# 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:** 145
**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:** [May 7, 2026, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2881 "2026-05-07T23:52:35Z")
> [@gkster](#): > > HATHA It seems like nearly every yoga studio on every block here has a Hatha Yoga sign. But I learned ARHAT here, and never learned MUEZZIN until today. ---
**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:** [May 8, 2026, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2882 "2026-05-08T00:25:06Z")
I’ve certainly learned words from appearances in this game. ---
**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:** [May 8, 2026, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2883 "2026-05-08T00:29:02Z")
I was reading the community chat at the Spelling Bee for any comments on the word @JohnT was suspicious of, and no one mentioned IT. Those guys usually have the puzzle done as soon as it comes out. IIRC, “Steve” is on the night or graveyard shift and does it with his work buddies so he can send the clues out early to his daughter. But I read there that if you don’t finish a puzzle, you can go back to it another day and it doesn’t count against your record. In case anyone cares about that. ---
**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:** [May 8, 2026, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2884 "2026-05-08T01:45:10Z")
I assume some of the people who post clues to the Spelling Bee Buddy comments get early access to the game because I think that I have seen clues posted at 3am or immediately after. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2026, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2885 "2026-05-08T02:11:09Z")
You can change the time on your phone to the next day to get early access to the puzzles. ---
**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:** [May 8, 2026, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2886 "2026-05-08T02:54:12Z")
You can return to an unfinished Bee for two weeks. That’s one reason to use spoiler tags for a while after a puzzle is posted. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2026, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2887 "2026-05-08T03:04:54Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > You can change the time on your phone to the next day to get early access to the puzzles. Does that actually work for SB? It may work in Wordle, but I don’t think it works here. I live on the west coast, so the new puzzle nominally comes up at midnight my time. In actuality, it usually doesn’t come up until about a minute and a half after midnight. If changing the time on my computer worked, there shouldn’t be that short delay. ---
**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:** [May 8, 2026, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2888 "2026-05-08T22:35:18Z")
CALLALOO strikes again today. I know that it’s a pet peeve of some of us here. It was the hardest word to find today, according to the Buddy, with only 39% getting it. ---
**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:** [May 8, 2026, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2889 "2026-05-08T22:39:49Z")
I almost always get it because I’ve eaten it.[/spoiler ---
**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:** [May 8, 2026, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2890 "2026-05-08T22:44:36Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > > [@JohnT](#): > > > > You can change the time on your phone to the next day to get early access to the puzzles. > > Does that actually work for SB? It may work in Wordle, but I don’t think it works here. I live on the west coast, so the new puzzle nominally comes up at midnight my time. In actuality, it usually doesn’t come up until about a minute and a half after midnight. If changing the time on my computer worked, there shouldn’t be that short delay. Changing the time zone on your computer or your phone to after midnight gives you early access to the Wordle, Pips, Strands and Connections puzzles but it does _not_ give you early access to the crossword puzzle or the Spelling Bee. The crossword puzzle is made available at 10pm Eastern time (except for Saturday and Sunday, when it’s made available at 6pm Eastern time) and the Spelling Bee is made available at 3am Eastern time. ---
**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:** [May 8, 2026, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2891 "2026-05-08T22:56:10Z")
We get up early-ish on Fridays to play bridge and then often run errands, and so sometimes I completely forget this puzzle until I see this thread pop up. So, thanks everyone! Straightforward Genius, didn’t bother with more. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2026, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2892 "2026-05-11T08:24:27Z")
Finally did it! Three natural QBs in a row! Almost did it a few days ago, but I needed a hint for the final word on the third game. A word that I should have gotten without a hint, so I was kicking myself for that. ---
**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:** [May 12, 2026, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2893 "2026-05-12T04:31:38Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > Three natural QBs in a row! Congrats! ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2026, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2894 "2026-05-12T10:03:54Z")
For those interested, I’ve continued the streak. Four naturals in a row. ---
**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:** [May 12, 2026, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2895 "2026-05-12T21:17:58Z")
Congrats on the streak! I have to admit that I’m too impatient to go for a natural 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:** [May 12, 2026, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2896 "2026-05-12T23:37:52Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > Four naturals in a row. Great! ---
**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:** [May 12, 2026, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2897 "2026-05-12T23:40:20Z")
Long live the Queen. I struggled a bit today and finally hit Genius without a pangram…and then immediately found a pangram. ---
**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:** [May 13, 2026, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2898 "2026-05-13T17:04:11Z")
I think astrology is bullshit, but I nevertheless think that LIBRA is a perfectly fine, non-technical, non-obscure word. Apparently, Sam doesn’t. ---
**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:** [May 13, 2026, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2899 "2026-05-13T17:16:59Z")
I think it’s capitalised (I’m in Scotland right now, so using the metric spelling). What’s a natural QB? I never use the user-supplied clues (they basically give it away), but I go to the SB Buddy after I make Genius. Is a natural QB not using any clues, not even the first level that just tells you how many pangrams and whether there’s a bingo? I go there after I get a pangram. ---
**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:** [May 13, 2026, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2900 "2026-05-13T17:17:38Z")
Yes, a natural is a bare-naked finish without the least of hints. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739.md?page=144) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739.md?page=146)