Why the Guardian is going down the pan (Welsh version)

[planetgeli]

Scrabble yn Gymraeg: the board game no one wants to buy

Point of article?

1) Don't those funny Welsh speak a funny language.

2) Aren't those funny Welsh a bit thick not wanting to buy Scrabble.

3) Here's a fucking great big free advert for Waterstones.

Lots of valid criticism in the comments section (as well as the expected/invited anti-Welsh racism). This is an article about one shop, in one town, being used for the three negative points above. No mention of other shops (like actual Welsh shops) in Carmarthen that have made sales of Welsh Scrabble. Article suspiciously accredited to 'Kevin Rawlinson and agency'.

The agency being Waterstones PR presumably.

 

[Supine]

People who live in Wales (small country), who speak welsh (minority), play scrabble (rare) and want to do so in Welsh is a pretty niche market for sales.

 

[mwgdrwg]

 

[Plumdaff]

What a shit article. I'm surprised they haven't managed to slag off S4C at some point.

 

[Mrs D]

.

 

[ddraig]

not Guardian but did anyone see this!

An open letter to my cousin Marcus Stead

 

[8ball]

not Guardian but did anyone see this!

An open letter to my cousin Marcus Stead

Unsure about what/who the facepalm is aimed at.

 

[Plumdaff]

I saw the tweets (they're in the linked article). Seemed to be some anti Cymraeg eejit deliberately trying to gain attention / cause offence during the Eisteddfod. The open letter was very good I thought.

 

[8ball]

I saw the tweets (they're in the linked article). Seemed to be some anti Cymraeg eejit deliberately trying to cause offence during the Eisteddfod. The open letter was very good I thought.

Yep, was very reasonably put.

Seems a shame to me that Welsh isn't doing better at the moment - it seemed to have a bit of an upwards blip some years back when things were looking a bit more hopeful.

 

[existentialist]

I'd buy a half price Welsh Scrabble from Waterstones in Carmarthen . I'd probably never play it, but it'd be fun to have, in case Welsh friends dropped by or something.

 

[cupid_stunt]

I saw the tweets (they're in the linked article). Seemed to be some anti Cymraeg eejit deliberately trying to gain attention / cause offence during the Eisteddfod. The open letter was very good I thought.

And, not the only one...

Nigel Owens hits out after journalist's Eisteddfod 'bore-fest' jibe - Journalism News from HoldtheFrontPage

 

[existentialist]

Also, this.

What a stupid Scrabble article taught me about Welsh

That Rhod Gilbert sketch at the end is brilliant!

 

[ddraig]

Why do you think it's "not doing better"?

 

[8ball]

I think the thing about a Welsh Scrabble set is that you can just use the English set and agree on changing some points values for the letters and you're done.

Or, if you're from Cardigan and want to be rigorous, you can go to the shop, look at the game and write down the points values for later.

 

[existentialist]

I think the thing about a Welsh Scrabble set is that you can just use the English set and agree on changing some points values for the letters and you're done.

Or, if you're from Cardigan and want to be rigorous, you can go to the shop, look at the game and write down the points values for later.

I think the Welsh set may have more tiles. English has 100, Welsh has 105.

 

[8ball]

Why do you think it's "not doing better"?

We've done that thread before. Whole heap of reasons. Hard to assign relative contributions. Imo.

 

[8ball]

I think the Welsh set may have more tiles. English has 100, Welsh has 105.

Is that so? Fair enough.

I expect a lot of Welsh families have been playing with the English kit for years, though, possibly with words from both English and Welsh allowed.

Did anyone on this thread do that as a kid (not me, cos I'm from an English-speaking bit)?

edit: this one has 100 tiles:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Leisure-Tr...qid=1533813186&sr=8-1&keywords=scrabble+welsh

edit2: But the letter frequencies are different (no X and Z, and instead has NG, RH and DD) - maybe that's what you were thinking of.

 

[existentialist]

Is that so? Fair enough.

I expect a lot of Welsh families have been playing with the English kit for years, though, possibly with words from both English and Welsh allowed.

Did anyone on this thread do that as a kid (not me, cos I'm from an English-speaking bit)?

edit: this one has 100 tiles:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Leisure-Tr...qid=1533813186&sr=8-1&keywords=scrabble+welsh

edit2: But the letter frequencies are different (no X and Z, and instead has NG, RH and DD) - maybe that's what you were thinking of.

Wiki thinks 105, but perhaps the only way to find out is to buy one from Waterstones

Scrabble letter distributions - Wikipedia

 

[existentialist]

Incidentally, the comments on that article are quite entertaining, if completely irrelevant

 

[GreatGutsby]

Can anyone retire in their 30s? Meet the people who say yes

Cunts

 

[Santino]

Wouldn't the letter frequency have to be different for Welsh?