24th December 2025 - Edition #5
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✨ From the Editor’s Desk
Good Morning,
Merry Christmas, the final countdown is on—just one more sleep until Christmas! The magic of 2025 is in the air—and even in the sky!
Don’t forget to glance at the stars—the Ursid Meteor Shower is peaking right now. A cozy blanket and hot cocoa make the perfect companions for spotting shooting stars. Did anyone catch a glimpse this morning?
We’d love to hear how your Christmas preparations are going. Are you all set, or still wrapping last-minute gifts? Share photos of your trees and decorations—we’d be delighted to see how you’re brightening your homes.
This year, we’re excited to celebrate with you over a few games of Lexulous—the perfect way to relax and stay connected. See you on the board, and wishing you a joyful Christmas!
— The Lexulous Team
🌀 Weekly Word Wonder: "Tantivy"
Pronounciation:
TAN-ti-veeMeaning: (Adverb or adjective) moving or done at full speed, headlong, or at a recklessly fast. Many times, it conveys wild energy or unbridled momentum.
Origin: Early 17th century English, probably from a hunting cry to drive hounds full speed. Its playful sound echoes its meaning— fast-moving, spirited, and impulsive.
Usage:
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The horse bolted tantivy across the open field.
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Ideas ran tantivy through her mind as the deadline neared.
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The children went tantivy down the hill, right merry.
📝 Player vibes:
"I hope you are all enjoying Lexulous over the festive season!
I played the board game when I was a kid, and we had a twist on the use of the blank tiles:
Before taking their turn, any player could take one blank tile off the board and use it again, provided they replaced it on the board with any letter that created an acceptable word. For example the blank in H_TTER could be replaced with A, I, or O. Recycling the blanks in this way creates more opportunities for bingos and adding on to words.
With that rule in play, my longest word was an unforgettable 15 letters across all 3 triple word spots along the bottom of the board. It started as HEART on the middle triple word spot, which was extended to HEARTEN, HEARTENING, DISHEARTENING and DISHEARTENINGLY.
I’d be interested to hear what everyone thinks of having the option to use this Blank Tile Rule in Lexulous?
H_PPY NEW YEAR!" --- Elaine May Smith (Dedicated player since 2008)
💫 Of the Day and Its Charm
21st Dec - The First Crossword Puzzle
Let us honor Arthur Wynne, whose creativity and love for puzzles led him to design the first diamond-shaped word puzzle with imaginative clues. His invention revealed the magic of words and their power to engage minds and emotions. On 21st December, we remember this milestone that continues to connect generations through the joy of language and problem-solving.
24th Dec - Christmas Eve
Wishing you a happy Christmas Eve, this night will bring joy, hope and much gratitude for the light from God we all share on Christmas Eve. We pray that you will have peace in your homes and have hope to shine brightly in your lives during this time together. Have a blessed Christmas Eve, surround yourself by all that is good in life, love, light and God’s grace.
25th Dec - Christmas Day
May the holiday spirits write a story of happiness in your heart, creating a magical glow in your eyes and a radiant light in your soul that represents everything the Christmas Star stands for.
26th Dec - Boxing Day
A day that gives us the wonderful opportunity to put a smile on someone else’s face.
👊 Punbelievable Punchlines
I played GHOST; tantivy the letters flew, and my opponent’s score was haunted for days.
🌻 Of Rhymes and Giggles
The moral escaped from the fable,
Refused to be stated tantivy.
It winked at the plot,
Said “Find me or not,”
And vanished in plausible deniability🎨Fill in the Fable
Silent Strokes
An artist who has the ability to create non-visible images. People will see images, but they will _______(1) them, experiencing them on a deeper level beyond colour and form.
One person asked the artist to _____(2) a scene for them, yet he cautioned the visitor, "To see truly, you will have to look with your _______(3), not your ______(4)."
Once the artist had completed his painting, the visitor began to understand that art goes beyond mere _______(5) representation, it is something more, felt rather than merely observed.Moral: True understanding can often come from things other than form, or things that are not seen with the eyes.
How to Play
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Fill in the blanks with your own words (the funnier, the better!)
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Share your version as a reply to this post.
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Our version will be revealed next week.
💡Tricky Tidbits
Make one letter change in the given word to form a different word, and repeat this process one letter at a time until you arrive at the final word.
MORE→..... → SENT
Hint:
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Every step must be a real English word
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Think creatively—there may be multiple solutions.
👉 Answers next week! Watch out on this topic.
Don’t forget to share your valuable feedback.Last Week's answers
🐭 Fill in the Fable : 1. Embers 2. Squirrel 3. Embers
💡 Tricky Tidbits : E (One, Two, Three, Four, ..Eight)
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I especially love the new obscure words!
I like Elaine's house rule blank tile idea!
Merry Christmas and Happy 2026! -
Good Morning!
That was a nice way to start my arguable busiest day of the year!
I hope I can remember tantivy should the opportunity arise to play it in Lexulous.
I like the idea of a being able to trade blanks for another letter. Perhaps that could be an option when you begin a new game.
Merry Christmas!
