# What is a Vexed Word™?

This is in the spirit of the What is a Word/Phrase™ series started by JLee with a special brand of Phrase™ and Word™ puzzles.

If a word conforms to a special rule, I call it a Vexed Word™.
Use the following examples below to find the rule.

$$\begin{array}{|c|c|}\hline \bbox[yellow]{\textbf{Vexed Words }^™}& \bbox[yellow]{\textbf{Not Vexed Words }^™}\\ \hline \text{ JOTTED }&\text{ DENOTED }\\ \hline \text{ TOGA }&\text{ SKIRT }\\ \hline \text{ QUILLS }&\text{ PENS }\\ \hline \text{ ULNA }&\text{ FEMUR }\\ \hline \text{ ZINC }&\text{ IRON }\\ \hline \text{ FLOUTED }&\text{ BRAGGED }\\ \hline \text{ CHUTES }&\text{ LADDERS }\\ \hline \text{ CATION }&\text{ ANION }\\ \hline \text{ TACKY }&\text{ STICKY }\\ \hline \text{ EXCITE }&\text{ DEPRESS }\\ \hline \text{ ABOUT }&\text{ AROUND }\\ \hline \text{ SCREW }&\text{ BOLT }\\ \hline \text{ MOTH }&\text{ FLAME }\\ \hline \text{ VERB }&\text{ ADVERB }\\ \hline \text{ PYREX }&\text{ PLATE }\\ \hline \end{array}$$

And, if you want to analyze, here is a CSV version:

Vexed Words™, Not Vexed Words™
JOTTED, DENOTED
TOGA, SKIRT
QUILLS, PENS
ULNA, FEMUR
ZINC, IRON
FLOUTED, BRAGGED
CATION, ANION
TACKY, STICKY
EXCITE, DEPRESS
SCREW, BOLT
MOTH, FLAME
PYREX, PLATE


First Puzzle, enjoy!

• How much efforts did you add to create this one! Phew..Have tried almost everything I have in my head. Would be an interesting answer. – Techidiot Nov 1 '16 at 16:24
• Can each word be tested whether it is a Vexed Word™ without relying on the other words? – Karan Atree Nov 2 '16 at 4:06

Vexed Words™ are ...

words whose letters on a QWERTY keyboard, connected by lines in order of appearance, form a single (usually looping) path that does not cross itself.

EXCITE forms a full loop, ending where it started, but doesn't cross its own path.

Not Vexed Words™ ...

either cross their path, or require doubling back so that it's not a single "curved" path, either all convex or concave.

They're called Vexed because ...

Their paths are conVexed? Best guess I have.

• +1 I tried QWERTY but didn't knew I was forming a pattern. – Techidiot Nov 2 '16 at 7:21
• Why Vexed? Because they are difficult to type? :-/ – Techidiot Nov 2 '16 at 7:25
• Forgot to add an explanation of the title; thanks for the reminder. – Rubio Nov 2 '16 at 7:27
• Wonderful explanation! :) Would add +1 for that as well – Techidiot Nov 2 '16 at 7:57
• @TwoBitOperation Thanks - that was a fun one. I eyed it for quite a while before getting it. "Convex Hull" eh - I knew what was going on, but had no idea how to describe it... thanks for enlightening me :) – Rubio Nov 2 '16 at 12:00