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All Rolls are Fortuitous

Posted By: Colin Owen
Date: Tuesday, 22 November 2011, at 5:30 p.m.

In Response To: A Not-So-Fortuitous 42 in a Backgame (Paul Weaver)

Not for the first time I have to preface a post with 'at the risk of seeming pedantic' but, strictly speaking (Paul) ALL rolls are indeed fortuitous - except those that are not truly random of course. Fortuitous means 'due to or characterised by chance'. One of my dictionaries, for example states:

'Some people dislike the use of fortuitous to mean "fortunate", and feel that its meaning should be confined to "occurring by chance"; so that a fortuitous event may well be an "unfortunate" one.'

So, if we roll a number that forces us to destroy our position, we might not appreciate being told by our opponent that it was fortuitous - and could claim anyway that he should remain silent (some might ensure that he was permanently so) but we can't fault his use of language. Paul's friends use of this word was common, but not correct; as was Paul's himself.

(By the way, as someone who has often paid a price as a result of his ability to play backgames, I am amazed that Paul never even considered the correct play, ie hitting.)

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