# 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:** 18
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2024, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/341 "2024-05-17T16:33:32Z")
Same. Today’s (Friday) was pretty quick though. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2024, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/342 "2024-05-22T12:22:39Z")
One of my favorite obscure words is “vaticide”, meaning a murder (or murderer) of prophets. Alas, it’s too obscure for Our Sam. ETA: Still doesn’t like CAVITATE either. ---
**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 22, 2024, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/343 "2024-05-22T12:38:46Z")
I really don’t think CAVITATE is that obscure of a word, certainly less obscure than lots of words that are allowed. Annoys me every time it’s not accepted. ---
**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 22, 2024, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/344 "2024-05-22T13:13:51Z")
I also tried CAVITATE and while in the nautical vein, DAVIT, as well as VIVA, which although obviously not originally English is, IMHO, common enough in English to count as a loan word. Viva Las Vegas! ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2024, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/345 "2024-05-22T14:18:15Z")
I’m surprised that no one complained that it didn’t accept BARRATRY a few days ago. Not surprised the word wasn’t accepted, mind you. Just that no one complained. ---
**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 22, 2024, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/346 "2024-05-22T14:21:20Z")
Today was the first time that the pangram ‘vaticide’ would have been a possible word. There’s still hope! Petition Sam! Sam isn’t following a dictionary, he’s building one. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2024, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/347 "2024-05-22T14:36:36Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > Today was the first time that the pangram ‘vaticide’ would have been a possible word. There’s still hope! Petition Sam! There’s lots more common words than _vaticide_ that are not accepted. I’d rather have those than this obscure word. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2024, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/348 "2024-05-22T14:45:45Z")
Yeah, I’m not going to die on the hill of VATICIDE, although it would have been a pangram today (as would have CAVITATED). ---
**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 22, 2024, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/349 "2024-05-22T14:53:26Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > I’m surprised that no one complained that it didn’t accept BARRATRY a few days ago. Not surprised the word wasn’t accepted, mind you. Just that no one complained. I didn’t complain but I did try the word. ---
**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 23, 2024, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/350 "2024-05-23T21:20:29Z")
Interesting game today, in that there were words starting with only 3 different letters, and all but 3 of the words started with the center letter. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2024, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/351 "2024-05-23T21:34:55Z")
Because I am fundamentally immature, I was disappointed that WEEWEE and WEEING were not accepted. Nor was NEWLING, for that matter. ---
**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 23, 2024, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/352 "2024-05-23T21:37:04Z")
I noticed that. Today was a bit different. BTW, I had whinge and whinging but one of the words I missed was a British variant, whingeing. And the other day, one word I missed was unbelief; I often miss compound words, since some are acceptable while others are not. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2024, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/353 "2024-05-23T23:42:15Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > BTW, I had whinge and whinging but one of the words I missed was a British variant, whingeing. Whingeing has come up before and I happen to remember that. Today was real easy for me. Finished in 25 minutes. ---
**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 25, 2024, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/354 "2024-05-25T03:22:35Z")
I thought that “chiminea” would be allowed, but no dice. ---
**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 25, 2024, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/355 "2024-05-25T04:26:17Z")
So did my wife. I had never heard the term. They didn’t take the (admittedly obscure) philosophical term IMMANENCE, although they did take the near homonym IMMINENCE. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2024, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/356 "2024-05-25T14:07:15Z")
Saturday: the pangram was the last word I got and I needed a clue. Not sure whether it was that obscure or I’m just off my game. Today’s swings-and-misses: ADIT and NATATION. ---
**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 25, 2024, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/357 "2024-05-25T22:31:15Z")
The pangram was my next-to-last; according to Spelling Bee Buddy, only 44% of players got it. And I also swung and missed with INANITION and NATATION. Considering some of the other words that are on the list, I have to wonder why these didn’t make 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:** [May 26, 2024, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/358 "2024-05-26T00:54:50Z")
Todays pangram reminded me of one from years ago that stumped me: Orphanhood ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2024, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/359 "2024-05-26T01:55:23Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > INVIGILATING! Right on, that irritated me too. But what really got me angry that day was titivating, a “word” I have never, ever heard of before, while they refused the perfectly ordinary cavitating. ---
**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 26, 2024, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/360 "2024-05-26T02:07:40Z")
I agree that there’s often a really obscure word. But there are also more unusual foreign words, like dhoti today. And today’s pangram was a compound word, which is something I’ve complained about previously. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739.md?page=17) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739.md?page=19)