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The Backwords Dictionary: A Word Ending Dictionary (Third Edition)

by Richard D Ekstrom
Paperback |English |0983375917 | 9780983375913

The Backwords Dictionary: A Word Ending Dictionary (Third Edition)

by Richard D Ekstrom
Paperback |English |0983375917 | 9780983375913
Overview
This dictionary was written primarily to enhance the enjoyment in playing the game of Scrabble® and Words with Friends®, although poets, rhymers, players of crossword puzzles and other word games may also find it useful.In our family, Scrabble is a game we play for our enjoyment and amusement. As such, we are not opposed to modifying the rules to increase our enjoyment. For example, we might modify the number of tiles each player might have. Less experienced players would have more; while more experienced players would have less. This is an especially helpful practice when playing with an exchange student whose English is developing. At other times, if we want a fast game, every player will play with extra tiles, perhaps nine or ten.And, we enjoy playing with a dictionary. We use a dictionary not because we want to challenge our opponent, but because we want to learn new words, find the perfect fit for a triple word score, reduce frustration when our memories are working slowly, and we've just come to enjoy playing that way.The design for this dictionary evolved over a period of years. I kept notes on the size of words we typically made, what kind of situations posed difficulties in finding words, and great scoring opportunities missed.There were four major observations.First, as casual players, we rarely created words in a single turn which were more than five letters long in total, unless it was done with a prefix such as ex, de, re, pre or un, or a suffix such as ed, ing, s or y. At the same time, most dictionaries are filled with lots of words longer than five letters. This causes visual clutter which is not only time consuming, but makes it harder to find words you might be able to actually use. In addition, the probability of being able to make some words is extremely small, for example, zyzzyva (a tropical weevil). The odds of having the only z, both y's, both blanks (for the other two z's), and a v is astronomical. This, of course, is an extreme example, and The Backwords Dictionary has its share of improbables, but by limiting the dictionary to words with a maximum of five letters, it is useful for its purpose.The second observation, and the one for which the dictionary is named, is that about 35-40% of the time, a player wants to create a word ending in a specific letter.This, however, is not the way we traditionally think, and, not to mention, this is not the way dictionaries are sorted. In other words, in many situations, conventional dictionaries are not arranged in an easy to use manner. This dictionary solves that problem by sorting on the last letter of the word. Of course, you will still need a conventional dictionary for the 35-40% of the time you need a word beginning with a specific letter. (The other 20-30% are words where the focus letter is neither the first or the last.)The third observation is that certain letters present special challenges.These are J, Q, X, and Z. These are the highest point value letters and, since there is only one of each, it is natural to want to optimize the opportunity. Hence, each of those letters has a chapter for all the words which have the individual letter, regardless of the position - first, last, or somewhere in the middle.The fourth observation was that often a significant number of points could be scored with just two or three letters.Typically there were two parts to this observation: taking advantage of a difficult to get at multiple value square and, making two or even three words simultaneously. The key is two letter words. They let you fit into tight spots, and, if you can run a couple of them alongside another word, you will often get a surprising number of points. Knowing two letter words is also very valuable at the end of the game when you want to use up your tiles, but don't want to settle for just two points.Purists may reject the idea of using a dictionary, but for us it is a lot of fun.I hope you enjoy the game from this different perspective.Richard EkstromPittsburgh, Pennsylvania
ISBN: 0983375917
ISBN13: 9780983375913
Author: Richard D Ekstrom
Publisher: Toll House Press
Format: Paperback
PublicationDate: 2016-11-17
Language: English
Edition: 3rd
PageCount: 168
Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.42 x 8.5 inches
Weight: 7.84 ounces
This dictionary was written primarily to enhance the enjoyment in playing the game of Scrabble® and Words with Friends®, although poets, rhymers, players of crossword puzzles and other word games may also find it useful.In our family, Scrabble is a game we play for our enjoyment and amusement. As such, we are not opposed to modifying the rules to increase our enjoyment. For example, we might modify the number of tiles each player might have. Less experienced players would have more; while more experienced players would have less. This is an especially helpful practice when playing with an exchange student whose English is developing. At other times, if we want a fast game, every player will play with extra tiles, perhaps nine or ten.And, we enjoy playing with a dictionary. We use a dictionary not because we want to challenge our opponent, but because we want to learn new words, find the perfect fit for a triple word score, reduce frustration when our memories are working slowly, and we've just come to enjoy playing that way.The design for this dictionary evolved over a period of years. I kept notes on the size of words we typically made, what kind of situations posed difficulties in finding words, and great scoring opportunities missed.There were four major observations.First, as casual players, we rarely created words in a single turn which were more than five letters long in total, unless it was done with a prefix such as ex, de, re, pre or un, or a suffix such as ed, ing, s or y. At the same time, most dictionaries are filled with lots of words longer than five letters. This causes visual clutter which is not only time consuming, but makes it harder to find words you might be able to actually use. In addition, the probability of being able to make some words is extremely small, for example, zyzzyva (a tropical weevil). The odds of having the only z, both y's, both blanks (for the other two z's), and a v is astronomical. This, of course, is an extreme example, and The Backwords Dictionary has its share of improbables, but by limiting the dictionary to words with a maximum of five letters, it is useful for its purpose.The second observation, and the one for which the dictionary is named, is that about 35-40% of the time, a player wants to create a word ending in a specific letter.This, however, is not the way we traditionally think, and, not to mention, this is not the way dictionaries are sorted. In other words, in many situations, conventional dictionaries are not arranged in an easy to use manner. This dictionary solves that problem by sorting on the last letter of the word. Of course, you will still need a conventional dictionary for the 35-40% of the time you need a word beginning with a specific letter. (The other 20-30% are words where the focus letter is neither the first or the last.)The third observation is that certain letters present special challenges.These are J, Q, X, and Z. These are the highest point value letters and, since there is only one of each, it is natural to want to optimize the opportunity. Hence, each of those letters has a chapter for all the words which have the individual letter, regardless of the position - first, last, or somewhere in the middle.The fourth observation was that often a significant number of points could be scored with just two or three letters.Typically there were two parts to this observation: taking advantage of a difficult to get at multiple value square and, making two or even three words simultaneously. The key is two letter words. They let you fit into tight spots, and, if you can run a couple of them alongside another word, you will often get a surprising number of points. Knowing two letter words is also very valuable at the end of the game when you want to use up your tiles, but don't want to settle for just two points.Purists may reject the idea of using a dictionary, but for us it is a lot of fun.I hope you enjoy the game from this different perspective.Richard EkstromPittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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If your package has been delivered in a PO Box, please note that we are not responsible for any damage that may result (consequences of extreme temperatures, theft, etc.). 

If you have any questions regarding shipping or want to know about the status of an order, please contact us or email to support@stevensbooks.com.

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  • Downloadable software products
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Overview
This dictionary was written primarily to enhance the enjoyment in playing the game of Scrabble® and Words with Friends®, although poets, rhymers, players of crossword puzzles and other word games may also find it useful.In our family, Scrabble is a game we play for our enjoyment and amusement. As such, we are not opposed to modifying the rules to increase our enjoyment. For example, we might modify the number of tiles each player might have. Less experienced players would have more; while more experienced players would have less. This is an especially helpful practice when playing with an exchange student whose English is developing. At other times, if we want a fast game, every player will play with extra tiles, perhaps nine or ten.And, we enjoy playing with a dictionary. We use a dictionary not because we want to challenge our opponent, but because we want to learn new words, find the perfect fit for a triple word score, reduce frustration when our memories are working slowly, and we've just come to enjoy playing that way.The design for this dictionary evolved over a period of years. I kept notes on the size of words we typically made, what kind of situations posed difficulties in finding words, and great scoring opportunities missed.There were four major observations.First, as casual players, we rarely created words in a single turn which were more than five letters long in total, unless it was done with a prefix such as ex, de, re, pre or un, or a suffix such as ed, ing, s or y. At the same time, most dictionaries are filled with lots of words longer than five letters. This causes visual clutter which is not only time consuming, but makes it harder to find words you might be able to actually use. In addition, the probability of being able to make some words is extremely small, for example, zyzzyva (a tropical weevil). The odds of having the only z, both y's, both blanks (for the other two z's), and a v is astronomical. This, of course, is an extreme example, and The Backwords Dictionary has its share of improbables, but by limiting the dictionary to words with a maximum of five letters, it is useful for its purpose.The second observation, and the one for which the dictionary is named, is that about 35-40% of the time, a player wants to create a word ending in a specific letter.This, however, is not the way we traditionally think, and, not to mention, this is not the way dictionaries are sorted. In other words, in many situations, conventional dictionaries are not arranged in an easy to use manner. This dictionary solves that problem by sorting on the last letter of the word. Of course, you will still need a conventional dictionary for the 35-40% of the time you need a word beginning with a specific letter. (The other 20-30% are words where the focus letter is neither the first or the last.)The third observation is that certain letters present special challenges.These are J, Q, X, and Z. These are the highest point value letters and, since there is only one of each, it is natural to want to optimize the opportunity. Hence, each of those letters has a chapter for all the words which have the individual letter, regardless of the position - first, last, or somewhere in the middle.The fourth observation was that often a significant number of points could be scored with just two or three letters.Typically there were two parts to this observation: taking advantage of a difficult to get at multiple value square and, making two or even three words simultaneously. The key is two letter words. They let you fit into tight spots, and, if you can run a couple of them alongside another word, you will often get a surprising number of points. Knowing two letter words is also very valuable at the end of the game when you want to use up your tiles, but don't want to settle for just two points.Purists may reject the idea of using a dictionary, but for us it is a lot of fun.I hope you enjoy the game from this different perspective.Richard EkstromPittsburgh, Pennsylvania
ISBN: 0983375917
ISBN13: 9780983375913
Author: Richard D Ekstrom
Publisher: Toll House Press
Format: Paperback
PublicationDate: 2016-11-17
Language: English
Edition: 3rd
PageCount: 168
Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.42 x 8.5 inches
Weight: 7.84 ounces
This dictionary was written primarily to enhance the enjoyment in playing the game of Scrabble® and Words with Friends®, although poets, rhymers, players of crossword puzzles and other word games may also find it useful.In our family, Scrabble is a game we play for our enjoyment and amusement. As such, we are not opposed to modifying the rules to increase our enjoyment. For example, we might modify the number of tiles each player might have. Less experienced players would have more; while more experienced players would have less. This is an especially helpful practice when playing with an exchange student whose English is developing. At other times, if we want a fast game, every player will play with extra tiles, perhaps nine or ten.And, we enjoy playing with a dictionary. We use a dictionary not because we want to challenge our opponent, but because we want to learn new words, find the perfect fit for a triple word score, reduce frustration when our memories are working slowly, and we've just come to enjoy playing that way.The design for this dictionary evolved over a period of years. I kept notes on the size of words we typically made, what kind of situations posed difficulties in finding words, and great scoring opportunities missed.There were four major observations.First, as casual players, we rarely created words in a single turn which were more than five letters long in total, unless it was done with a prefix such as ex, de, re, pre or un, or a suffix such as ed, ing, s or y. At the same time, most dictionaries are filled with lots of words longer than five letters. This causes visual clutter which is not only time consuming, but makes it harder to find words you might be able to actually use. In addition, the probability of being able to make some words is extremely small, for example, zyzzyva (a tropical weevil). The odds of having the only z, both y's, both blanks (for the other two z's), and a v is astronomical. This, of course, is an extreme example, and The Backwords Dictionary has its share of improbables, but by limiting the dictionary to words with a maximum of five letters, it is useful for its purpose.The second observation, and the one for which the dictionary is named, is that about 35-40% of the time, a player wants to create a word ending in a specific letter.This, however, is not the way we traditionally think, and, not to mention, this is not the way dictionaries are sorted. In other words, in many situations, conventional dictionaries are not arranged in an easy to use manner. This dictionary solves that problem by sorting on the last letter of the word. Of course, you will still need a conventional dictionary for the 35-40% of the time you need a word beginning with a specific letter. (The other 20-30% are words where the focus letter is neither the first or the last.)The third observation is that certain letters present special challenges.These are J, Q, X, and Z. These are the highest point value letters and, since there is only one of each, it is natural to want to optimize the opportunity. Hence, each of those letters has a chapter for all the words which have the individual letter, regardless of the position - first, last, or somewhere in the middle.The fourth observation was that often a significant number of points could be scored with just two or three letters.Typically there were two parts to this observation: taking advantage of a difficult to get at multiple value square and, making two or even three words simultaneously. The key is two letter words. They let you fit into tight spots, and, if you can run a couple of them alongside another word, you will often get a surprising number of points. Knowing two letter words is also very valuable at the end of the game when you want to use up your tiles, but don't want to settle for just two points.Purists may reject the idea of using a dictionary, but for us it is a lot of fun.I hope you enjoy the game from this different perspective.Richard EkstromPittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Books - New and Used

The following guidelines apply to books:

  • New: A brand-new copy with cover and original protective wrapping intact. Books with markings of any kind on the cover or pages, books marked as "Bargain" or "Remainder," or with any other labels attached, may not be listed as New condition.
  • Used - Good: All pages and cover are intact (including the dust cover, if applicable). Spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting. May include "From the library of" labels. Shrink wrap, dust covers, or boxed set case may be missing. Item may be missing bundled media.
  • Used - Acceptable: All pages and the cover are intact, but shrink wrap, dust covers, or boxed set case may be missing. Pages may include limited notes, highlighting, or minor water damage but the text is readable. Item may but the dust cover may be missing. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting, but the text cannot be obscured or unreadable.

Note: Some electronic material access codes are valid only for one user. For this reason, used books, including books listed in the Used – Like New condition, may not come with functional electronic material access codes.

Shipping Fees

  • Stevens Books offers FREE SHIPPING everywhere in the United States for ALL non-book orders, and $3.99 for each book.
  • Packages are shipped from Monday to Friday.
  • No additional fees and charges.

Delivery Times

The usual time for processing an order is 24 hours (1 business day), but may vary depending on the availability of products ordered. This period excludes delivery times, which depend on your geographic location.

Estimated delivery times:

  • Standard Shipping: 5-8 business days
  • Expedited Shipping: 3-5 business days

Shipping method varies depending on what is being shipped.  

Tracking
All orders are shipped with a tracking number. Once your order has left our warehouse, a confirmation e-mail with a tracking number will be sent to you. You will be able to track your package at all times. 

Damaged Parcel
If your package has been delivered in a PO Box, please note that we are not responsible for any damage that may result (consequences of extreme temperatures, theft, etc.). 

If you have any questions regarding shipping or want to know about the status of an order, please contact us or email to support@stevensbooks.com.

You may return most items within 30 days of delivery for a full refund.

To be eligible for a return, your item must be unused and in the same condition that you received it. It must also be in the original packaging.

Several types of goods are exempt from being returned. Perishable goods such as food, flowers, newspapers or magazines cannot be returned. We also do not accept products that are intimate or sanitary goods, hazardous materials, or flammable liquids or gases.

Additional non-returnable items:

  • Gift cards
  • Downloadable software products
  • Some health and personal care items

To complete your return, we require a tracking number, which shows the items which you already returned to us.
There are certain situations where only partial refunds are granted (if applicable)

  • Book with obvious signs of use
  • CD, DVD, VHS tape, software, video game, cassette tape, or vinyl record that has been opened
  • Any item not in its original condition, is damaged or missing parts for reasons not due to our error
  • Any item that is returned more than 30 days after delivery

Items returned to us as a result of our error will receive a full refund,some returns may be subject to a restocking fee of 7% of the total item price, please contact a customer care team member to see if your return is subject. Returns that arrived on time and were as described are subject to a restocking fee.

Items returned to us that were not the result of our error, including items returned to us due to an invalid or incomplete address, will be refunded the original item price less our standard restocking fees.

If the item is returned to us for any of the following reasons, a 15% restocking fee will be applied to your refund total and you will be asked to pay for return shipping:

  • Item(s) no longer needed or wanted.
  • Item(s) returned to us due to an invalid or incomplete address.
  • Item(s) returned to us that were not a result of our error.

You should expect to receive your refund within four weeks of giving your package to the return shipper, however, in many cases you will receive a refund more quickly. This time period includes the transit time for us to receive your return from the shipper (5 to 10 business days), the time it takes us to process your return once we receive it (3 to 5 business days), and the time it takes your bank to process our refund request (5 to 10 business days).

If you need to return an item, please Contact Us with your order number and details about the product you would like to return. We will respond quickly with instructions for how to return items from your order.


Shipping Cost


We'll pay the return shipping costs if the return is a result of our error (you received an incorrect or defective item, etc.). In other cases, you will be responsible for paying for your own shipping costs for returning your item. Shipping costs are non-refundable. If you receive a refund, the cost of return shipping will be deducted from your refund.

Depending on where you live, the time it may take for your exchanged product to reach you, may vary.

If you are shipping an item over $75, you should consider using a trackable shipping service or purchasing shipping insurance. We don’t guarantee that we will receive your returned item.

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