I assume that Sam Ezersky is working off a list (perhaps generated using a computer program) of possible pangrams, which explains how odd words (like pettifog) end up in the puzzle.
BTW, the other day, the puzzle had three vowels in it. Anyone know if there have been puzzles with more vowels?
Here are vowel counts since January, 2021 (this table is a little out of date now, so it will miss if it happened really recently):
||1|50|
||2|832|
||3|814|
||Grand Total|1696|
Thanks. So no more than three vowels out of seven letters.
Unless you want to count Y as a vowel. There have been some with 3 vowels plus a Y.
||1|17|
||2|590|
||3|989|
||4|100|
||Grand Total|1696|
That means 100 puzzles with 4 vowels or 3 vowels + Y? That works out to approximately 9% of them.
As for words not accepted today, MUON, which I know is technical and obscure, but I’ve seen others that look just as obscure to me.
And, spoilering because they’re close to accepted words,
TANNOY (too British) and MONONYMY, which surely should be accepted?
We’ve complained about MUON before and you’re not wrong. They accept similar words as I recall.
For those who like historical and literary allusions, one for today is Tonnant, a British ship from the Napoleonic War era, familiar to Hornblower fans.
We’ve already established that there are no puzzles with 4 vowels, so it’s all 3 vowels + Y.
Sure but in words like CYAN, Y is a vowel. Right? It’s not one in YELLOW.
We should call Y something like…a semi-vowel!
Also, how did I miss that the oft-decried absence of ANNATTO was corrected in June, with four appearances this year?
Thursday 11/6 puzzle was maybe the easiest of all time for me. I think I got to QB in less than 15 minutes. Although I had to guess for my last word, which was FOBBED. Not sure I’ve ever heard that word.
Sure you have but in the usage fobbed off. I went to buy a nice used phone but they fobbed of a broken one on me
Yeah, today was super easy and I got to QB quickly as well
Nope, don’t think so!
Pawned off maybe.
Oft-decried? Is the word in question in ordinary use for you folks? I see it’s a food coloring. Do you use it or otherwise know about it in regular life?
I’m 70 years old and only know it from the Spelling Bee, and have been mildly outraged every time it’s shown up.
Today was easy. It’s only the third or fourth time I’ve gotten to QB without any help at all, e.g., SBB or the word grids. I always try to get to Genius without any help, and almost always do. I continue past Genius without aids as far as I can, but then allow myself to use the word grids at SBB. And about half the time that’s all I need. Only if I’m still stumped will I resort to the reader hints.
I see it in ingredients lists all the time.
Ditto. I was always surprised it wasn’t included in the Spelling Bee.
Anyone else try boff or boffed today?
Sure did. Then I remembered what it means. Tried BOOF too.
I was not surprised but disappointed that feoffee isn’t on the list. For those who have forgotten their medieval legal terminology, here is what it’s all about.
I’m not sure there’s any point in spoilering words that aren’t on the list, but I did it anyway more out of habit than anything.