# 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:** 110
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2025, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2181 "2025-10-03T15:44:48Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > Bloody INDIUM. I would have had a ‘natural’ (thanks @carlb) Queen Bee without it. It was first accepted in 2019, then disallowed four times, and now it’s back again. It has been accepted at least once in recent times. So didn’t have a problem with it. In fact I did get a natural, although it was a bit strange. I put off looking at the Rankings until quite late, but I thought that I’d still need about 30 points when I finally did. Nope, needed only two! ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2025, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2182 "2025-10-03T17:44:07Z")
I wish that they’d just pick a dictionary and stick to it so I don’t have to try words like TONTINE that may be used some day ---
**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:** [October 3, 2025, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2183 "2025-10-03T17:58:55Z")
Used _again_. It used to be a valid answer. ---
**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2025, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2184 "2025-10-03T20:15:15Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > It would be appreciated if you could spoil things like pangram counts. 🙂 Oops, sorry for not spoilering. More on pangram counts: Wednesday’s count, 30 words, 5 pangrams. No letters that are uncommon. Thursday’s count, 61 words, 2 pangrams. Featured, the letter Z. Only 2 other words apart from the pangrams used it. Friday’s count, 38 words, 1 pangram ---
**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:** [October 4, 2025, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2185 "2025-10-04T16:39:09Z")
Today, one of the words was echidna. I tried echidnae as well but it was not accepted. ---
**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:** [October 4, 2025, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2186 "2025-10-04T18:10:19Z")
I was absurdly proud of myself for spelling both ECHIDNA and ECHINACEA correctly in one go. Definitely a first. ---
**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:** [October 6, 2025, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2187 "2025-10-06T16:33:02Z")
Jeepers. LABIALIZING, that’s a new one. ---
**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:** [October 6, 2025, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2188 "2025-10-06T17:20:14Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > Jeepers Yeah, I think they’re just messing with us 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:** [October 6, 2025, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2189 "2025-10-06T17:23:26Z")
Sam is obsessed with food, fabrics and labias. PONGEE is a word I’ll come up with never. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2025, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2190 "2025-10-06T17:25:07Z")
Managed Genius without any assistance. I don’t even try for QB any more. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2025, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2191 "2025-10-06T18:03:33Z")
Me, I’ve got things to do and people to see. I rarely aim for QB. ---
**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:** [October 7, 2025, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2192 "2025-10-07T23:37:19Z")
Today’s WTF: fratty??? Not per Merriam-Webster. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2025, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2193 "2025-10-08T00:29:11Z")
What a goddamn slog but I finally got G without a pangram ---
**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2025, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2194 "2025-10-10T04:43:33Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > Today’s WTF: > > fratty??? Not per Merriam-Webster. Yes, I thought that one was really bogus ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2025, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2195 "2025-10-10T16:15:28Z")
One point from QB. Trying to try every possible four letter combination. Geez ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2025, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2196 "2025-10-10T17:28:14Z")
Five points from QB. Most likely need a single word, rather than 5 four-letters. Had a natural yesterday, so it’d be nice to get another today. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2025, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2197 "2025-10-10T18:04:15Z")
Got it! No hints. I actually knew the last word so it wasn’t a random guess. On Reddit they call that QBABM (all by myself) ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2025, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2198 "2025-10-10T19:41:22Z")
Now I’m down to a single point. Turns out the five points actually were 5 four-letter words. Got four of them, now I need one more. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2025, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2199 "2025-10-10T20:00:45Z")
I knew that would be the case haha ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2025, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2200 "2025-10-10T20:39:08Z")
When I finally got the last pangram, I was three points away. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739.md?page=109) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739.md?page=111)