A Chain should be written as in the Example to Def. 3. It does not matter which given word is placed at the top. Any number of alternative Chains may be sent in.

RULE 2

Any word, used as a Link, must satisfy all the following tests:--

(a) It may not be foreign, unless it is in such common use that it may fairly be regarded as naturalised. (The words `ennui', `minimum', `nous', may be taken as specimens of words thus naturalised.)

(b) It must be in common use in conversation, letters, and books, in ordinary society. (Thus, slang words used only in particular localities, and words used only by specialists, are unlawful.)

(c) It may not be a proper name, when usually spelt with a capital letter. (Thus `Chinese' is unlawful; but `china', used as the name of a substance, is lawful.)

(d) It may not be an abbreviated or a compound word, when usually written with an apostrophe, or hyphen. (Thus, `silver'd', `don't', `man's', `coach-house,' are unlawful.)

N.B.--If the Scorer accepts the infinitive of a verb as `ordinary', he is bound to accept all its grammatical inflexions. Thus, if he accepts `to strop (a razor)' as an ordinary word, he is bound to accept `stroppest', `stroppeth', `stropping', and `stropped', even though the first two have probably never been used by any human being.

But, if he accepts the singular of a noun as `ordinary', he is not thereby bound to accept its plural; and vice versa.

Thus, he may accept `remorse' and `tidings' as `ordinary', and yet reject `remorses' and `tiding' as `non- ordinary'.

RULE 3

When two words begin with the same set of one or more consecutive letters, or would do so if certain prefixes were removed, each letter in the one set is `barred' with regard to the corresponding letter in the other set.

Examples to Rule 3

Certain prefixes are here marked off by perpendicular lines, and the `barred' letters are printed in italics.

N.B.--The letters are only `barred' as here marked. They may often be yoked in other ways: e.g., in Ex. (2), the `ca' above may be yoked to the second `ca' below.

RULE 4

When two words end with the same set of one or more consecutive letters, or would do so if certain suffixes were removed, each letter in the one set is `barred' with regard to the corresponding letter in the other set.

Examples to Rule 4

Certain suffixes are here marked off by perpendicular lines, and the `barred' letters are printed in italics.