The NYT Spelling Bee Thread

So, when you say you are two away, you're talking two words, not two points? Do you get this information from the hints or elsewhere? (Strict pact with my son not to check hints, but that's helpful information!)


jimmurphy said:

Eyetooth and tonne.

got those two but missed these three: "phenotype", "phono", and "pontoon"...and again today, I'm three away from QB.

btw, I like that the pangrams are now in boldface. It makes it so much easier to spot them in my list of words.


zucca said:

So, when you say you are two away, you're talking two words, not two points? Do you get this information from the hints or elsewhere? (Strict pact with my son not to check hints, but that's helpful information!)

The hints provide the total number of words, total points, and number of pangrams.  It also provides the "two letter list" which is a list of all the combinations of the first two letters and the number of words for each combination.


neophyte and hoppy yesterday (with hints, as always).  I suspected there was a neo- in there but couldn't come up with it.

Finding today's Bee difficult.  Tons of words in there, but a lot don't include the middle letter, or need one more letter that's not there....


mjc said:

neophyte and hoppy yesterday (with hints, as always).  I suspected there was a neo- in there but couldn't come up with it.

Finding today's Bee difficult.  Tons of words in there, but a lot don't include the middle letter, or need one more letter that's not there....

When you see the pangram, you'll be like, "of course!" I will not get to QB today though...


KarenMarlowe said:

mjc said:

neophyte and hoppy yesterday (with hints, as always).  I suspected there was a neo- in there but couldn't come up with it.

Finding today's Bee difficult.  Tons of words in there, but a lot don't include the middle letter, or need one more letter that's not there....

When you see the pangram, you'll be like, "of course!" I will not get to QB today though...

I've reached genius but haven't found the pangram yet. It's driving me nuts.


I tripped over the pangram, but very doubtful about QB.  What passes for real life is calling.


zucca said:

So, when you say you are two away, you're talking two words, not two points? Do you get this information from the hints or elsewhere? (Strict pact with my son not to check hints, but that's helpful information!)

Yes, 2 words. Once I get Genius, I check the first line only of the hints to see number of words and total score.

I you are 10 points and 2 words shy, for example, you are are also armed with the knowledge that they are 5-letter words.

I’m not the purist you are, but I do draw the line there. No checking the little table with the the one and two letter combinations and word length.

A while back I tried taking full advantage of the hints but it wasn’t right *for me*.  


I look to see how many words after I get to Genius. Mainly to decide whether or not to go for QB. If I'm still a dozen words short, probably not. Today I was 7 short when I got to Genius, so I'm plugging away. Only 2 short, including the pangram, so I'm feeling confident.

If I use all the hints, it's a little too easy. With hints I get QB about 5 times a week. Without, it's about 1-2 times per month. I will use the hints on occasion if I'm a word or two short and I'm feeling really blocked. And usually I'll get the QB in five or ten minutes. But generally I don't look at the hints.


KarenMarlowe said:

When you see the pangram, you'll be like, "of course!" I will not get to QB today though...

seriously. I finally got the pangram, but it was staring me in the face for hours. Still one short, but thinking I'll get it. Sometimes the letter combination makes me think all the words are fairly common. Other days I can just feel that there are 4-5 obscure words that aren't in my vocabulary.


It's funny how we all have our own rules to bee by. I allow myself to check how many points I need for Genius only once I get to Amazing. I always have to hit Genius (just a thing my son and I do). But the reason I started doing this was because he was into it, so I abide by his "no hints" standards. It means I hit QB only on occasion, but I'm fine with that. The crossword is still the puzzle that I love most, but it's funny how the discussion for that is so much quieter.


I got to genius yesterday, but I didn't pursue it from there. Missed a lot of easy words...


KarenMarlowe said:

I got to genius yesterday, but I didn't pursue it from there. Missed a lot of easy words...

Same! That was challenge enough yesterday, though I missed so many of the usual suspects.


Missed QB by one yesterday. 

Noncom. 

Really?


Today I barely made it to Genius and didn't get the pangram. I'm not pursuing it any further.


zucca said:

It's funny how we all have our own rules to bee by. I allow myself to check how many points I need for Genius only once I get to Amazing. I always have to hit Genius (just a thing my son and I do). But the reason I started doing this was because he was into it, so I abide by his "no hints" standards. It means I hit QB only on occasion, but I'm fine with that. The crossword is still the puzzle that I love most, but it's funny how the discussion for that is so much quieter.

Same for me on the Crossword, especially Thursday through Saturday!

It’s really hard to discuss any of these given the no spoilers rule. When all one can do is discuss personal status, kinda limits the discussion, mostly to commiseration.


ml1 said:

Missed QB by one yesterday. 

Noncom. 

Really?

Had noncom. 

Well done on Phalli and Phial.


jimmurphy said:

Same for me on the Crossword, especially Thursday through Saturday!

It’s really hard to discuss any of these given the no spoilers rule. When all one can do is discuss personal status, kinda limits the discussion, mostly to commiseration.

True. By the time we can discuss (next day), we are no longer up in arms about whatever it is that riled us the day before.


I should have gone for it yesterday. Kind of busy, so didn't spend much time with it. But when I saw the solution today there wasn't a single unfamiliar word I hadn't got.


Only miss yesterday was "teeing."  downer


jimmurphy said:

zucca said:

It's funny how we all have our own rules to bee by. I allow myself to check how many points I need for Genius only once I get to Amazing. I always have to hit Genius (just a thing my son and I do). But the reason I started doing this was because he was into it, so I abide by his "no hints" standards. It means I hit QB only on occasion, but I'm fine with that. The crossword is still the puzzle that I love most, but it's funny how the discussion for that is so much quieter.

Same for me on the Crossword, especially Thursday through Saturday!

It’s really hard to discuss any of these given the no spoilers rule. When all one can do is discuss personal status, kinda limits the discussion, mostly to commiseration.

maybe we should have a new Spelling Bee Thread (includes spoilers) grin


jimmurphy said:

Only miss yesterday was "teeing." 
downer

I had two misses yesterday..."teeing" was one of them


Just got QB!

A couple of uncommon words, but commonly found in the Bee.


jimmurphy said:

Just got QB!

A couple of uncommon words, but commonly found in the Bee.

nicely done...I didn't even come close to QB yesterday (missed it by 6) mostly due to uncommon words, probably the same ones I missed the last time those letters came up.


Finally got to QB for the first time in a while. That last word took me too long!


zucca said:

Finally got to QB for the first time in a while. That last word took me too long!

Congratulations!


jimmurphy said:

Congratulations!

Thank you! 


QB yesterday.  My last word was "loll."


I should have persevered yesterday. I quit about 5 words shy, and it turned out none of them were esoteric.


I missed it by three yesterday...two which I thought I had in my list and one which I never would have gotten anyway  (amyl)


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