean 'in the dictionary', we just need to agree a dictionary to shore it up. Any other definition of standard means different things to different people.

I don't like qwerty, but language changes, there are no real words, just accepted ones. If it is in the dictionary (it's in mine, as I said) it's a 'real' word.

[joncha]

I'd say anything (non-abbreviation, non-proper noun of course) in either the Oxford English Dictionary or Mirriam Webster's New World Collegiate Dictionary counts as standard english.