# NYT Spelling Bee drives me crazy **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** board-card-word-game\ **Created:** [December 17, 2023, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739 "2023-12-17T15:50:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2024, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/181 "2024-03-08T00:53:09Z")
I think it’s too close to a slur, yes. When you see it, though, you know you can get cocoon right away! ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2024, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/182 "2024-03-08T12:27:55Z")
Today it took CYAN but not CYANIC. 😠 ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2024, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/183 "2024-03-08T13:32:25Z")
Another pangram not accepted today: TYRANNIC ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2024, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/184 "2024-03-08T15:08:17Z")
ACTINIC is also not accepted. I have no idea where I have heard that word, and it is arguably obscure or technical. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2024, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/185 "2024-03-08T16:05:46Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > ACTINIC is also not accepted. Way back when I first started playing Spelling Bee, that was the first word I noticed it not taking. That was 3 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2024, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/186 "2024-03-09T01:28:47Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > ACTINIC is also not accepted. Nor ACTIN. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2024, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/187 "2024-03-09T13:53:13Z")
My goal every day is to get to Genius without using any four-letter words. These low-scoring days can be tough, but I got there today after some luck with the pangram. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2024, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/188 "2024-03-09T16:43:15Z")
I always try to start a game with a long word. Whatever longish word I can find in minute or so. Sometimes it’s only 5 letters, but at least it’s not a 4. Today I spotted the pangram right off the bat. That’s unusual, although it’s not the first time it’s happened. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2024, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/189 "2024-03-09T17:25:55Z")
I always look for the pangram first, and every so often it just leaps out at me. Once every ten or twenty games, maybe. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2024, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/190 "2024-03-09T17:31:55Z")
One advantage of getting the pangram is that helps me think about other words during the day, even when I’m not looking at the puzzle. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2024, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/191 "2024-03-09T17:32:16Z")
Yes, good point. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2024, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/192 "2024-03-09T17:40:43Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > One advantage of getting the pangram is that helps me think about other words during the day, even when I’m not looking at the puzzle. Agree - the pangram is a useful mnemonic. But you can create something if you don’t have it - a day or two ago I was using “tiny car” until I found “intricacy.” ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2024, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/193 "2024-03-09T18:24:55Z")
I try to get the pangram early. Like @commasense says, sometimes it jumps right out at me, but sometimes I still don’t have it by the time I get Genius. I don’t look at the hints page until I have Genius (unless I’m _really_ struggling) and then I go straight to “Spelling Bee Buddy”. About 50% of the time I can get Queen Bee, but often there are a couple of words that elude me. I don’t like looking at the hints from other players but my wife likes to use them. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2024, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/194 "2024-03-09T18:44:36Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > I don’t look at the hints page until I have Genius (unless I’m _really_ struggling) and then I go straight to “Spelling Bee Buddy”. Same for me except I don’t use the Buddy. I looked at it once and figured it doesn’t give any more info than the hints. Just more convenient. I must have some masochist in me because I stay with the less convenient hints. > [@Shoeless](#): > > About 50% of the time I can get Queen Bee, but often there are a couple of words that elude me. It’s more like 75% or 80% for me. But yes, there’s all too often a strange word in there. Like arancini from yesterday. I would never have guessed that if I spent all week on it. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2024, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/195 "2024-03-09T21:18:11Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > Like arancini from yesterday. I would never have guessed that if I spent all week on it. I always miss that one even though it comes up fairly often. I’ve decided that where there is arnica there will always be some arancini. There are several common words that I consistently miss. Gigolo, for example. Just by posting this, I’ll probably remember them now, but others will no doubt crop up. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2024, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/196 "2024-03-09T21:36:18Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > I always miss that one even though it comes up fairly often. I’ve decided that where there is arnica there will always be some arancini. Are you sure it’s come up before? I keep a log of my results and part of that is the words I miss. I just checked and the first word is logged on three different occasions, but none of them have the other. And I can guarantee you I never found the latter word, so it should be in the log if it was in one of those games. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2024, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/197 "2024-03-09T21:39:38Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > There are several common words that I consistently miss. Gigolo, for example. Just by posting this, I’ll probably remember them now, but others will no doubt crop up. I have the same problem. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2024, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/198 "2024-03-09T21:45:37Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I have the same problem A few posts upthread somebody mentioned that ‘coon’ is not an acceptable word. No matter, I always try it, and it gets rejected. Then, of course, I totally overlook ‘cocoon’. Every time. ---
**Author:** ![mtnmatt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a3d4f5/32.png) [@mtnmatt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mtnmatt)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2024, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/199 "2024-03-09T21:55:51Z")
I play first thing when I awaken after warming up my brain with wordle and the mini x-word. My goal is Genius before I get out of bed, no hints, but I do use 4-letter words. Sometimes I have to keep at it during the day but once I get Genius (always, eventually) I reward myself with looking at the day before’s answers after one brief last try at the puzzle. Generally there are a few words there that I hope to remember next time but almost always there’s a word I never heard so I feel better about not striving for Queen Bee, which I’d have never reached that day (though I have several times - missed by 1 point last week with fief). Sometimes I see the Panagram immediately and sometimes it is what puts me over to Genius, as with marijuana last summer (when I was actually high) and colleen (daughter’s name). It is pretty interesting how your brain sees (or can’t unsee) some patterns and completely miss others. Also, I can see a 7-spot wear pattern on my phone screen sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2024, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/200 "2024-03-09T22:01:56Z")
According to [this site](https://www.sbsolver.com/h/arancini) you are absolutely correct. It’s a newbie word. I think Sam might be a foodie. Now I have to wrack my brain trying to remember the word I couldn’t remember. Grrrrr. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739.md?page=11)