Word Zendo

[LAT]

Hear hear!

Goodwill to all wild animals including Giraffes, purple rabbits, and hairy raisins

[SparkOut]

Well, it's not "my" game, we all play it, but there does need to be some general convention - which is why there's a long and detailed introductory post explaining things (which has evolved slightly as things have gone on). Ignoring that convention when master is like a cricketer saying "well, when you were in bat, that was how you played it, but now I'm batsman the rule is that everything is a no ball unless it's left arm over, and I'm allowed to stop the ball with my pads." Well maybe not quite like that, but it is the duty of every master/mistress to interpret appropriately and fairly, according to convention, and I believe acceptable to the majority.

Convention says green and red highlights are acceptable indicators of the worth of suggested words, but students also should strive to make an explicit indication in the phraseology. There's no good reason to deny giraffe a choir place in this case.

[giraffe]

The giraffe in question can't sing, so would probably not make much contribution to the choir.

[LAT]

[kathlyn]

well said bunny (on previous page)

[kingsley]

Hear hear!

Goodwill to all wild animals including Giraffes, purple rabbits, and hairy raisins

What about lions who are football mascots?!

[Bunnylump]

Oh yes, those too!

P.S. Sorry if I got a bit grumpy earlier, folks! I am officially a grumpy old woman. But I still think green and red is fine, or wordy explanations are fine too.

What's that awful noise -is that what giraffes sound like when they sing??

[LAT]

Oh definitely Lion football mascots.

Do you have a reason for supporting Reading?

[Cenwulf]

Season of goodwill?
Just because I make one tiny variation to how the words are judged everyone seems to get in contact with their own inner Grumpy Old Man or Woman.
Please forgive me if I go a bit Scrooge-like and say 'Bah humbug' (Mr Narky must be affecting me) but that's how things seem to be going.

We all have our own quirks, so please don't get all uptight with my Anglo-Saxon attitudes.

[SparkOut]

You seem to have started with the inner Grumpy in the first place. I don't wish to get uptight with your "Anglo-Saxon" attitudes, but
1)

Well, you are entitled to your opinion, even though you are not the current master.

is not a very accommodating position to take, especially when
2) to take that position is actually exceeding authority as master. The game still has rules and conventions which the master is duty bound to recognise, and treat all players fairly.
It is disingenuous to suggest that it is everyone else who is grumpy and causing your reaction (especially when nobody has actually been grumpy towards you, and it is really only me who has actually done anything more than humour you along the way, and that only to point out that the game is to be played according to the way it is intended, not at the whim of any individual).

Nevertheless, let it be said that I strongly encourage all students to make explicit wording in the phraseology of their suggestions, such that "does the Buddha like A or B?" should be replaced by "does the Buddha like A in preference to B?" or "does the Buddha approve of A but not B?" and not rely only on colour to highlight the words suggested as worthy and unworthy.

[scarletannie]

Er- any chance of the game continuing?

Would the Master prefer a white flag raised to a white handkerchief?

[Bunnylump]

Or would he prefer concord to discord?

[Laura]

Would the master like to take these lovely furry gloves to the Buddah, as I fear he wouldn't be able to move his fingers properly in mittens?

[kingsley]

Would the budda write his Christmas list with a pen to a pencil?

Do you have a reason for supporting Reading?

Yes, I was born there, as was fernando, and I have supported them for about 3 years, ever since I noticed they were in the news for being promoted to the Premiership.

[Cenwulf]

Novice scarletannie, the Buddha prefers the handkerchief to the flag.
Novice Bunnylump, the Buddha approves of concord but does not frown on discord, which is fortunate as we seem to have both of them going on.
Novice Laura, the Buddha prefers the mittens to the gloves.
Novice kingsley, the Buddha definitely prefers to use a pen, and would never dream of writing with a pencil (or to a pencil - he wouldn't get a reply ).

And while Scurra will get a seasonal greeting this year, SparkOut has dropped off the Buddha's Christmas card list.

[Cenwulf]

I seem to have forgotten to bring this over.

Now hearken to the wisdom of the Buddha.
With the festive season just around the corner, the Buddha has been contemplating the decorations. He approves of the tree, which symbolically points to heaven, but dislikes the habit of putting lights on it, as candles would be better. He admires the smooth-leaved ivy but finds that the holly is too prickly.

Buddha's Christmas crackers
bread; candles; card; concord; custard; discord; handkerchief; internet; ivy; mittens; newspaper; pen; reverent; Scurra; shed; The Times; tree

Buddha's prize turkeys
cranberry; cream; flag; gloves; holly; holy; igloo; lights; pencil; present; SparkOut; stuffing; The Daily Telegraph; turkey

Buddha's carol singers
evilkeen
kingsley

[evilkeen]

Good master, I would like to suggest that the Buddha likes only words which do not mix ascenders and descenders in the same word (assuming that the dot of an 'i' does not count as an ascender, else he would not like ivy).

[Cenwulf]

Er..... close, but not a bullseye.
Perhaps to clarify matters I should say that the Buddha likes custard but not cream.

[Scurra]

Good Master, the word "custard" appears to conform to student Evilkeen's proposed rule (it does not mix ascenders and descenders) and therefore does not invalidate it. However, I can also see that it may be impossible for you to propose a word which both invalidates that suggested rule whilst still conforming to the intended one...

[Cenwulf]

It is actually the cream which invalidates the rule, as this word does not mix ascenders and descenders either.