# 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:** 96
**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:** [August 10, 2025, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/1901 "2025-08-10T15:09:16Z")
I’m ashamed to say that I tried MAGA. I was relieved when it wasn’t accepted. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2025, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/1902 "2025-08-10T18:14:48Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Also on Friday I tried detent but it was not accepted. Try with a final E. Or did you get that one? For today, AGAMEMNON wants them to accept GNOMON, but of course, it still isn’t. ---
**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:** [August 10, 2025, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/1903 "2025-08-10T18:19:45Z")
I did but detent and detente are different words. ---
**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:** [August 10, 2025, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/1904 "2025-08-10T18:24:13Z")
It didn’t accept GAMMON ---
**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:** [August 10, 2025, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/1905 "2025-08-10T18:29:37Z")
I tried that as well. Too British? ---
**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:** [August 10, 2025, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/1906 "2025-08-10T19:06:41Z")
Maybe? It was accepted a few times so who knows. ---
**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:** [August 11, 2025, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/1907 "2025-08-11T06:28:50Z")
I only tried MAGNETO as a joke - I didn’t realize it was a real thing. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2025, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/1908 "2025-08-11T09:10:34Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > I only tried MAGNETO as a joke - I didn’t realize it was a real thing That word sounds like the name of a villain in a superhero comic book. ---
**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:** [August 11, 2025, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/1909 "2025-08-11T09:55:41Z")
[Well yes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magneto_(Marvel_Comics)). But it’s also a [thing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magneto). ---
**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:** [August 11, 2025, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/1910 "2025-08-11T13:03:47Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > I only tried MAGNETO as a joke - I didn’t realize it was a real thing. You obviously didn’t grow up on a farm that had pre-1960 John Deere tractors! ---
**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:** [August 11, 2025, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/1911 "2025-08-11T13:14:40Z")
Quiet day today, nothing doolally. ---
**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:** [August 11, 2025, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/1912 "2025-08-11T13:28:05Z")
Yeah, I tried that one, too. I’m just missing the hardest word, one that I’m sure I don’t know. ETA: Finally guessed the right combination of letters. Considering some of the words he disallows, I’m pretty surprised this one is considered common. ---
**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:** [August 11, 2025, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/1913 "2025-08-11T13:39:57Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > You obviously didn’t grow up on a farm that had pre-1960 John Deere tractors! Guilty as charged. ---
**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:** [August 11, 2025, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/1914 "2025-08-11T14:17:09Z")
No AHOLD. ---
**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:** [August 11, 2025, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/1915 "2025-08-11T14:33:27Z")
I tried it too and it turns out that the standard way is as two words ---
**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:** [August 11, 2025, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/1916 "2025-08-11T14:39:07Z")
Merriam Webster, Cambridge, Collins, and Oxford accept it without commentary. It’s primarily a US usage. ---
**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:** [August 11, 2025, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/1917 "2025-08-11T14:41:04Z")
I thought it was in poor taste to include MEGATON during the week we are commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings. (I agree it was weird they didn’t accept MEGATONNAGE ). ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2025, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/1918 "2025-08-12T12:32:37Z")
I’ll note that they RUTHlessly ignored TUATARA and CAOUTCHOUC. 🙂 ---
**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:** [August 12, 2025, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/1919 "2025-08-12T14:48:56Z")
Funny time to exclude the word AUTARCH. ---
**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:** [August 12, 2025, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739/1920 "2025-08-12T15:07:21Z")
Also, I tried [auroch](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurochs), but it wasn’t accepted. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739.md?page=95) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-spelling-bee-drives-me-crazy/994739.md?page=97)