# 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:** 115
**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:** [November 4, 2025, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2281 "2025-11-04T01:39:34Z")
I _assume_ that Sam Ezersky is working off a list (perhaps generated using a computer program) of possible pangrams, which explains how odd words (like pettifog) end up in the puzzle. BTW, the other day, the puzzle had three vowels in it. Anyone know if there have been puzzles with more vowels? ---
**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:** [November 4, 2025, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2282 "2025-11-04T02:07:05Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > BTW, the other day, the puzzle had three vowels in it. Anyone know if there have been puzzles with more vowels? Here are vowel counts since January, 2021 (this table is a little out of date now, so it will miss if it happened really recently): ||1|50| ||2|832| ||3|814| ||Grand Total|1696| ---
**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:** [November 4, 2025, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2283 "2025-11-04T02:27:51Z")
Thanks. So no more than three vowels out of seven letters. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2025, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2284 "2025-11-04T16:07:49Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > So no more than three vowels out of seven letters. Unless you want to count Y as a vowel. There have been some with 3 vowels plus a Y. ---
**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:** [November 4, 2025, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2285 "2025-11-04T16:18:53Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > There have been some with 3 vowels plus a Y. ||1|17| ||2|590| ||3|989| ||4|100| ||Grand Total|1696| ---
**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:** [November 5, 2025, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2286 "2025-11-05T22:18:10Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > ||4|100| That means 100 puzzles with 4 vowels or 3 vowels + Y? That works out to approximately 9% of them. As for words not accepted today, MUON, which I know is technical and obscure, but I’ve seen others that look just as obscure to me. And, spoilering because they’re close to accepted words, TANNOY (too British) and MONONYMY, which surely should be accepted? ---
**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:** [November 5, 2025, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2287 "2025-11-05T22:19:40Z")
We’ve complained about MUON before and you’re not wrong. They accept similar words as I recall. ---
**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:** [November 5, 2025, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2288 "2025-11-05T22:25:33Z")
For those who like historical and literary allusions, one for today is Tonnant, a British ship from the Napoleonic War era, familiar to Hornblower fans. ---
**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:** [November 5, 2025, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2289 "2025-11-05T22:29:00Z")
> [@gkster](#): > > That means 100 puzzles with 4 vowels or 3 vowels + Y? That works out to approximately 9% of them. We’ve already established that there are no puzzles with 4 vowels, so it’s all 3 vowels + Y. ---
**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:** [November 5, 2025, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2290 "2025-11-05T22:31:25Z")
Sure but in words like CYAN, Y is a vowel. Right? It’s not one in YELLOW. ---
**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:** [November 5, 2025, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2291 "2025-11-05T22:33:04Z")
We should call Y something like…a semi-vowel! Also, how did I miss that the oft-decried absence of ANNATTO was corrected in June, with four appearances this year? ---
**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:** [November 6, 2025, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2292 "2025-11-06T13:50:29Z")
Thursday 11/6 puzzle was maybe the easiest of all time for me. I think I got to QB in less than 15 minutes. Although I had to guess for my last word, which was FOBBED. Not sure I’ve ever heard that word. ---
**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:** [November 6, 2025, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2293 "2025-11-06T14:49:46Z")
Sure you have but in the usage fobbed off. I went to buy a nice used phone but they fobbed of a broken one on me Yeah, today was super easy and I got to QB quickly as well ---
**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:** [November 6, 2025, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2294 "2025-11-06T15:14:00Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > Sure you have but in the usage fobbed off. Nope, don’t think so! Pawned off maybe. ---
**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:** [November 6, 2025, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2295 "2025-11-06T15:19:12Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > Also, how did I miss that the oft-decried absence of ANNATTO was corrected in June, with four appearances this year? Oft-decried? Is the word in question in ordinary use for you folks? I see it’s a food coloring. Do you use it or otherwise know about it in regular life? I’m 70 years old and only know it from the Spelling Bee, and have been mildly outraged every time it’s shown up. Today was easy. It’s only the third or fourth time I’ve gotten to QB without any help at all, e.g., SBB or the word grids. I always try to get to Genius without any help, and almost always do. I continue past Genius without aids as far as I can, but then allow myself to use the word grids at SBB. And about half the time that’s all I need. Only if I’m still stumped will I resort to the reader hints. ---
**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:** [November 6, 2025, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2296 "2025-11-06T15:53:44Z")
I see it in ingredients lists all the time. ---
**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:** [November 6, 2025, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2297 "2025-11-06T16:05:53Z")
Ditto. I was always surprised it wasn’t included in the Spelling Bee. ---
**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:** [November 6, 2025, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2298 "2025-11-06T18:37:33Z")
Anyone else try boff or boffed today? ---
**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:** [November 6, 2025, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2299 "2025-11-06T19:59:48Z")
Sure did. Then I remembered what it means. Tried BOOF too. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2025, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2300 "2025-11-06T20:33:04Z")
I was not surprised but disappointed that feoffee isn’t on the list. For those who have forgotten their medieval legal terminology, here is [what it’s all about](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feoffee). I’m not sure there’s any point in spoilering words that _aren’t_ on the list, but I did it anyway more out of habit than anything. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739.md?page=114) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739.md?page=116)