Words of Mass Destruction: Part II

Finesse in Scrabble is governed by the single, overarching imperative of score. At its pith, finesse translates into force and is unequivocally embodied by the most august of the power tiles: the Q and the Z. Like rare gems, these singular tiles and their alluring applications in the English vernacular give way to a fascination bordering on obsession. However, these gems are not polished smooth surfaces which serve simply to adorn the board; they are rough, scabrous creations, equally apt to spearhead a massive score as they are to blight the entire board with their presence. The Z and the Q are both boon and blessing and are not to be trifled with.

But maybe that's just the poet in me.

The Q, at first glance, with its symbiotic relationship with the U surely cannot be a weapon. The average person would assume that the U would hamstring the Q and reduce it to such bulky words as QUEUE, QUICHE and QUILT. These words in themselves are capable of clinching sizable scores, but when one discovers that the Q can exist without the U, its full potential is realized. Words such as QI, QAT, QADI, QOPH and FAQIR create a whole new dimension of Q. The number of short Q words is more than one would think, and the repertoire of short Q words is present in the mind of every Scrabble veteran.