Scrabble adds Gen Z slang ‘yeet’, ‘grammable’ and more to the game

Millennial wordsmiths may soon be stuck with updated Scrabble vocabulary as Gen Z’s modern lingo becomes acceptable for use in the board game.

In the first major update in four years, Collins – the creators of the Scrabble dictionary – have added 2,000 new words to the game’s lexicon, including terminology commonly used by younger generations that could spark controversy at your next game night.

Among the new words, which can be used in club and tournament games starting January 1, are “eet”; “nibling,” a gender-neutral term for nieces and nephews; “flood”; and “grammable,” as in something fit for Instagram.

Repetitions of “boujee” — “boujier,” “boujiest,” “bougie,” “bougier” and “bougiest” — are also included in the new set of words, as are “amirite” — as in, “am I right? ” – and “bacne”, a combination of “back acne”.

“For Scrabble enthusiasts, a new edition of Collins Scrabble Words is like Christmas morning,” Chris Lipe, a chairman of the World English Language Scrabble Association (WESPA), said in a statement.

“New words mean exciting new challenges and new opportunities at every turn.”

Other new words beyond the scope of Gen Z include words commonly used in everyday language that have appeared in recent years or were never included despite their popularity, such as “covid”, “anyhoo”, “headbutt”, “thingie ” and “autofill”.

“From three-letter gems like ack and int to high-scoring ones like qameez and zonkey, tournament and casual players can now add many new words to their arsenal of potential game-winners,” said Collins Dictionaries managing editor Mary O’Neill in a. statement.

While this marks the first significant addition to Scrabble’s vocabulary in years, new slang has been sprinkled into the game’s vocabulary from time to time. But just as words can be added, they can also be removed, as in 2020 when more than 200 swear words and offensive words were removed from the official dictionary.

Earlier this year, Scrabble also introduced a less competitive, scoreless version of the game, though it’s only available overseas.

“Scrabble has truly stood the test of time as one of the most popular board games in history, and we want to ensure that the game continues to be inclusive for all players,” Ray Adler, Mattel’s vice president, previously said. global head of gaming. Post office.

“For anyone who’s ever thought ‘word games aren’t for me’, or feels a little intimidated by the classic game, Scrabble Together mode is an ideal option.”