# 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:** 57
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2025, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/1121 "2025-02-04T14:55:27Z")
Pretty sure it was the first time it accepted luff, because it’s absence has come up a few times in this thread. ---
**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:** [February 4, 2025, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/1122 "2025-02-04T15:07:34Z")
You’re both correct. The former had been rejected 63 times, and the latter 50 times. ---
**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:** [February 4, 2025, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/1123 "2025-02-04T15:37:48Z")
Thanks! I got the latter solely by accident. ---
**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:** [February 5, 2025, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/1124 "2025-02-05T02:55:46Z")
I was disappointed that it won’t take FLATLET–because it’s British. I was a bit surprised that it took FELLATE, considering that it won’t take COITION And the love of niche foods (FLAUTA) and fabrics (TAFFETA) strikes again! ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2025, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/1125 "2025-02-05T04:44:53Z")
> [@gkster](#): > > I was a bit surprised that it took FELLATE, considering that it won’t take COITION There’s a similar game (Word Flower) that I’ve mentioned a time or two here. It has some peculiarites along those lines. It won’t take COCK or PIMP, but it will take inflected -ING/-ED forms of those words. Haven’t played it enough to see other words in this category. ---
**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:** [February 6, 2025, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/1126 "2025-02-06T01:06:41Z")
Again, why no INANITION or NATATION today? Spoilering the 2nd word because it’s close to accepted words. ---
**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:** [February 7, 2025, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/1127 "2025-02-07T12:19:39Z")
I’d really like to see NETIQUETTE erased from the English lexicon. It’s a ridiculous 90s term that shouldn’t have survived Y2K. ---
**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:** [February 7, 2025, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/1128 "2025-02-07T12:41:38Z")
I must admit my ignorance with respect to movements of a Baroque dance suite. ---
**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:** [February 7, 2025, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/1129 "2025-02-07T16:41:49Z")
I can rattle those off in my sleep. Whereas the constant array of fabrics continues to baffle me. ---
**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:** [February 8, 2025, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/1130 "2025-02-08T15:40:53Z")
On the hints page there’s now a thread devoted to missing words. I’m guessing this will cut down on the floods of emails they get otherwise. I’d spotted CARACAL, CHIRAL, LICH, LINCH and of course LIANA but there are lots more. ---
**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:** [February 9, 2025, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/1131 "2025-02-09T04:38:22Z")
Is TUNG there? ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2025, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/1132 "2025-02-09T05:10:23Z")
Nope. I tried it yesterday, although I didn’t expect it to be accepted. ---
**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:** [February 9, 2025, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/1133 "2025-02-09T12:10:26Z")
Sunday: despite the large number of words today it went relatively quickly, all things considered. And the only missing word I noted is MELAMINE which is not particularly common. ---
**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:** [February 9, 2025, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/1134 "2025-02-09T23:57:04Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > And the only missing word I noted is MELAMINE which is not particularly common. I thought it was common, esp after the Chinese baby formula scandal. And everybody’s mother owned melamine dishes. I’m just baffled by his choices. ---
**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:** [February 10, 2025, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/1135 "2025-02-10T07:06:56Z")
I’m also baffled by MELAMINE’s exclusion. ---
**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:** [February 10, 2025, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/1136 "2025-02-10T10:08:52Z")
That was the first time MELAMINE was a potential word, so maybe the feedback will correct the omission. But probably not. ---
**Author:** ![WalterBishop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/aeb1de/32.png) [@WalterBishop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WalterBishop)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2025, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/1137 "2025-02-13T08:44:25Z")
Ooh, I’m so mad! I’m hopping mad about this one. Todays letters are LAITBEH. _Habilitate is a word you goddamn ignoramuses!”_ It’s not even a particularly uncommon word. Get it together! Fuming 😡 ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2025, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/1138 "2025-02-13T12:14:01Z")
I was surprised “tappet” wasn’t allowed yesterday. I’m no mechanic, but isn’t it a key component of the ubiquitous internal combustion engine? The Car Guys chose it as their familial pseudonym! ---
**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:** [February 13, 2025, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/1139 "2025-02-13T13:04:13Z")
Don’t lose hope. Today marked the first occasion the pangram HABILITATE was a possible word. Change is possible. My aggravation is the reappearance of HIATAL. It was accepted for three years, then banished for another three, and now it’s back again. ---
**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:** [February 13, 2025, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/1140 "2025-02-13T14:54:04Z")
The last word I got yesterday was NAMETAPE. Using Buddy, I knew it was eight letters and the first two. IME eight-letter words are often compounds, so I just started trying combos, and found it. They are the cloth nametags found on military and military-type uniforms. Having never served, I’d never heard the word before. Furthermore, when I Googled it, the majority of sites spelled it as two words, not one. Grrrr. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739.md?page=56) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739.md?page=58)