How Many Words...

[Rik]

Rik, the words are but a hyphen isn't in our alphabet.

Acorn

I would say that hyphenated words are not allowed.

[ss-kalm]

Maybe on this forum only, we can get away with ...

XAR

FORTY (was the first!)
ABET - ABHORS - ABORT - ADEPT - ADOPT - AGLOW - AIR - ALMOST - BEFIT - BEGIN - BEGINS - BELOW - BELT - BENT - BEST - BIJOUX - BOP - BOX - CHIMPS - CHINTZ - DEFY - DEHORT - DEITY - DELTA - DENY - DERV - DIMS - DIRTY - DORA - DRAB - EGAD - EGO - EGOS - ELM - ELMS - EL - EM - EMO - EMPTY - EMU - EN - END - ENVY - ERA - ERST - ETA - EVAC - GILT - GLAD - GLOVE - GLOW - GRAB - GRACE- HI - HIDE - HIJAB - HINZE - HORDE - HORSE - HOSTA - IMP - INCH - IOTA - IRE - JOB - KEG - KNOB - KNOT - KNOW - KOA - KOB - KORA - KORAI - LAB - LAD - LEG - LOACH - LOAD - LOCK - LOG - LOPE - LORD - LOST - LOUD - LOVE - LOW - LUCK - MAD - MAIL - MOCK - MODEL - MORAL - MOREL - MORSEL - MORTAL - MOST - MOTH - MUCH- MUCK - MUD - NAIL - NIGH - NOCK - NOEL - NOPAL - NOPE - NORSE - NORTH - NOTE - NOVAE - NOVEL - NUDE - ODIN - OPEN - ORACH - OUCH - OVEN - OVAL - OWL - PACK - PACE - PALM - PEG - PIN - PRAM - PRIM - PRUDE - PSALM - PSYCHO - PUCE - PUCK - QUACK - RACK - RADIO - RAJ - RAMP - RUB - RUDE - SAD - SAILOR - SAIL - STAB - STACK - STAMP - STAR - STEM - STOP - STUCK - STUDIO - STUDY - STUMP - SUE - SWAB - SWAG - SWAMP - SWAN - SWAP - SWIM - TACHI - TACKS - TAGS - TAIL - TAILORS - TAMPS - TAP - TENOR - THIN - TINS - TOR - TUBER - TUBERS - TUCKS - TUDORS - TUG - TUMORS - TUX - TWAIN - TWIN - UART - UP - UZBEKS - VAMP - WADERS - WAFT -WHILST - WHIM - WHIST - XAR - XI - XU - YACHT - YAM - YELP - YES - YET - YOU - ZIP

Disallow this and go back to "X" if you wish ... but at least we all know what a XAR is!

[Rik]

Rik, the words are but a hyphen isn't in our alphabet.

Acorn

Yeah!
This is a difficult one to pass judgement on.
For example, X-RAY is in the Oxford Dictionary, but, it would be difficult to use it in a crossword. I'm not using a crossword as a yard-stick to measure the standards of what a word should be, but, I don't think I've seen hyphenated words in a crossword puzzle.

And, yet, X-RAY is definitely in the Oxford Dictionary.
(See the pic below)
Why not let others vote on it?

[ss-kalm]

Doesn't really matter anyway Rik.

You can't make XRAY anyway. You can't get back to the A and the Y. You can only use the A on the second pass and even worse, would have to make a third pass to get back to the Y.

XYZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVW ...... XYZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVW ......XYZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVW

Having said that, if Acorn has a word that works, even with an apostrophe or hyphen, I have no problem it being allowed as long as the letters meet the criteria.

For example, X-RAY is in the Oxford Dictionary, but, it would be difficult to use it in a crossword. I'm not using a crossword as a yard-stick to measure the standards of what a word should be, but, I don't think I've seen hyphenated words in a crossword puzzle.

I have seen XRAY used in crosswords many times.

[Rik]

Doesn't really matter anyway Rik.

You can't make XRAY anyway. You can't get back to the A and the Y. You can only use the A on the second pass and even worse, would have to make a third pass to get back to the Y.

XYZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVW ...... XYZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVW ......XYZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVW

Having said that, if Acorn has a word that works, even with an apostrophe or hyphen, I have no problem it being allowed as long as the letters meet the criteria.



I have seen XRAY used in crosswords many times.

Hi Keith.
I was just using the word 'X-RAY' as an example of a hyphenated word, which is in the dictionary.

[ss-kalm]

Yeah, I realised that after I'd started writing ... but thought I'd post it anyway.

[Acorn]

Maybe on this forum only, we can get away with ...

... XAR should be a fail under Rule 7. So Rule 9 it is.

Acorn

[ss-kalm]

So back to the BOX that Julia posted, and as Acorn postulated, probably "B" as per Rule 9.

FORTY (was the first!)
ABET - ABHORS - ABORT - ADEPT - ADOPT - AGLOW - AIR - ALMOST - BEFIT - BEGIN - BEGINS - BELOW - BELT - BENT - BEST - BIJOUX - BOP - BOX - CHIMPS - CHINTZ - DEFY - DEHORT - DEITY - DELTA - DENY - DERV - DIMS - DIRTY - DORA - DRAB - EGAD - EGO - EGOS - ELM - ELMS - EL - EM - EMO - EMPTY - EMU - EN - END - ENVY - ERA - ERST - ETA - EVAC - GILT - GLAD - GLOVE - GLOW - GRAB - GRACE- HI - HIDE - HIJAB - HINZE - HORDE - HORSE - HOSTA - IMP - INCH - IOTA - IRE - JOB - KEG - KNOB - KNOT - KNOW - KOA - KOB - KORA - KORAI - LAB - LAD - LEG - LOACH - LOAD - LOCK - LOG - LOPE - LORD - LOST - LOUD - LOVE - LOW - LUCK - MAD - MAIL - MOCK - MODEL - MORAL - MOREL - MORSEL - MORTAL - MOST - MOTH - MUCH- MUCK - MUD - NAIL - NIGH - NOCK - NOEL - NOPAL - NOPE - NORSE - NORTH - NOTE - NOVAE - NOVEL - NUDE - ODIN - OPEN - ORACH - OUCH - OVEN - OVAL - OWL - PACK - PACE - PALM - PEG - PIN - PRAM - PRIM - PRUDE - PSALM - PSYCHO - PUCE - PUCK - QUACK - RACK - RADIO - RAJ - RAMP - RUB - RUDE - SAD - SAILOR - SAIL - STAB - STACK - STAMP - STAR - STEM - STOP - STUCK - STUDIO - STUDY - STUMP - SUE - SWAB - SWAG - SWAMP - SWAN - SWAP - SWIM - TACHI - TACKS - TAGS - TAIL - TAILORS - TAMPS - TAP - TENOR - THIN - TINS - TOR - TUBER - TUBERS - TUCKS - TUDORS - TUG - TUMORS - TUX - TWAIN - TWIN - UART - UP - UZBEKS - VAMP - WADERS - WAFT -WHILST - WHIM - WHIST - XI - XU - YACHT - YAM - YELP - YES - YET - YOU - ZIP

[Gorgon]

XIV

Do we have an official position on Roman numerals? XIV is in the dictionary (but displays as fourteen). I see acronyms have been allowed in the past, but abbreviations have not, so I am half expecting it to be ejected. I have not added it to the list, to save time deleting it.

[Rik]

XIV

Do we have an official position on Roman numerals? XIV is in the dictionary (but displays as fourteen). I see acronyms have been allowed in the past, but abbreviations have not, so I am half expecting it to be ejected. I have not added it to the list, to save time deleting it.

I have no issues with Roman Numerals.
The only thing being, a Roman Numeral starting with 'X', the endings are 'I', 'V', 'X', 'C'. If my math is correct?!

So, I'll leave it open to the others to comment on the use of Roman Numerals.