Formidable Scrabble players

Good headline writers could be formidable Scrabble players.

To successfully write headlines or excel at the popular board game, a person must have an extensive vocabulary that includes an arsenal of short words. Hard-core Scrabble players know, for instance, that if their last four tiles are the letters u-e-z-b, they can create zebu. It means an ox native to Asia and some parts of Africa.

One of our hed writers (who could likely trounce Scrabble opponents sans merci) came up with redux in the headline above. Webster’s definition of redux is “brought back, revived, restored, etc.” Words such as this come in amazingly handy when a writer must squeeze a lot of information into a short line.

The headline above summarizes the editorial’s observation that the GOP’s Scott Tipton will once again face Democrat John Salazar in a bid for a Congressional seat after a similar contest in 2006. In early November we’ll know who has scrambled to the top.

The editorial appears below.