# 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:** 149
**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:** [May 18, 2026, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2961 "2026-05-18T17:28:38Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > but grandbaby? The new arrival is a grandbaby for a few weeks/months, then it becomes a grandson or granddaughter. Except in the case of my former co-worker who grew up in North Carolina. His two granddaughters will always be his grandbabies. I’m really a bit surprised that you haven’t heard the term. It’s common here in the Midwest. But, as you say, maybe not so much anywhere else. Except North Carolina. ---
**Author:** ![Thumper668](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thumper668/32/20803_2.png) [@Thumper668](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thumper668)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2026, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2962 "2026-05-18T17:34:54Z")
Pretty common in the Northeast as well. ---
**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 18, 2026, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2963 "2026-05-18T17:44:54Z")
Yeah, that acronym annoyed me. ---
**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 18, 2026, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2964 "2026-05-18T18:10:12Z")
So was anyone bothered by the two Yiddish words today; chuppah and chutzpah? ---
**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 18, 2026, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2965 "2026-05-18T18:12:59Z")
And putz. ---
**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 18, 2026, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2966 "2026-05-18T18:13:03Z")
One of those words was the first time I got a panagram on my first entry, so NO. 😉 ---
**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 18, 2026, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2967 "2026-05-18T18:20:17Z")
The words I referenced were used just today. ---
**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 18, 2026, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2968 "2026-05-18T18:20:47Z")
Mine, too. ---
**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 18, 2026, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2969 "2026-05-18T18:26:16Z")
Sorry, you are right. ---
**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 18, 2026, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2970 "2026-05-18T18:26:42Z")
It would be cool if that got you to QB! ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2026, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2971 "2026-05-18T19:18:30Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > So was anyone bothered by the two Yiddish words today; chuppah and chutzpah? The first of those I got, but via a weird way. I had a vague idea it was a word, although I didn’t know what it meant. So I tried several different ways to spell it and finally got it. Still don’t know what it means, just a vague idea that it’s some Jewish thing. (Don’t tell me the meaning. If I wanted to know, Google would tell me. Google knows everything.) I’m still 5 points from a natural QB. Not sure I’ll get there without a hint, but I’ll keep plugging away. ---
**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 18, 2026, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2972 "2026-05-18T19:24:21Z")
I’ve frequently heard grandbaby in Califonia. ---
**Author:** ![Thumper668](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thumper668/32/20803_2.png) [@Thumper668](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thumper668)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2026, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2973 "2026-05-18T20:10:51Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > So was anyone bothered by I am frankly _always_ bothered by non-English words being accepted, even if they are loan words. English has a perfectly acceptable synonym for CHUTZPAH. CHUPPAH has no English context except at a Jewish wedding. PUTZ I’m a little more on the fence about, but would prefer it be disallowed if only because of its literal meaning. The one exception is food, and even there it’s a sliding scale. For example, I have no problem with types of pasta because they are commonly used. It gets a little more iffy when you are talking about niche dishes, like ARANCINI. It’s also a plural, and the singular is not acceptable. BIALY is another common example of this. Having said all of that - the fact that this game drives me crazy is one of the reasons I keep playing it every single morning. I’m convinced that Sam Ezersky just makes up the rules as he goes, and if I ever meet him I’ll kick him in the PUTZ. ---
**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 18, 2026, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2974 "2026-05-18T20:57:12Z")
Yiddish isn’t that rare in the Bee, nor are Hebrew words like TALLIT. ---
**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 18, 2026, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2975 "2026-05-18T21:13:39Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > So was anyone bothered by the two Yiddish words today; chuppah and chutzpah? The first of those is Hebrew, not Yiddish unless you count it as a loanword but your point still stands. It amused me but I am Jewish so I readily got them. My mom who also plays was equally amused. ---
**Author:** ![mtnmatt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a3d4f5/32.png) [@mtnmatt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mtnmatt)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2026, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2976 "2026-05-18T23:55:04Z")
Just got a natural QB today, with the same word that got me to Genius after a real slog the other day - don’t know how to spoiler, but let’s say it is a modern spelling of a common word, that I only tried the first time because…Sam ---
**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 19, 2026, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2977 "2026-05-19T00:29:45Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > So was anyone bothered by the two Yiddish words today; chuppah and chutzpah No, I’ve been annoyed because he never accepted the spelling I’ve tried to use in the past for your first word. They’re both common words if you’re Jewish. > [@JohnT](#): > > Can I say that I don’t think Captcha is a word? It’s also an accepted Scrabble word. > [@Thumper668](#): > > I am frankly _always_ bothered by non-English words being accepted, even if they are loan words. English has a perfectly acceptable synonym for CHUTZPAH. CHUPPAH has no English context except at a Jewish wedding. PUTZ I’m a little more on the fence about Seriously? I learned the word chutzpah in an American newspaper in about 1967. I wouldn’t call it a loan word anymore. ---
**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:** [May 19, 2026, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2978 "2026-05-19T02:09:00Z")
Well, it’s Sam, so who can make sense of it? CHUPPAH was disallowed three times, now it’s been cool the last four appearances. MINYAN was disallowed three times, then included in seven Bees and then shitcanned again the last four possibles. So maybe CHUPPAH is on shaky ground. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2026, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2979 "2026-05-19T03:02:45Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > I’m still 5 points from a natural QB. Not sure I’ll get there without a hint, but I’ll keep plugging away. Went on a long bike ride. When I came back, CUTUP was one of the first few possible words I thought of. That got me to a natural. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2026, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/2980 "2026-05-19T12:27:13Z")
Not sure what’s wrong with PULLUP or POPUP. I don’t think they’ve ever been accepted. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739.md?page=148) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739.md?page=150)