Lexicon

Lexicon Rulebook

Table of Contents

The Object of the Game

Each player, by playing his cards to the Crossword layout in the center of the table, tries to play out his whole hand before any other player succeeds in doing so. Cards left in players' hands at the end of play in each deal are counted against them and the low score WINS the game.

The Deal

Cut pack to choose Dealer. A is high. Z is low. High deals. For Two, Three or Four players deal 10 cards to each player; for Five players deal 9 cards to each. For Six players 8 cards to each.

It is best, however, if Six, Seven or Eight people play at one table to use a large table and Two complete packs, shuffled together, dealing 10 cards to each player.

The remainder of the cards are placed in a pile, face down, on the table. The top card is then removed and placed face up beside this turned-down pile.

The Play

The player at the left of the dealer starts by placing any word of not less than two or more than four letters in the center of the table, naming the word as he plays it. After the first player, all following must play to the words already formed on the table.

If the first player (or any subsequent player) cannot form a complete word (no incomplete word may be left on the table) he must discard one card from his hand and take in exchange either the exposed card, or the top blind card, from one of the piles on the table. The discarded card is placed face up on top of, or in the place of, the exposed card and thus itself becomes the exposed card. Note: Before taking the top card from the "Blind pile," the player must always first discard. He must not draw from the "Blind pile" and discard after seeing what he has drawn.

Any player discarding and drawing as above must count this play as his turn and must wait for his next turn before adding to the crossword. Trading of cards between players is not permissible. After the first word has been exposed on the table, the next player to the left tries to complete another word by joining on to the exposed word from one to four letters to make one more word, calling it by name as it is played. (See diagram No. 1 above.)

In the game illustrated by the diagram the first player exposed the word "GAME". The second player added the letters "S", "L", and "T" to make "SALT". The third player added the "VEN" to spell "EVEN" and the fourth player placed the letter "O" between the "T" and "E" to spell "TOE". Only one of the above plays could be made by a player on one turn.

[Diagram No. 1: a sample crossword layout showing the words described above, with the vertical and horizontal words crossing one another.]

Note carefully — Once the first word has been exposed, its top and bottom determine the direction of the top and bottom of the crossword layout. All words must read from top to bottom and from left to right as in a regular crossword puzzle. The letters may be added above or below or to either or both sides in the usual way that a Crossword is made, but additions can be made only one way at each turn, i.e., up and down or across.

Two-Way Words

If letters are placed in rows up and down and across, they must make words both ways, as shown by Diagram No. 1. Example: — After the fourth player had played as described above, the fifth player found he could have played an "O" to make the word "LOVE" across and the word "MOO" down. He could not have placed the letter "I" to make "LIVE" as "MIO" down would not be an English word.

Singular and Plural

No player may make plural words by using an "S" or "ES", unless, in adding the "S" or "ES" the plural forms a new word at a corner or a joint, as per the following examples.

Diagram No. 2: Word SAY already on table and word RAT added.

Diagram No. 2 (continued): Word MUST already on table and word CAT added.

It is also permissible to use the third person singular of verbs which in many cases are like plural nouns as, for example, "smile, smiles."

Proper Nouns

It is not permissible to use proper nouns or words of a foreign language. In case of disputes the dictionary you are using should be final.

Increasing Words

A player is permitted to add letters at either end of a word already formed to change it to another word. For example near the center of Diagram No. 1 is the word "TART". If the original player had exposed the word "TAR" a following player could have added the last "T" to make "TART". Again if the word first exposed had been "ART" a following player could have placed the "T" above it to make "TART" in the same way.

The Master Cards

There are two Master Cards that represent any letter and which may be played for any letter at any time in the game. When once placed on the table during a hand a Master Card must be left like any other card to represent the letter for which it has been played. (Example. If it has been played to represent "E" in a horizontal word "Men" it cannot be used as an "A" in a vertical word such as "Hat".) The Master Cards are especially useful in cleaning up the final cards to win a hand and it is often good judgment to save them for this purpose.

The Object of the Game

Remember the object of the game is to get rid of your cards as quickly as possible. The first player to do this wins the hand and no count is scored against him. The players who are left with cards in their hands obtain their scores, not by the number of cards they hold, but by adding the red figures shown on each of these cards. This total, and following totals are placed against their names by the scorekeeper. As soon as any one player has a total score of 100 against his name, the game ends and the player with the lowest score at that time is the Winner. (See rule on next page for Quick Game.)

Challenges

A word may be challenged by any player who thinks it is not in the dictionary or is misspelled. If the challenger proves to be wrong, ten points are added to the challenger's score; but if the challenger is right, ten points are deducted from his score and the player who placed the challenged word on the table takes up his cards and loses that turn.

The Pack

If during the play of the game all the cards are used from the Blind Pile and no cards remain which may be drawn, except in the discard pile, the Discard Pile should be picked up, shuffled, and placed face down on the table as a new Blind Pile. As at the start of the game the top Blind card should then be turned face up to start a new Discard Pile. The game should then continue in the regular way.

Quick Game

For a Quick Game it is suggested that players set a score of 50, for any one player, to end the game — the player having the lowest score at this time being the Winner.

Option in Play

The rule limiting the play to 4 letters at any one time may, by agreement before starting a game, be disregarded and the play of any number of letters completing a word permitted.

Wide Open Game

Should players so desire, a Wide Open Game may be played. The rules are as above, excepting that plurals and proper names may be used, and words of any number of letters.

Remember

The Player with the Lowest Score is the Winner in all the above games.

A Game for Large Groups

The perfect game for a large group of people. One pack is sufficient for 2, 3 or 4 players, but when 5 or more play, it is necessary to use two packs.

Rules

DEALER — To determine who shall be first dealer, all players cut and the one who cuts the highest card deals, "A" being high and "Z" being low. Thereafter the deal is taken in rotation. In case of a tie, the persons who tie must re-cut.

DEALING — Ten cards are dealt, one at a time, to each of the players. The remainder of the cards are placed in a pile face down on the table and the top card exposed and placed alongside. For five or more players it is necessary to use two packs.

PLAY — The player on the left of the dealer commences. The next player on the left then plays and so on round the table. Each player, after examining his cards, can do one of four things:—

(a) He may form one complete word and place it face up on the table.

(b) He may discard one of his cards and take either the exposed card or the blind one from the pile. He must discard BEFORE taking up the exposed or blind card. The discarded card is placed on top of, or in the place of, the exposed card and thus itself becomes the exposed card on the table.

(c) When a word is exposed on the table he may insert a card, or cards, in any such word. In doing this the order of the letters must not be disturbed or the word reversed. The new letters must be added at either end, or inserted. Only one word can be changed on the same turn.

Example: Mother.—Smothered. Hat.—Thatched. Air.—Fairy. Man.—Many.

(d) When a word is exposed on the table, he may take a card, or cards, out of his own hand and change it, or them, for a letter, or letters in a word, provided the word left on the table is complete, viz.:

He could take one of the letters "E" out of the word "EXPERT" and make it into "Export" by the substitution of an "O" out of his own hand. Only one word can be changed at the same turn.

No player is allowed to PASS HIS TURN without doing one of these four things, but he is not allowed to do more than one in the same turn.

A player's turn ceases when he has done one of the four things, "A", "B", "C" or "D".

THE OBJECT of the game is to get rid of your cards as quickly as possible. The first player to do this ends the round, and the other players count their scores from the numbers on the cards left in their hands. Each player's score (winner of the round, of course, being excepted) is then entered against his name and then the cards are dealt out for another round. The first player to reach 100 is eliminated from the game — the others going on until by elimination, (i.e., reaching 100 points) only one player is left — the last player being the winner.

Only words found in any standard dictionary are to be used. Proper nouns are not permitted unless given in the dictionary you are using.

A word may be challenged by any player who thinks it is not in the dictionary or is misspelled. If the challenger proves to be wrong, 10 points are added to the challenger's score. If the challenger proves to be right, 10 points are deducted from the challenger's score and the player who placed the word on the table takes his cards back and forfeits a turn.

The two Master Cards represent any letters. In other words the Master Cards are the most valuable cards in the pack, since they can be used in play as any letter in the alphabet.

If the pack runs out it can be lifted, shuffled, and put down on the table in its original position, the top card exposed as before, and the game goes on.

How to Arrange a Crossword Card Game Party

Owing to the increasing popularity of CROSSWORD PARTIES the following suggestions may prove of assistance to hostesses in their organizations.

Tables should be arranged to accommodate four players each. The play is individual and not partnership, so any four persons may begin playing together. A Steward should be appointed for each group of 10 tables.
Dealer. To determine who shall be first dealer all four cut, and the one who cuts the highest card deals, counting, "A" as high, "Z" as low. In case of a tie, the persons who tie must re-cut.
The dealer shuffles and deals to the left in rotation until 10 cards have been dealt to each of the four players. The rest of the cards are then stacked in the center exposing one card alongside as in the rules.
The player on the left of the dealer plays first and play continues until one player runs out of cards or until time runs out. Seven minutes (or less if arranged) is the maximum time allowed for each hand. Each player must then total up the cards remaining in his or her hand and the figure must be marked on the score card. Each player must check and initial the marked score of the player on his right in each case.
The player who runs out or who totals the lowest score at each table is the winner and must move on to the next table, 1 to 2, 5 to 6, etc. The winner at each table is the first dealer at the next table.
At the end of the party the winner is the player who has the lowest score.

Special Note

If a wrong word is put down it may be challenged by any other player at the table. The challenger must call the Steward to settle the question.

If the word proves to be wrong, other than spelled wrongly, the player putting it down is fined 50 points and this will be marked on the card by the Steward. The player must also take back his cards and lose his turn.

The challenger does not receive any points. The player of the wrong card is subject to the 50 points penalty.

Mistakes in spelling do not incur any penalty, but the person making the mistake must take up his cards and lose his turn.

If a spelling mistake, or a word subject to disqualification, passes undetected and the player next in turn has played, the mistake cannot be rectified and must be allowed to stand.

Remember

The Player with the Lowest Score is the Winner.

Solitaire

Number 1

The Object of the Game

The object is to form words in accordance with the rules below so that you will have used every card in the pack at the end of the game.

Preparation

Remove the two Lexicon Master Cards (they are not used in this Solitaire game). Shuffle the rest of the pack. Now lay all of the cards face up on the table in separate piles of three cards each as shown in the following diagram.

Note: There will be one extra card which must be laid aside and not used in this solitaire. The top and second cards of each pile should be slipped slightly to one side so that the indices of all cards may be plainly read.

[Diagram: three rows of face-up piles of three cards each, spelling out the letters T, U, L, C, T, S (top row), R, Z, Y, A, B, I (middle row) and C, O, H, E, L, E (bottom row), with the top and second cards of each pile slipped to one side.]

The Play

Make words of four or more letters by using the top cards only from any of the piles. As soon as a word is formed gather up the cards making it and put them into a discard pile. (Naturally as soon as a card is removed from a pile the next card in that pile becomes the top card and can be played at any time thereafter.)

To Win

If you are able to use all the cards in the pack (excepting of course the Master Cards which are not used) in making words of four or more letters you have completed the Solitaire.

Note: If the game progresses to the point where you have only two or three unplayed cards left in original piles, you can form a word of two or three letters in order to complete the Solitaire and win the game. If the Solitaire game progresses until you have only one card left from a pile on the table or a number of cards from which you can form no word, you have not completed the Solitaire and you have lost the game.

Notes

If the use of one letter exposes another, the second letter may be used in the same word. Example — If in one pile "H" is over "O" and "O" is over "M" the word "Home" may be made if an "E" can be found exposed in another pile.

Words need not be spelled if the player does not wish to play them but prefers to wait for a better combination of letters.

Proper nouns and foreign words must not be used.

Solitaire Number 2

The Object of the Game

The object is to form words in accordance with the rules below, so that you will have used every card in the pack at the end of the game.

Preparation

To prepare for this Solitaire lay the two Lexicon Master Cards at one side to be used later. After shuffling the balance of the pack, place one card face up on the table at your left and six other cards face down in a row to the right of the exposed card. Next place a card face up on the left hand blind card and five cards face down on the cards to the right.

Continue in this way until you have seven piles of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 cards with the top card of each pile face up as in the diagram below. Place the remainder of the pack face down in front of you.

[Diagram: seven piles of face-up top cards, reading E, A, Z, R, R, B, O across the top row, with a blank space and the card W below the first two piles.]

The Play

Now see if you can make a four or more (not less) letter word. (In this case "bear", "bore", "robe", "razor", etc.) Let us assume you decide to use the word "razor". Take up the R, A, Z, O, R cards and place them at one side in a Discard Pile. Now the cards immediately beneath the cards which have been removed may be turned face up and if possible another word may be made of four or more letters. Continue until a word cannot be made. By this time it may be that some of the seven piles have no cards left in them and if any vowels are exposed in other piles they may now be moved to any of the empty spaces and the card which was directly under them turned face up.

If a word can now be played to the Discard Pile it should be so played. If not, you should expose the top card of the balance of the pack (or "Nest"), and place it face up beside the "Nest". (See diagram.) If you can now make a word by using this card, do so, but if not, another card must be played from the "Nest" on top of the previously exposed nest card.

If no vowels are available from any of the seven piles at any time, the spaces may be filled in by using the cards which have been turned face up from the Nest, but if there are a number of cards in this pile, the top one must be used first.

The Lexicon® Master Cards may each be used once and only once in a game to represent any letter to form a word in connection with any other playable letter cards. It is advisable to save both of them until the end of the game if it is possible, so that they may be used in cleaning up the odd remaining cards.

To Win

If you have used all the cards of the pack to make words, you have completed the Solitaire. If not, you should try again.

Notes

Do not forget that vowels must be used, when available, to fill in the blank spaces. Only when there are no vowels available may the turned up cards from the "Nest" be so placed.

It is advisable to use such letters as "Z", "X", etc., as early as possible.

There are two "U"s. Do not forget one must be saved to be played with the "Q".

The Lexicon® Master Cards may be played at any time, but it is best to save them until the end.

On the last play of the game words of two or three letters may be used if no more cards remain, but single letters, such as "A" or "I", may not be counted as words.

In this Solitaire only the top letter of the "Nest" may be used to form a word. Even if the removal of the top letter exposes a useful letter below it, that letter may not be used until a subsequent turn.

Proper nouns and foreign words must not be used.

[The printed sheet ends with a note inviting questions about the rules, to be addressed to Parker Brothers, Inc., Salem, Massachusetts. This contact notice is omitted from this transcription.]