Relax, Scrabble fans: Basic rules aren't changing

NEW YORK - Scrabble purists can relax. News of a new version of the classic word-building game that Mattel plans to sell in the UK allowing proper nouns set off waves of dismay across the Internet. But the basic game isn't changing.

Scrabble Trickster, due out in July in the UK only, not the US, will allow proper names such as city or celebrity names. It will not replace the original Scrabble in the UK or US.

And the rules aren't officially changing, said John D. Williams Jr., executive director of National Scrabble Association, authorized by Hasbro to speak about Scrabble.