The NYT Spelling Bee Thread

Ended up three words shy. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

Well, if you need my son to goad you on, just let me know.

Today, on the other hand, I was so relieved to get to genius and call it quits. Was a struggle, for whatever reason.

Did you get "dumdum"? I didn't. I would have never thought that was a real word. I got to genius, but missed a few easy words.

How the hell was "doldrum" not included?

yahooyahoo said:

How the hell was "doldrum" not included?

 Yeah, I too found it hard to believe that it wasn't on the approved list.

KarenMarlowe said:

Did you get "dumdum"? I didn't. I would have never thought that was a real word. I got to genius, but missed a few easy words.

 nope, missed "dumdum" but got to Genius anyway, like you.

After “doldrum” was rejected, I convinced myself I spelled it wrong. Later on I looked it up, though. That’s an odd one for them not to have included. 

KarenMarlowe said:

Did you get "dumdum"? I didn't. I would have never thought that was a real word. I got to genius, but missed a few easy words.

 My son did, but I did not. I will likely never get it, though I was kind of relieved to learn it has a second (well, listed first in M-W) meaning: "a bullet (such as one with a hollow point) that expands more than usual upon hitting an object."

Heynj said:

After “doldrum” was rejected, I convinced myself I spelled it wrong. Later on I looked it up, though. That’s an odd one for them not to have included. 

I think "doldrum" is considered an archaic, therefore obscure, word.

The more common usage is the plural form, "doldrums" .

Did not get the pangram yesterday (Saturday), however I now have a new descriptor for many of the posters on the political threads.

jimmurphy said:

Did not get the pangram yesterday (Saturday), however I now have a new descriptor for many of the posters on the political threads.

One theory floated above by marksierra was that the word "doldrum" was archaic. I don't think that yesterday's pangram is in today's lexicon, and in fact, listed as archaic by Merriam Webster. I did get it though. OTOH, I did not get "pfft." Stupid word.

jimmurphy said:

Did not get the pangram yesterday (Saturday), however I now have a new descriptor for many of the posters on the political threads.

double whammy for me yesterday....didn't get the pangram and didn't get to Genius either 

I did get the panagram, but I have no idea why or where I had heard that word before.  My brain baffles me sometimes. Did not get Genius, and I almost always do.  

I got to genius but quit immediately after that. 

I had never heard the pangram from yesterday.  That's the first time I can recall that happening.

I've gone from  rags to riches in three days...double whammy Saturday, QB today 

alha said:

I've gone from  rags to riches in three days...double whammy Saturday, QB today 

Way to go!

I got Queen Bee today in record time! 

QB for the1st time…but I used the hints. Do you folks usually use them? I am a newbie.

jeffl said:

QB for the1st time…but I used the hints. Do you folks usually use them? I am a newbie.

Congrats on your first QB.

I don't use the hints except for determining the number of words and point score needed for reaching QB,  and I do that only on days when I have a chance at reaching QB.

KarenMarlowe said:

I got Queen Bee today in record time! 

mine was in record time too...and I think that was because today's words were somewhat common words, not a weird one among them.

I’m one 5-letter word away. Grrr.

alha said:

jeffl said:

QB for the1st time…but I used the hints. Do you folks usually use them? I am a newbie.

Congrats on your first QB.

I don't use the hints except for determining the number of words and point score needed for reaching QB,  and I do that only on days when I have a chance at reaching QB.

Congratulations! 

I use hints to determine the number of words for each letter, I will admit. Otherwise, I get stuck on one letter over and over. 

Also got to Queen Bee in record time today. I was going to come on here to say that, if you haven't done it yet, today's the day to try.

We are a no-hints family. In fact, my son doesn't even want me looking on this thread, because sometimes someone mentions having found more than one pangram, or, if someone posts that QB picture, it tells us how many words and points there are. Apparently, in my household, that's cheating.

Got there but checked hints for the first time ever. Last one was kind of a non-word, whose past tense I had, but also considered a non-word when I tried it.

zucca said:

We are a no-hints family. In fact, my son doesn't even want me looking on this thread, because sometimes someone mentions having found more than one pangram, or, if someone posts that QB picture, it tells us how many words and points there are. Apparently, in my household, that's cheating.

That's wonderful!

KarenMarlowe said:

That's wonderful!

Full disclosure, I’m talking about an adult son—one who was willing to part with his 200-day-plus crossword streak rather than get any assist with a puzzle. So it’s great but also a lot sometimes.

zucca said:

KarenMarlowe said:

That's wonderful!

Full disclosure, I’m talking about an adult son—one who was willing to part with his 200-day-plus crossword streak rather than get any assist with a puzzle. So it’s great but also a lot sometimes.

Well, even adult sons can be very intense...  You would think they would have left that behind when they were teens.

KarenMarlowe said:

Well, even adult sons can be very intense... 

You would think they would have left that behind when they were teens.

haha! Yep—nope. Less intense, but still intense. 

One word shy yesterday. I have to admit I never heard the word "griot," or at least that I remember.