![There is no...](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2MhhVhjwQM1Cpf_dGXVOIYNVp5FLFcMbNhUl-6pDTwhEjtOAd-56eDsBDAR-DjqEqi0HlE0C-jMr6OWGDRCyGa4zsJaWHYaNGNw7MpPDugN7Gtorrd4JJr98oG91m93nQmKf6sxlJCMza/s320/there-is-no-spoon.jpg)
As an alternative, when playing Bananagrams among friends, the group can decide how strict it is going to be about word acceptability. A strict reading of the rules would say that if a word is in the dictionary, it is acceptable, whether or not it is slang. In the groups that I play, we are pretty lax, and frequently we do not even have a dictionary on hand. When playing without a readily accessible dictionary, the validity of words is sometimes debated, but the de facto standard is one of the following (I'm not sure which): 1) The word is only considered a rotten banana if it is misspelt or clearly not a word. 2) The word is considered a rotten banana if most people think it is wrong. 3) The word is considered a rotten banana if the person who played it relents and agrees that it is wrong (or questionable).
Acknowledgments: My thanks to Chuck, who started an e-mail discussion with me which led to this post and a deeper consideration of dictionaries.