Welcome to Jumbalaya!
Please send mail if you have suggestions, questions, or bug reports.
There is a Jumbalaya
Yahoo group
that serves as a discussion area. Anyone is welcome to join.
Listed below are some general techniques for finding words in a grid. The first
three are what I usually do each game, the last ones apply more to playing in
general.
'Fixes
Finding good combinations of letters - especially prefixes and suffixes -
will help a lot. It's good to do that as soon as you see a grid, so you're
aware of them while you're searching. For example, look immediately for
prefixes such as "re" and "de", and for suffixes such as "ing", "s", "ed",
and "er". That way if you find the word "test", you'll know immediately to
look for "tested", "detest", etc. Other good combinations to find that aren't
prefixes or suffixes are things like "str" and "tch". You'll also become
familiar with letter combos that tend to be fertile, such as "ate" as a verb
ending, or "tion".
Lines
Did you ever lose your keys on a dark field? The most effective way to
find them is to march back and forth across the field, covering successive
rows of ground. That can work in Jumbalaya too. If you get stuck and have some
time left, try reading each row, column, and diagonal backwards and
forwards. Often you'll see combinations that previously eluded you.
Backwords
Many words form a word when read backwards, such as "timer", "ogre",
"desserts", and "kayak". (Okay, that last one's not so helpful.)
Alternate Spellings
It's kind of cheesy, but you do get equal credit for "litre" and "liter".
The most useful of these are ones that swap "re" and "er", for example "titer",
"miter", "center", and "theater". There are also British spellings such as
"colour" and "labour".
Just See It
Okay, this one isn't particularly methodical, but it's responsible for a
lot of good finds. Just look at the grid as a whole and wait for words to
jump out at you. It's a good way to find unusual words that don't tend to turn
up via a methodical search. This can be a good thing to try as soon as you
see the grid, before your mind has broken it down into parts and combos.
Play
Playing a lot helps. Try to remember those obscure words that show up
all the time, such as "titer", "oast", and "persnickety".
Cross-Training
Being a wordmonger in general is useful here. Words are fun, and they're
your friends. Do crossword puzzles and the daily jumble, play Scrabble with
your friends.