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Journalism of Courage
As Scrabble turns 60, we check out what makes the board game so popular
In a time when a new toy has the 8216;ability8217; to hold the attention of a child only for a few minutes, this one sure has stood the test of time. Scrabble has not only fascinated generations for 60 years, it has become their companion for life.
The brainchild of an under-employed architect Alfred Mosher Butts in the Great Depression, 8220;Scrabble is the perfect pastime in these strained times,8221; chirps Rajiv Kohli, a businessman, who on the 60th birthday of the board game on December 16 organised a small Scrabble party. 8220;It8217;s makes you think and destress too,8221; says Kohli, adding that the game is at hand in 121 countries, 29 languages and appeals to his friends internationally.
8220;Besides, the 15-by-15 grid board game does not need any hi-tech knowledge or heavy financial investment,8221; says Sonia Wadhawa, a homemaker, who feels this is amongst the few games that a family can play together. Designed to improve and test vocabulary, 8220;it helps me learn and retain new words,8221; smiles Arnav Jain, a Class I student of Vivek High School, who is happy to take to the game with friend Swapan Sharma, a Class II student of Gurukul School, Panchkula.
The game is now available in many board versions including the original Scrabble, Scramble Scrabble, Travel Scrabble, Pocket Scrabble, Junior Scrabble, My First Scrabble, Deluxe Scrabble, Dora Scrabble, and Simpsons Scrabble among others, 8220;the online version on pogo.com is the tops,8221; says Abhinav Ahuja, a third-year student of Rayat Institute of Engineering and Technology, who also is a regular on Facebook8217;s Scrabulous.
With a fan-following of who8217;s who of the world including US President elect Barack Obama and Kylie Minogue, the game now has customized dictionaries like Official Scrabble Players8217; Dictionary and Official Tournament and Club Word List stating as to which words are legal, Vipin of Asia Book Shop, Sector 17, tells us. 8220;Tiles teach better spellings than books. Besides, the game forces one to think and solve problems,8221; says Deepak of Rama Stores, Sector 22, as he shows us a range from Rs 500 to Rs 1,999.
The demand of the game increasing over the years, 8220;thanks to the number of queries that I am getting from parents, I am actually thinking of making a giant Scrabble, like the chess we have,8221; reels Tarun of Kids8217; Own. Isn8217;t that scrabulous!
