The Tel Aviv Scrabble® Club

Club Director: Evan Cohen

Poem of the Week

Every week, a poem composed by Liliane Servier is published here. All words are acceptable for Scrabble play. Great little learning aids!

A week in August

Whereas this very sincere colonel

Cochairs some meeting of arguers

Stating that chanties are no ritornel

And could degenerate into rioting

An airhole swallows hirsute senoras.

World Cup Parroty Aftermath

Having long hesitated between kaka

Amazon, kakapo, paraquito and kea,

Popinjay, lorikeet, lowry and galah,

The soccer fan opted for the rosella:

The poll turned into a live vuvuzela!

DOGS

Bitser, pooch, kurre, brak or goorie

All of them mongrels like the kuri

Never participating in a bobbery

For lack of a prestigious pedigree

Reserved for borzoi, lyam or basenji.

 

bobbery = mixed pack of hunting dogs

borzoi, lyam, basenji = hunting dogs

…tz

A yutz who used to futz and putz

With a ditz who owned a spitz

Shared with him some slivovitz

Quite drunk they reached a krantz

Saw a barometz and were plotz.

 

yutz = fool

futz = to spend time aimlessly

putz = to waste time

ditz = silly person

spitz = dog with long hair

krantz = a precipice

barometz = plant grassing like a lamb

plotz = overwhelmed by emotion

SHT…/…SHT

Only when there was no shtook

And everybody kept shtoom

In the shtetlach, they ate borsht.

Or, following some good shtik

Shtchi was served with gosht.

 

shtook = trouble

shtoom = quiet

shtchi = cabbage soup

gosht = meat

SHM…/…SHM

The shmock loved to shmoose

With the shmuck about shmatte

They were positively shmaltzy

Claiming that pashm was silky

Or evoking the shmek of goose.

 

pashm = fine goat underfleece

 

*Note: There is only one word in the dictionary ending in -SHM!

SHU…/…SHU

The shutterbug drinking samshu

Was surely a shunner of wushu

He favored shunpiking for a shufti

Or having a shuteye in the shuggy.

 

shutterbug = amateur photographer

samshu = Chinese alcoholic drink

wushu = kungfu

shunpike = to travel on sideroads

shuggy = fairground swing

 

* Note, there are only two words in the dictionary ending in -SHU!

SHO…/…SHO

During a shotput around the shott

A camsho shough dared a shotte

To shoogie while playing shogi

And gulping the shonky posho

In order to compete at the basho.

 

shotput = athletic event

shott = saline lake

camsho = crooked

shough = shaggy lapdog

shotte = young pig

shoogie = to swing

shogi = Jap. chess

shonky = illicit

posho = corn meal

basho = sumo tournament

SHI…/…SHI

Having to choose between buzkashi

And shiai the bimbashi said “Imshi!

Rather suggest shinju to your roshi

Send him a shikseh or some shippie

Wearing a shimmey with pink heishi.

They will surely succumb of karoshi.”

 

buzkashi = an Afghani ball game

shiai = a judo contest

bimbashi = Turkish military officer

shinju = double suicide of lovers

roshi = teacher of Zen Buddhism

shippie = prostitute who solicits at ports

shimmey = loose dress

heishi = beads made from shell

karoshi = death caused by overwork

SHE…/…SHE

Sheesh!” exclaimed the sheikha

Hurling her goloshe on a sheila.

“She planned this shenanigan

With her nebbishe of a shearman

Turning the shewel into a tokoloshe!”

 

sheesh = interj. of annoyance

sheila = young woman

shearman = textile worker

shewel = scarecrow

tokoloshe = malevolent mythical animal

SHA…

Shabash! A shagtastic geisha!”

Wearing her shalloon shalwar

She shauchles to the shamiana

To fetch shawm and shamisen

Needed for chanting a shazam.

 

shabash = well done!

shagtastic = sexy (slang)

shalloon = woolen fabric

shalwar = loose-fitting trousers

shauchle = to shuffle

shamiana = a large tent

shawm = woodwind instrument

shamisen = Jap. guitar

shazam = a magic slogan

…SHA

Wishing to attend a tamasha

The geisha took a jinrikisha.

“Musha! This ride for a poisha?

Tobacco needed for my shisha.

Add a bugsha and some kasha”.

 

tamasha = public entertainment

jinrikisha = rickshaw

musha = expressing surprise

poisha = a Bangladesh coin

shisha = hookah

bugsha = buqsha

With W, Y and Z

This sorrily wheezy bizzy

Arrested the frowzy huzzy

Woozily dealing in wizardry

Who claimed to be showbizzy

While hoping for some frawzy.

 

wheezy = affected by wheezing

bizzy = a policeman

frowzy = unkept

frawzy = a special treat

A

A certain abbot at the academia in Arcadia

Suddenly struck by anoopsia and apraxia

Clashed with an albizzia and fell in the acequia.

Sick with agrypnia, astasia and anergia,

He was prescribed a diet of ambrosia

To help him recover his lost ataraxia.

 

anoopsia = a visual defect

apraxia = loss of ability to perform coordinated movements

albizzia = a tropical tree

acequia = irrigation ditch

agrypnia = insomnia

astasia = inability to stand

ataraxia = peace of mind

zy…/…zy

Quite franzy the publican called a bizzy

When a snazzy huzzy offered a groszy

For a double pint of zythum – his doozy!

“Vizy her!” said a floozy: “Is she muzzy?

Isit a zygal in her head? Makes me quazzy.”

 

franzy = cross and peevish

bizzy = a policeman

zythum = ancient Egyptian beer

doozy = an extraordinary one of its kind

vizy = to look at closely

zygal = brain fissure

quazzy = queasy

zu…/…zu

No kaftan but a white kanzu

Instead of kipa a zucchetto

The zaddik played a zufolo

Earned a zuz, bought yuzu

And zucchini in some ponzu.

 

kanzu = long garment

zucchetto = skullcap for clergymen

zufolo = small flute

yuzu = Jap. citrus fruit

ponzu = Jap. Type of sauce

zo…/…zo

Having specialized in zoiatria

The schizo bought a burdizzo

In order to zombify a stray zo.

Held in an abrazo by a sleazo

He could merely babble bizzo.

 

zoiatria = veterinary surgery

burdizzo = a castrating tool

abrazo = an embrace

bizzo = irrelevant talk

oz…/…oz

Ozaena in his schnoz

Was a moz for the ozeki

Promptly sent to the ozzie

And replaced by his coz

In order to remain poz.

 

ozaena = inflammation of nose membrane

moz = a curse

ozeki = sumo wrestling champion

coz = cousin

poz = positive

zi…/…zi

“A ziffius with a ziff in the jacuzzi?

Isit some lazzi between paparazzi

Or much ado about zilch and zippo?”

Affirmed the umfazi to the feminazi

While hiding shyly behind a zimocca.

 

ziffius = sea monster

ziff = beard

lazzi = comic dialogue

umfazi = Afr. married woman

feminazi – militant feminist

zimocca = bath sponge

A week in May

While wheelers and dealers

Drink stiff tequilas in roadeos

Their nemesis cajoles a soldier

Driving some antique hearses

To create a mighty diversion

By defaming their minders.

 

(All are words played on the 3.5.2010, the word in red was word of the week)

ze…/…ze

A zendik who wished to bumbaze

The zealant decided to macarize

A zelatrix imbued with zelotypia.

When nuns strayed in a mizmaze

She pheezed them with mesprize.

 

zendik = unbeliever, heretic

bumbaze = to perplex or puzzle

macarize = to declare to be blessed

zelotypia = morbid zeal

pheeze = to unsettle

mesprize = scorn

Words suited for spring  

To win the heart of a haughty lady

Suitors should refrain from litanies

Rantings or slogans bound to capsize

And reveal only tension and anxiety.

The key to success is light badinage

And garnets hid in fragrant violets.

 

(All are words played on the 26.4.2010, the word in red was word of the week)

 

…ez

“Oyez!” Calls an alferez donning a fez.

“Laydeez wearing a kameez, entrez !”

.“Chez moi, one trez buys you warez.“

“Geez ! Assez cheap“ sez the laydeez

“if you throw in a red fez for our prez.“

 

alferez = a standard bearer

kameez = a loose tunic

entrez = come in!

trez = threepence

warez = illegally copied software

assez = fairly

za…/…za

When a zati banging on a zambomba

Met a guereza playing the zampogna

He invited her to cerveza and dopiaza

Followed by some zabajone and alcorza.

A beautiful start for a bonza romanza!

 

zati = type of macaque

zambomba = drum-like musical instrument

guereza = type of monkey

zampogna = Italian bagpipes

cerveza = beer

dopiaza = an Indian dish

alcorza = a Spanish sweet

az…/…az

There was a mighty razmataz

During the azione when a spaz

Threw at the man playing the saz

An azurn azulejo wrapped in azolla

Shouting he was sent by the spetsnaz.

 

azione = musical drama

spaz = foolish person

saz = a stringed instrument

azulejo = porcelain tile

azolla = water fern

spetsnaz = Soviet intelligence unit

…yu …zu

In order to attend the chanoyu

The kyu had to write a senryu

About ayu cooked with yuzu

Spiced with shoyu and ponzu

And presented on slabs of yu.

 

chanoyu = Jap. tea ceremony

kyu = novice in judo

senryu = Jap. poem

ayu = a small fish

yuzu = Jap. citrus fruit

shoyu = a soy sauce

ponzu = Jap. sauce

yu = precious jade

…tu

Following a séance of makutu

The manitu was rather abattu

When a muntu wearing a tutu

Claimed he was the new aitu

And threw him into a manatu.

 

makutu = Polynesian witchcraft

abattu = dejected

muntu = black African

aitu = Polynesian demigod

manatu = N.Z. shrub

…su

Belonging to a powerful keiretsu

Or, in some cases, to a zaibatsu

Entails regular practice of jujutsu

Or ninjutsu followed by shiatsu

After a meal of masu and tiramisu.

 

keiretsu = a coalition of business groups in Jap.

zaibatsu = a powerful family combine

ninjutsu = a martial art

masu = a Jap. salmon

…ru

This ruru who lived in a bebeeru

Tried so hard to ambush a kereru

That he ended sick with the kuru

Had visions of a ahuru on a grugru

Chatting with a rawaru and a chiru.

 

ruru = a N.Z. owl

bebeeru = a tropical tree

kereru = a N.Z. pigeon

kuru = disease of the nervous system

ahuru = the pink cod

grugru = a palm tree

rawaru = the blue cod

chiru = a Tibetan antelope

…pu

Reigning supreme in his hapu

A certain bapu decided to tapu

The use of any quipu or quippu

As well as catching the kokopu

Or a coypu for cooking the pupu.

 

hapu = Maori subtribe

bapu = spiritual father

tapu = to forbid the use of

quipu/quippu = device to help memory

kokopu = freshwater fish of N.Z.

coypu = aquatic rodent

pupu = Hawaiian dish

…ou

Hearing the froufrou of a boubou

A fou ou saw a vrou at the orihou

Handing her biniou to the sapajou.

“Some thankyou!” said the marabou

To the giggling turacou and tauhou.

 

fou = adj. drunk

ou = a bloke

orihou = a N.Z. tree

biniou = small bagpipe

sapajou = a long-tailed monkey

thankyou = a gift

marabou = an Afr. stork

turacou = an Afr. bird

tauhou = a N.Z. bird

…nu

This former detenu, now parvenu,

Saw an ingenu down on his genu

Picking flowers off the tauhinu

Which he offered to an inconnu

Who came by, chasing the gnu.

 

detenu = a prisoner

genu = the knee

tauhinu = (N.Z.) a flowering shrub

inconnu = unknown person

…mu

It happened once that this mwalimu

Was so keen on practicing tsutsumu

That he wrapped in his own mumu

A tiny namu trapped in the karamu.

 

mwalimu = (Swahili) teacher

tsutsumu = Jap. art of wrapping

mumu = flowing robe

namu = N.Z. sandfly

karamu = a N,Z, small tree

…lu

Bewitched by the impundulu

A balu jumped aboard a zulu

Carrying a cargo of dry calalu

To barter for plu, sulu or pulu.

Alas, the hull was vermoulu.

When they sank, it was voulu!

 

impundulu = mythical bird

balu = bear

zulu = fishing vessel

calalu = edible leave

plu = beaver skin

sulu = Melanisian skirt

pulu = silky fiber

voulu = deliberate

…ku

Honoured guests at the minshuku

Drink their tea in vessels of raku

Listen to gagaku or play gomoku

Perhaps watch nogaku or bunraku.

Their lyric hokku justifies seppuku

When shamefully defeated in juku.

 

In Japan

minshuku = guest house

gagaku = ancient court music

gomoku = a board game

nogaku = type of drama

bunraku = puppet theatre

juku = martial art

…hu, …iu, …ju

Drinking piu and piu samshu

The jehu counted on his juju

But he mistook the sucuruju

For a huhu in piupiu and baju

And a bhikhu gave him buchu

To recover his skill in wushu.

 

samshu = an alcoholic drink

sucuruju = the anaconda

huhu = a N.Z. hairy beetle

piupiu = a flax skirt

baju = a short jacket

bhikhu = a Buddhist monk

buchu = a medicinal plant

wushu = kung fu

…gu

Stung by the kerengu

After chasing a kagu

And catching a tegu

While playing his gu

This careless mzungu

Visiting the umlungu

Had to gobble a fugu.

 

kerengu = a Maori bug

tegu = a lizard

mzungu = white person (E.Afr.)

umlungu = white person (S.Afr.)

…eu, …fu

In a prudish milieu or purlieu

Favouring gym on a priedieu

Wearing pareu in lieu of samfu

Serving madafu in lieu of tofu

Was not a jeu but caused snafu.

 

purlieu = a neighbouring area

priedieu = a kneeler for prayer

samfu = a Chinese woman’s outfit

madafu = coconut milk

jeu = a game

…cu, …du

This eperdu teacher giving an apercu

On exotic fauna caused a malentendu:

The surucucu did not feed on pirarucu

Preferring pudu, tamandu or tucutucu

When it could not find kudu or teledu.

 

eperdu = distracted

surucucu = a snake

piracucu = a large food fish

pudu = a S.Am. deer

tamandu = an anteater

tucutucu = a S.Am. rodent

kudu = a large antelope

teledu = a carnivorous mammal

…bu

Hopping from jambu to ombu

To escape an urubu the ynambu

Saw the zobu courting a cattabu.

“’tis strictly tabu!” said the babu.

 

jambu = the rose-apple tree

ombu = a S.Am. tree

urubu = vulture

ynambu = a S.Am. bird

zobu = male cross of yak and cow

cattabu = cross between cattle and zebu

babu = an Indian gentleman

…au

The hausfrau promised her beau

Who loved to play the berimbau

A cadeau of noyau and cointreau

If he dyed his feldgrau manteau

And chapeau in vibrant ponceau.

 

berimbau = a Brazilian musical instrument

cadeau = a gift

noyau = a flavoured brandy

ponceau = a red dye

…zo

Giving an abrazo to the mestizo

The bozo brandished a burdizzo

Thinking it was gonzo, a ginzo

And a mozo collared the schizo

And threw him on the terrazzo.

 

abrazo = embrace

bozo = dim-witted fellow

burdizzo = castrating tool

gonzo = bizarre

ginzo = person of Italian descent

mozo =manual labourer

…xo, …yo

Meeting his samurais in the arroyo

The daimyo invited them to chanoyo.

It was exo, but they preferred gongyo

Or even watching sumo in the dohyo.

 

chanoyo = Japanese tea ceremony

exo = excellent

gongyo = Buddhist ceremony

dohyo = sumo wrestling ring

…uo, …vo, …wo

At an arvo session of the zemtsvo

During a vivo debate about parvo

Some chechaquo shouted: “Rivo!

We must drink and forget any wo!”

 

arvo = afternoon

zemtsvo = elective council in Russia

parvo = contagious disease of dogs

chechaquo = newcomer

rivo = a drinking cry

…to

With fagotto, sticcato and koto

The terzetto was playing rubato

Turning kwaito into some mento.

As if, ordering one baked boniato

You were served a bizarre pomato.

 

sticcato = a xylophone

koto = a musical instrument

rubato = distorted rhythm

kwaito = S.Afr, pop music

mento = Jamaican form of song

boniato = a sweet potato

pomato = a tomato grafted on a potato

…so

Hiding among the chamiso

This amoroso sang a canso

From giocoso to doloroso 

For his girl stroke her apso

While quaffing oloroso.

 

chamiso = a flowering shrub

canso = a love song

apso = a breed of terrier

oloroso = a dark sherry

…ro

Playing his piffero with estro

An arriero wearing a zamarro

Met a picaro carrying a cuatro.

They sat and shared some churro

Snatched suddenly by a karoro.

 

piffero = a fife

estro = enthusiasm

arriero = a muleteer

zamarro = a sheepskin coat

cuatro = a small guitar

churro = a Mex. Pastry

karoro = a large seagull

…po

A sheepo was given plenipo

To remain fully contempo.

So, frisking a zoppo uptempo

He chased katipo and kakapo

From the raupo and matipo.

 

sheepo = a sheep farm worker

plenipo = complete power

contempo = following the latest fad

zoppo = syncopated

katipo = a N.Z. spider

kakapo = a flightless parrot

raupo = the N.Z. bulrush

matipo = a N.Z. shrub

…oo

This yahoo must be boocoo coocoo!

Wanting to say hooroo in parleyvoo

Paying a razoo for shypoo and samshoo

Daring the wanderoo to play pakapoo

Throwing callaloo, shouting “Jordeloo!”

 

boocoo = large amount (beaucoup)

hooroo = good-bye

parleyvoo = the French language

razoo = coin of little value

shypoo = liquor of poor quality

samshoo = alcoholic drink

wanderoo = an Asian monkey

pakapoo = Chinese version of lotto

callaloo = crabmeat soup

jordeloo = warning when throwing

                 slops from a window

…no

Playing cassino at the casino

A chicano dared the capitano:

“The loser eats relleno, serrano,

Cioppino, poblano and jalapeno,

Some romano and sweet pepino

Washed down with maraschino.”

 

cassino = a card game

relleno = dish of stuffed chile

serrano = a small hot pepper

cioppino = a spicy fish stew

poblano = dark-green chili pepper

jalapeno = a hot pepper

romano = an Italian cheese

pepino = a type of yellow fruit

…mo

“Chimo tovarich commo!

For us nathemo a supremo

Not in ultimo nor in proximo.”

-“Bravissimo! We enter pomo:

No more some lucumo in camo!”

 

chimo = a greeting

commo = a communist

nathemo = never the more

ultimo = in the precedent month

proximo = in the following month

pomo = postmodernism

lucumo = an Etruscan prince
camo=camouflage