Tag dictionary

NATIONAL SCRABBLE DAY

Jensperspectiveblog 2 Comments

Each year on National Scrabble Day April 13th recognizes a game played around the world. Originally named Lexiko and then Criss-Cross Words, Alfred Mosher Butts eventually settled on the name Scrabble. The amateur artist and unemployed architect developed the word game in the midst of the depression. Still, it wasn’t until 1948, a final name change and a trademark that Butts finally began to produce the game.  

Scrabble is played with two to four players who score points by forming words from individual lettered tiles on a game board marked with a 15 x 15 grid.

In the United States, the name Scrabble is a trademark of Hasbro, Inc. Scrabble is sold in 121 countries with 29 different language versions. Worldwide, over One hundred and fifty million sets have been sold with sets being found in nearly one-third of American homes.

  • 1984 – Scrabble became a daytime game show on NBC
  • 2004 – Scrabble was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame
  • Some cities sponsor Scrabble tournaments on the weekend closest to National Scrabble Day
  • The word “scrabble” means to “grope frantically.”

NATIONAL SCRABBLE DAY HISTORY

National Scrabble Day commemorates the birth of Alfred Mosher Butts, born on April 13, 1899. However, our research had not identified the founder of the day. 

Explore More…

HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalScrabbleDay

Call your friends and play a game or two of Scrabble! Mix it up, too. There are several ways to play the game if you want to change things up a bit. For example, if you’re spending time alone, Scrabble solitaire challenges you at your own game of words. Another version allows players to only play nouns but they earn bonus points for playing nouns that are both a proper noun and an approved Scrabble word. 

Once you’ve played a game, take the final board and create a crossword puzzle using this template. Develop hints to the words and see if others can solve the puzzle. 

Do you have fun alternative ways of playing the game? Use #NationalScrabbleDay to post on social media.

Hasbro Gaming Scrabble Board Game,Word Game for Kids Ages 8 and Up,Fun Family Game for 2-4 Players,The Classic Crossword Game#NationalScrabbleDay
Hasbro Gaming Scrabble Board Game,Word Game for Kids Ages 8 and Up,Fun Family Game for 2-4 Players,The Classic Crossword Game
Winning Moves Games Scrabble to Go USA, a Travel Version of The World's Favorite Word Game, for 2 to 4 Players, Ages 8+#NationalScrabbleDay
Winning Moves Games Scrabble to Go USA, a Travel Version of The World’s Favorite Word Game, for 2 to 4 Players, Ages 8+
Monopoly Scrabble Game, Play in UNDER ONE HOUR, Score Your Scrabble Word - Move Your Token, By Winning Moves Games USA, Mash-Up of 2 of the World's Greatest Games, 2 to 4 Players Ages 8+#NationalScrabbleDay
Monopoly Scrabble Game, Play in UNDER ONE HOUR, Score Your Scrabble Word – Move Your Token, By Winning Moves Games USA, Mash-Up of 2 of the World’s Greatest Games, 2 to 4 Players Ages 8+
Hasbro Gaming Scrabble Deluxe Edition (Amazon Exclusive)#NationalScrabbleDay
Hasbro Gaming Scrabble Deluxe Edition (Amazon Exclusive)
WS Game Company Scrabble Deluxe Edition with Rotating Wooden Game Board#NationalScrabbleDay
WS Game Company Scrabble Deluxe Edition with Rotating Wooden Game Board

NATIONAL THESAURUS DAY

Jensperspectiveblog 2 Comments

National Thesaurus Day, on January 18th, honors Peter Mark Roget, the author of Roget’s Thesaurus, who was born on this day in 1779.  

In 1840, Roget retired from a successful career in medicine and spent the rest of his life working on Roget’s Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases. The work was the result of decades of collecting lists of words and categorizing them, much like a scientist would collect specimens. In Roget’s case, he collected words. He first published his thesaurus in 1852. And it was more than a book of synonyms – it was a complete categorization and organization of each word by meaning. 

Since then, poets and writers have used the thesaurus to help make their writing come to life. However, the thesaurus also has its detractors. Some say the thesaurus weakens language and destroys it. 

The Craft of Writing Thesaurus: Writing That Sells Explained Briefly#NationalThesaurusDay
The Craft of Writing Thesaurus: Writing That Sells Explained Briefly
Roget's Thesaurus of Words for Writers: Over 2,300 Emotive, Evocative, Descriptive Synonyms, Antonyms, and Related Terms Every Writer Should Know#NationalThesaurusDay
Roget’s Thesaurus of Words for Writers: Over 2,300 Emotive, Evocative, Descriptive Synonyms, Antonyms, and Related Terms Every Writer Should Know
The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Expression (Second Edition)#NationalThesaurusDay
The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression (Second Edition)
Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus 3rd Edition#NationalThesaurusDay
Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus 3rd Edition

Whether you are looking for a more accurate word or trying to improve your writing, the thesaurus can be your best friend. Expanding your vocabulary increases both written and spoken communication skills, creative writing abilities, and can be helpful in advancing your career.

HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalThesaurusDay

Use a thesaurus to find the right word for your writing. Play a word game to expand your vocabulary. Explore the bookstore and discover a new (or old) thesaurus to page through. Challenge friends to describe each other with as many words as possible without using the thesaurus. Then see how their descriptions improve when they do. Use #NationalThesaurusDay to post on social media.

Hasbro Gaming Scattergories Classic Game, Party Game for Adults and Teens Ages 13 and up, Board Game for 2+ Players#NationalThesaurusDay
Hasbro Gaming Scattergories Classic Game, Party Game for Adults and Teens Ages 13 and up, Board Game for 2+ Players
Word User: Thesaurus Master Unlimited #NationalThesaurusDay
Word User: Thesaurus Master Unlimited
Word to Word (Mega) - A fun and addictive free word association game #NationalThesaurusDay
Word to Word (Mega) – A fun and addictive free word association game
SimplyFun Get 4 and Score - A Communication Game for Kids That Tests Your Memory and Vocabulary Skills! - Educational Learning Game - 2 to 8 Players - for Kids Ages 8 & Up#NationalThesaurusDay
SimplyFun Get 4 and Score – A Communication Game for Kids That Tests Your Memory and Vocabulary Skills! – Educational Learning Game – 2 to 8 Players – for Kids Ages 8 & Up

NATIONAL SCIENCE FICTION DAY

Jensperspectiveblog 1 Comment

National Science Fiction Day promotes the celebration of science fiction as a genre, its creators, history, and various media, too. On January 2nd annually, millions of science fiction fans across the United States read and watch their favorites in science fiction. 

The date of the celebration commemorates the birth of famed science fiction writer Isaac Asimov.  An American author and Boston University professor of biochemistry, Isaac Asimov was born Isaak Yudovich Ozimov on January 2, 1920. He is best known for his works of science fiction and his popular science books. Isaac Asimov, whose works are followed by many, died on April 6, 1992.

National Science Fiction Day is recognized by the Hallmark Channel and the Scholastic Corporation. 

Considered a master of hard science fiction, Asimov, along with Robert A. Heinlein and Arthur C. Clarke, was considered one of the “Big Three” science-fiction writers during his lifetime. Many regard the Foundation Series as Asimov’s most outstanding piece. His other major series are the Galactic Empire Series and the Robot Series.

Some of the successful television shows recognized by science fiction fans include Star Trek-The Next Generation, The X-Files, Battlestar Galactica, Doctor Who, and The Twilight Zone.

As we look back at some older science fiction in our current technology-infused world, how close do the writers come to imaging our futures? Long before Asimov created his first work, humans imagined machines that allowed them to soar like birds. Another man, Leonardo Di Vinci, looked to the future, too. He designed contraptions worthy of the science fiction in his time.

Science fiction impacts life in ways we may not even consider – even those who don’t enjoy reading or watching science fiction. 

NATIONAL SCIENCE FICTION DAY HISTORY

Since at least 2011, science fiction lovers have been honoring Isaac Asimov and other science fiction contributors. In 2013, asimovs.com published a guest editorial by Ed Finn. The writer talks about doomsday predictions while also looking toward the future – all moving toward the true meaning of National Science Fiction Day. Read the complete article, Celebrate National Science Fiction Day by Learning to Live in the Future.

HOW TO OBSERVE #ScienceFictionDay

The day encourages reading or watching science fiction. However, consider exploring science fiction in other ways. For example:

  • Introduce science fiction to an entirely new generation. Offer to read excerpts from your favorite science fiction author to a youth group at a library. 
  • Explore the authors of science fiction you’ve never read before.
  • Study the history of science fiction and how it has impacted modern culture.
  • Share your favorite science fiction story or character. 

Use #ScienceFictionDay to post on social media.

Red Rising#ScienceFictionDay
Red Rising
Station Eleven: A Novel (National Book Award Finalist)#ScienceFictionDay
Station Eleven: A Novel (National Book Award Finalist)
The House at the End of the World #ScienceFictionDay
The House at the End of the World
The Shadow and Bone Trilogy: Shadow and Bone, Siege and Storm, Ruin and Rising #ScienceFictionDay
The Shadow and Bone Trilogy: Shadow and Bone, Siege and Storm, Ruin and Rising
The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder #ScienceFictionDay
The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder
Fairy Tale #ScienceFictionDay
Fairy Tale