Scrabble

Scrabble's letter values were worked out by counting the front page of the New York Times. Alfred Butts, an out-of-work architect, tallied how often each letter appeared in print and set the distribution from that, which is why there are twelve E tiles and exactly one Z.

He could not sell it for years. It only took off in the early 1950s after the head of Macy's played a game on holiday and came back wanting it in the store.

Shop officially licensed Scrabble t-shirts featuring tile racks, the board's star square, and designs for anyone who has argued about whether a word is allowed. Plus size tees run up to 5XL, so there is a comfortable fit for every Word Nerd.