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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.

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

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
CHUTES, LADDERS
CATION, ANION
TACKY, STICKY
EXCITE, DEPRESS
ABOUT, AROUND
SCREW, BOLT
MOTH, FLAME
VERB, ADVERB
PYREX, PLATE

First Puzzle, enjoy!

Edit: Added geometry tag post-solve

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  • $\begingroup$ 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. $\endgroup$
    – Techidiot
    Nov 1, 2016 at 16:24
  • $\begingroup$ Can each word be tested whether it is a Vexed Word™ without relying on the other words? $\endgroup$
    – Karan Atree
    Nov 2, 2016 at 4:06

1 Answer 1

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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.

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  • $\begingroup$ +1 I tried QWERTY but didn't knew I was forming a pattern. $\endgroup$
    – Techidiot
    Nov 2, 2016 at 7:21
  • $\begingroup$ Why Vexed? Because they are difficult to type? :-/ $\endgroup$
    – Techidiot
    Nov 2, 2016 at 7:25
  • $\begingroup$ Forgot to add an explanation of the title; thanks for the reminder. $\endgroup$
    – Rubio ♦
    Nov 2, 2016 at 7:27
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    $\begingroup$ @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 :) $\endgroup$
    – Rubio ♦
    Nov 2, 2016 at 12:00
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    $\begingroup$ How did you even figure this out ._. $\endgroup$
    – greenturtle3141
    Nov 2, 2016 at 15:15

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