SOWPODS??

Bemused, Confused? Yes me too and its only 8.30 on another bleak, misty January morning. To be fair to facebook, I have spent many, some would say, too many, recent hours attempting to pitch my linguistic flexibility against the anonymous world of on line Scrabbulous players. Rationally I have taken part in less than ten matches, games to you and me, so far and according to the statistics, am winning a mere twenty something percent! I'm bravely tackling the likes of those who are perhaps decades younger, fortunate enough to be enjoying their summers thousands away from the U.K and no doubt whilst I huddle around the 'cost a fortune'- kilowat heater with hands wrapped round my never ending mug of tea tentatively awaiting their turn, they are recognising that I don't much go with the same flow, since I'm forever looking up the Concise Oxford Dictionary only to find that their so called word doesn't actually exist. Despite the low temperatures of late, my blood attempts to boil (attempts I said!). Actually set into Scrabbulous, on line, is a dictionary validation system which has frequently refused my placement of tiles upon the board so I know there is a 'standard' but only this morning when I realised I am on the cusp of losing yet another few games to players who play words like QIS and AAH as well as a never ending assortment of others which are clearly validated by the Scrabbulous Almighty dictionary. I decided to get to the bottom of where these words come from. Lo and behold its all down to SOWPODS! Yes I know, SOWPODS I can hear you question? Have you ever heard of it? I certainly hadn't until this very hour. So now I know, there, somewhere in-amongst the world of scrabble players is the INTERNATIONALLY ACCEPTED DICTIONARY of SOWPODS. And all these years I have been convinced that The Oxford English was THE DICTIONARY. Then again I've never had the opportunity to play games with my Asian and Australasian brothers and sisters so maybe, just maybe, I am behaving naively. Now, more appropriately armed with my list of endless two letter words - with meanings, I can go forward and improve my stats! If the urge to pitch your articulate wits against me still stands, beware dear friends, for I am now fully armed and ready for battle! :-)