If you've ever played Scrabble (and we're guessing you have), you might have run into The Scrabble Beast—that person who has memorized words from a Scrabble dictionary so he or she can smash everyone else's scores, even if The Beast has no clue what the words mean. Yeah, we know, it can be super annoying to play with the Beast...which is why we've put together this list. Not only will these words come in handy "on the playing field," they'll also spice up your everyday vernacular. Don't thank us now. Thank us when you make the Scrabble Beast's head explode.

What’s better than watching the Olympics? Being in the Olympics! We’re hoping one of you wonderful Sparklers will make it there one day, and that you'll shout us out in your post-competition interview. (“I’d like to thank the writers at SparkLife for keeping me entertained between practices!” Just a suggestion.)

Even those who won’t make it to the to the international games can still have some Olympic fun. Online you can find the Hipster Olympics, the Office Olympics, and even the Unemployed Olympics. We decided to create our own very illustrious SparkLife High School Olympics, with the following categories. Choose your teammates wisely!

Glatisant, we beg you, please put your next flyting on YouTube and send us the link! —SparkNotes editors

You know the scene: It’s the middle of winter, school’s been canceled until further notice, the power could go out any second, and there’s so much snow outside that you have to shovel a tunnel from your front door to the mailbox just so you can remember there’s life apart from the bacteria growing in your refrigerator. There is officially nothing to do, and you’re so bored that chewing your way to the other side of the world is starting to sound like a good idea. (It’s not. You’ll most likely end up somewhere in the ocean, and that’s no good for anyone lacking gills.)

So what can you do, that doesn't involve electricity, to keep yourself at least mildly entertained? Here’s a list. All you really need are some common household items, a sense of humor, half a brain, and access to at least one other person. (A tunnel system might come in handy.)

It could happen while you're freezing in a tent in the woods somewhere, hanging out in somebody's basement with people of the opposite sex, or nestled on a couch with a cup of hot cocoa at a slumber party. One day, at some point when you least want or expect it, a friend (or frenemy) will ask you to play Truth or Dare.

DON'T. DO. IT.

It isn't poisonous. It's not illegal. Thousands of teens play Truth or Dare every weekend. But the game always ends in tragedy. Here are a few reasons why:

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and with it comes an evening or two of family board games. These games can reveal a lot about you and your family members. Are you motivated by winning? Do you just want everyone to have a good time? Do you need everyone to follow the rules, or do you just like to go with the flow?

We've broken down the various player types:

The Megaphone
The Megaphone's vocal volume tends to match the intensity of the game. When his team is losing and desperately needs a good roll or a correct answer, he SCREAMS OUT LOUD! A LOT! Deluded by his own enthusiasm, the Megaphone is completely unaware that he's blowing out his teammates' eardrums.

As we head into fall registration for high school classes, it’s a good time to make practical decisions about the courses you’ll need to fulfill requirements and prepare for your education after high school. It’s also a good time to do some more daydreaming about the kinds of classes you wish your school would offer. Like one of these:

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Whether you love your parents to death or simply tolerate them, they are a huge part of your life. And since you have to hang out with them occasionally, why not make the most of it? Try these activities with your parents, and you just might find yourself enjoying their presence instead of counting the minutes until you can make your escape.

Watch the Touchstone Movies of Their Youth

Find some movies on your “to rent” list that were important to your parents when they were growing up. Think cultural touchstones:

Not that we expected any less, but you Sparklers amazed us with your feedback on our list of recession-proof games. The comments section for that post could serve as a handbook to the bored, subversive, shameless prankster in us all. In fact, Bored, Subversive and Shameless: Teenage Pranksters would be a perfect name for a book and I call dibs on that title right now.

Reading the clever, inane, and random things you wonderful freaks people do made us excited about boredom-induced activities all over again. So for your consideration, we’ve made some new additions to the canon, most of them based on your own suggestions.

With summer just around the corner, you are about to take a trip to Freedom City, population: you. Free time is glorious, but free time without money can seem about as senseless as taking your cousin to prom. And with the recession, there’s a 97% chance that these days, you are poor. Does that mean you and your friends have to waste your free time watching Chuck Norris b-movies on TV or playing poker with only stale potato chips to bet?!

Thankfully, no. We’re here to help. Here’s a list of things you can do with friends that cost you nothing. Except, perhaps, dignity.