A Couple of Wordsmiths

I'm playing Scrabble with my husband and sister-in-law. They are kicking my tail for the billionth time in a row.

It's not so bad to be beaten by my sister-in-law. After all we both have English degrees, and while I immerse myself daily in Corduroy and the Backyardigans, she actually uses her degree teaching a future generation of students. But to lose to my husband, who'd never read a full length novel until he met me in college? That's just sad.

And while I'm able to lose and still enjoy myself, it would be fun to be in the lead.

Just for a few minutes.

I glance at my tiles and an idea comes to mind. A word that would use all of my letters, hit a triple word spot, and net me about 80 points, placing me squarely in the lead.

I place my tiles.



My husband laughs, "Redenied?"

"That's not a real word", my sister-in-law chimes in.

I'm stunned. It sounded so good in my head, and I can use it in a sentence.

"Well what do you call it when someone is denied for a loan, they reapply, and they are denied again." My logic is fool-proof. Those points are in the bag.

"I challenge it", my husband says.

"Me too", my sister-in-law adds, because she's a traitor to womankind.

It is looked up.

It is not a word.

Not only do I lose all of those points, but I lose my turn.

And I ultimately lose the game.

So I pout, act like a baby, and plot my revenge.

The next night my sister-in-law puts this word on the board.




As in "the lurchy man was redenied for a loan".

Ah, revenge is sweet.

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