The NYT Spelling Bee Thread

jimmurphy said:

ml1 said:

So I decided not to use hints today (I did check the number of possible words).  So far I'm at Genius, two words short of QB.  Think I picked the right day to go without hints

How do you know that you are 2 words short?  2 or 3 points away from double-amazing?

I used the hints only to see how many words there are today.  I suppose if I look at the points I can figure it out that way too.

alha said:

ml1 said:

If I use the hints, in a typical week I get Genius about 5 days, and at least one QB, sometimes a couple.  The hints are incredibly helpful.

I make it to Genius just about every day. I might miss it once a month, if that often. I seldom use the hints, only when I'm beyond double Great and stand a chance of getting to QB...and only to see how many more words I need. 

I have been getting frustrated recently. I've given up a few times at "amazing" but I always try to genius. If I don't want to invest more time, I am okay with that... But you are the standard I hold myself up to, as corny as it sounds.

alha said:

Click on Today's Hints and scroll down a bit to see the total words and total points for QB.

I was assuming he didn’t use the hints -missed the part about checking number of words.

jimmurphy said:

alha said:

Click on Today's Hints and scroll down a bit to see the total words and total points for QB.

I was assuming he didn’t use the hints -missed the part about checking number of words.

I suppose looking at total words isn't particularly helpful.  Until you get to QB you know there's at least one more word left.

Today I got Queen Bee but only after looking at hints for the last word. I had never heard of it, but once I knew the first two letters, I just tried various combinations. I do think the hints make it easier...

KarenMarlowe said:

Today I got Queen Bee but only after looking at hints for the last word. I had never heard of it, but once I knew the first two letters, I just tried various combinations. I do think the hints make it easier...

it makes it easier to get the last couple of words, I think.  Since I stopped using the hints I've made it to Genius every day, but those last 2-3 words have been stumping me.  If I used hints yesterday I'm certain I would have got QB (I was 3 short and the words I missed are relatively familiar).  

I still look in to see how many words are in the puzzle, just so I know if I'm close enough to keep plugging away.  I'm 2 short so far today, but starting to lose confidence that I'll get to QB without hints.  I'm stumped at this point.

ml1 said:

KarenMarlowe said:

Today I got Queen Bee but only after looking at hints for the last word. I had never heard of it, but once I knew the first two letters, I just tried various combinations. I do think the hints make it easier...

it makes it easier to get the last couple of words, I think.  Since I stopped using the hints I've made it to Genius every day, but those last 2-3 words have been stumping me.  If I used hints yesterday I'm certain I would have got QB (I was 3 short and the words I missed are relatively familiar).  

I still look in to see how many words are in the puzzle, just so I know if I'm close enough to keep plugging away.  I'm 2 short so far today, but starting to lose confidence that I'll get to QB without hints.  I'm stumped at this point.

I looked to see how many words. I was one away. I knew without trying every combination, I would not get it. It is a hollow victory.

KarenMarlowe said:

I looked to see how many words. I was one away. I knew without trying every combination, I would not get it. It is a hollow victory.

I'm only one short now.

I missed Queen Bee by one fatal word yesterday. I'm 5-6 points away today but won't do hints, even to see how many words there are. I am curious about the hints but don't want to start!

KarenMarlowe said:

It is a hollow victory.

That’s the way I felt when I tried it. No more.

I missed yesterday by one word -- "eave".  I can't believe that one didn't jump off the screen for me.

I usually don't look at the clues until I'm stumped. I often wonder how I missed certain letter combinations once I look.

ml1 said:

I missed yesterday by one word -- "eave".  I can't believe that one didn't jump off the screen for me.

Missed that, halvah (I had halva and didn't think to look for an alternate spelling), and helve, which I'd never hear of - a handle apparently.

jimmurphy said:

ml1 said:

I missed yesterday by one word -- "eave".  I can't believe that one didn't jump off the screen for me.

Missed that, halvah (I had halva and didn't think to look for an alternate spelling), and helve, which I'd never hear of - a handle apparently.

I often try alternate spellings for words that originated in other languages, so I got both. Like "meze" and "mezze".  And then there are odd ones (at least to me) like "mama" and "mamma".  Is "mamma" really a common spelling in English?  But it is in Spelling Bee.

ml1 said:

I missed yesterday by one word -- "eave".  I can't believe that one didn't jump off the screen for me.

I missed it by one word too, but my missing word was "helve", a word I've never heard of.

jimmurphy said:

That’s the way I felt when I tried it. No more.

You and me both...tried it once, felt like I was "cheating" and won't go there again.

alha said:

ml1 said:

I missed yesterday by one word -- "eave".  I can't believe that one didn't jump off the screen for me.

I missed it by one word too, but my missing word was "helve", a word I've never heard of.

I didn't actually know what "helve" and "lave" meant, but I had an idea that they were words I had seen someplace, so gave it a shot and it turned out they exist

Just started playing the full version (before that they limited me to a certain level). Today I got both panagrams.
But I have yet to figure out how to use the hints area. Perhaps folks have written about it earlier in the thread but please indulge me and repeat it here. I'm still only at great or at least sub-par genius but the day is not yet done. 

alha said:

I missed it by one word too, but my missing word was "helve", a word I've never heard of.

Same!

zucca said:

alha said:

I missed it by one word too, but my missing word was "helve", a word I've never heard of.

Same!

That's the word I was missing! 

KarenMarlowe said:

That's the word I was missing! 

Helve shall hereby be added to the list of words we shall never miss again, with nonillion of course. 

jimmurphy said:

KarenMarlowe said:

That's the word I was missing! 

Helve shall hereby be added to the list of words we shall never miss again, with nonillion of course. 

mine is "allele".

Yesterday I missed by a couple.  One was "pippin" which I was sure I had entered, so I eventually would have got it.  But the other was "minicamp" which is a word I know from the NFL, but I would not have tried it in a million years in Spelling Bee. 

ml1 said:

mine is "allele".

Yesterday I missed by a couple.  One was "pippin" which I was sure I had entered, so I eventually would have got it.  But the other was "minicamp" which is a word I know from the NFL, but I would not have tried it in a million years in Spelling Bee. 

Minicamp, a word totally unfamiliar to me, was my only missing word yesterday. 

alha said:

ml1 said:

mine is "allele".

Yesterday I missed by a couple.  One was "pippin" which I was sure I had entered, so I eventually would have got it.  But the other was "minicamp" which is a word I know from the NFL, but I would not have tried it in a million years in Spelling Bee. 

Minicamp, a word totally unfamiliar to me, was my only missing word yesterday. 

I have trouble with compound words. I always seem to miss them, even when I know them. 

KarenMarlowe said:

alha said:

ml1 said:

mine is "allele".

Yesterday I missed by a couple.  One was "pippin" which I was sure I had entered, so I eventually would have got it.  But the other was "minicamp" which is a word I know from the NFL, but I would not have tried it in a million years in Spelling Bee. 

Minicamp, a word totally unfamiliar to me, was my only missing word yesterday. 

I have trouble with compound words. I always seem to miss them, even when I know them. 

I couldn't believe I missed "headlamp" the other day.  I was wracking my brain for compound words using either, but I never put both together 

I finally got genius after playing for the last 3 days with permissions to get as high. It seemed like yesterday the hints didn't provide the 2 letter hints or was it just posted late? In any event, this is worth the $40/year and I haven't even gotten back to the regular puzzle, something I used to do religiously on the train in the 80's and 90's lol! 

wendy said:

I finally got genius after playing for the last 3 days with permissions to get as high. It seemed like yesterday the hints didn't provide the 2 letter hints or was it just posted late? In any event, this is worth the $40/year and I haven't even gotten back to the regular puzzle, something I used to do religiously on the train in the 80's and 90's lol! 

My husband of three years paid for this for his late wife. He didn't even realize it, but because he subscribed so long ago, it's $19.97 per year. Yay for a husband who doesn't pay attention! JK... JK.

You are grandfathered in; don't ever leave it. I can tell you stories about my wonderful grandfathered T-mobile account as well. But want advice please. Is everyone REALLY getting up to genius each day or just the braggarts?

wendy said:

You are grandfathered in; don't ever leave it. I can tell you stories about my wonderful grandfathered T-mobile account as well. But want advice please. Is everyone REALLY getting up to genius each day or just the braggarts?

As the reigning braggart since I think I’m the last to post my QB screenshot, ;-) , pretty much every day, yes.

BUT, I contend that it’s largely about persistence and time-spent for Genius. QB involves some luck, time-spent, and knowledge or at least recall of obscure words.

jimmurphy said:

wendy said:

You are grandfathered in; don't ever leave it. I can tell you stories about my wonderful grandfathered T-mobile account as well. But want advice please. Is everyone REALLY getting up to genius each day or just the braggarts?

As the reigning braggart since I think I’m the last to post my QB screenshot, ;-) , pretty much every day, yes.

BUT, I contend that it’s largely about persistence and time-spent for Genius. QB involves some luck, time-spent, and knowledge or at least recall of obscure words.

Most of the time, but sometimes, I just give up and settle for amazing.