Strongly worded letters!

Another beautiful day in Dublin.

Today, feeling better, I'm outside in the sun.  But I'm not reading.  I'm playing Scrabble.  On my iPad. A bit of a favourite passtime in our family.  No matter the age or spelling ability (ahem!) many an evening has been spent 'passing and playing'.  But we don't just use technology to play.  We do still take out the board on occasion and sit around a well used table and pour over the dismal letters we have drawn out of the well worn red velvet bag... (sometimes, we pour a drink too, but only when the players are of age of course).

It can get quite competitive. Words are frequently challenged, and time wasting tactics are frowned upon.  Loudly.  And as for leaving a triple letter score open for my Mother, especially when she has a
'Q' in her possession, well that's is a hanging offence.

So, out in the sunshine, the computer as my opponent (due to the lack of Brennan's available at the time) I was a bit behind.  But not to worry, I like a challenge.  A few minutes spent thinking and I got a 'Z' in on a double letter!  That put me slightly ahead, I'm on the up!  Not many letters left now, but I spot an opportunity to make a word and get rid of all my letters in one go.  And it had a triple letter and a double word tile which would give me a score of 35 and make me the winner. Woo Hoo!

I place my letters, press play and wait for the computer to add up my score and to say congratulations to me.  But wait..

That annoying white box, which tells you that your word is incorrect has popped up!!  What?

John McEnroe is shouting in my ears.  "YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS".

I checked my spelling! That's how you spell the word, I should know, it would be very embarrassing if I couldn't spell it.  I feel a strongly worded (excuse the pun) letter to the Scrabble people forming in my head.  How can a game that lets you put in words like zo and za not allow this word?

I tried again, just in case (dodgey spelling ability in mind). Placing the letters carefully, making sure I hadn't put them in the wrong way round in my excitement the last time.  Pressed play, watched the computer counting up to 35, held my breath, victory was in my grasp.  No!!  Again the little white box popped up.  This time I read very carefully what the pop up box said.  It read:

"Sorry, this word does not appear in the English dictionary. Please try again."

John McEnroe is shouting even louder...

The word I placed on the board??  It was the word IRISH!!