I play all of the daily NYT games in hopes that it will help my failing memory. I can often do the mini crossword in under a minute. I can finish the Monday crossword without hints. I can wordle like a bad-ass and I can usually get Connections now that I’ve realized it’s basically all trick questions. I can even do the easy sodoku in under 10 minutes which I thought way a brag until I looked it up and apparently most people can do it in 4. But I can never get to “genius level” in the spelling bee game…the one where you try to make up the most words from the letters you’re given, mostly because I don’t have the opportunity to plead my case. Yesterday I guessed 14 words, but didn’t get credit for several more, including:
My meemaw always used to say, “Come dig into these yummy vittles” and I realize that “vittles” is more commonly used than “vittle” but I think it’s implied that vittles = more than one vittle and so this should totally be accepted.
Okay, granted…”titty” is the more acceptable spelling but I think all titties should be celebrated. Also, the dictionary says “tittie” is another word for sister, and yes, it also says that was back in the 1600s in Scotland but my mom is Scottish/Irish so I think I should at least get half credit.
Y’all. Just because you can’t find it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.
PS. Spellcheck is telling me that “meemaw” is not a word either and is like, “Did you mean ‘merman‘?” No, spellcheck. A merman did not tell me to eat my vittles. Omg, I fucking give up.
I suck at Connections and Spelling Bee is a dick. Strands and Wordle make me feel like I’ve won a prize every day.
I LOVE Spelling Bee and try to play everyday; it’s super tricky but if you use the Spelling Bee buddy help they offer, it makes it a lot easier to come up with words. As does cheating using WordHippo…..
Victuals. Just because we pronounce it vittles….that spelling went out in the 14th century. I have an unreasonably large pool of essentially useless knowledge in my head.
Omg. I tried all those words as well lol
Unfortunately, it’s spelled victuals even though it’s properly pronounced “vittles”. Right there with ya on the others!
I recently learned from Lucie Frost (thanks for suggesting her on IG) that “vittles” is actually spelled “victuals”. In Lucie’s words “how the hell did I not know that?”
Have you played booklinks? It’s like connections, but with book covers! https://tertulia.com/booklinks
(WHAT. That’s my jam. ~ Jenny)
I had to give up on spelling bee because I am so OCD that I obsessed about getting to high levels all day. I decided to stick with shorter games that are either right or wrong and are over quickly!
I literally tried those exact same words yesterday and was particularly frustrated about “vittle”.
I love those awesome words! NYT is a word snob, but I think if a word is in common usage, it should be allowed.
Okay, I love you. “Vittile” is actually something like “victuals” in the dictionary ( I could be wrong). Totally agree with you on everything! I’ve faced this on other word games. Tit is accepted; tits not?
“Just because you can’t find it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist” had me rolling! You ought to get double points for that one!
“Y’all. Just because you can’t find it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.”
Lmao! It works in so many contexts.
I thought for sure vittle was a word! I mean Maw and Paw Kettle used it. But then I’m always pissed when NYT doesn’t take Star Wars and Star Trek terms too🤷🏼♀️
I fight with Wordle every day. C’mon – BLEAT is SO a word! The Sports Connection has kicked my butt a lot since its inception. Apparently I don’t know sh*t about Sports.
I don’t subscribe, because broke school employee. But I play the free versions of the games. Spelling bee is baffling because they cut you off and there doesn’t seem to a set point. Somedays, I will guess 3 words and the turn ends, other days it lets me guess a lot more before it cutSomeday,
But I can’t not play every day.
I only do Wordle, Connections and strands because the crossword makes me feel like a dumbass after Monday, and I am not one, so I refuse to do it….haha. Spelling Bee started to piss me off, too.
Omg! I was pissed about tittie and clit too! I’m allowed vulva (last week) but not clit or tittie? How “elite”!
Bottle bottle bottle (I’m typing vittle and autocorrect in its infinite wisdom thinks I mean bottle). Vittle is a word! Ugh!! The snot-nosed hoity-toity (which took me four attempts to get this app to accept as a combined word) people who create Spelling Bee need to spend some time in other dictionaries that the whatever Britannica.
True story, I once won a scrabble game against my grandfather by playing CLIT. He was disappointed in me but allowed it.
This is me with the WaPo games every day. Obsessed, I tell you!
Spelling may not be a highlight, but making us laugh is a GIFT! Thank you, thank you!
To my dismay, “c u n t” and “c u n t y” are similarly not accepted. Not even in Wordle!
I only play Spelling Bee to see if I can get the word that uses all the letters. That way I can feel like I won, but not have to focus on getting all the words ever.
You should try Blossom, a Merriam-Webster word game. Always looking for those Panagrams and a higher score!
Who in hell says they ate some victuals? 🤣 Love those victuals! Conneticut is actually spelled ConneCTicut but how many people do you know who live in ConneCticut?!
Have you tried squardle? Find all the words in a grid of letters. Earlier in the week is easiest and then it gets harder throughout the week. Morning routine — wordle, strands, connection, spelling bee (free version), mini crossword, then onto squardle, and waffle. All games listed are free
Spelling Bee absolutely won’t take a word that they think is or may be offensive. Wordle is a lot less staid, but Letter-Boxed is pretty uptight too.
I was also SUPER FRUSTRATED about “vittle.” I mean, come on. Miriam-Webster says it’s a word. But Spelling Bee doesn’t? And Spelling Bee included “loci” and “oleic” instead? Bah, I say. BAH.
I have the same argument with Spelling Bee. Words that are in the dictionary it is excluding. No matter how loudly I complain, it never changes its mind.
I play them all except Letter Boxed or the harder Sudoku (because there are anagrams waiting to be unjumbled and I have priorities). The highlight of my day is achieving Queen Bee status on my own, but if I don’t, or if it looks like the Past Puzzles archives will time out … then hell yeah I look up the answers!
My personal favourite tool is Spelling Bee Solver (I googled ‘mashable spelling bee hints today’, lol). If you try it, remember to unclick ‘hide solution set’ to find out what Spelling Bee thinks are somehow superior to your own vocabulary.
“A merman did not tell me to eat my vittles”….will be on my tombstone.
Connections, Wordle then Quordle in that order. I take the correct word from Wordle to start Quordle. Tried Spelling Bee. Did not enjoy.
That’s so funny I put down vittle and clit as wi knew clit won’t work from past experience with the bee.. but I think it should
I am always annoyed that they accept mama, but not dada, which is both a naming noun and an art form. But then it took me three tries to spell rococo correctly
I have a huge list of all the words that are “real” but that their dictionary doesn’t like. Evidently it likes yoga poses, international cooking, especially stews, and every type of monetary denomination in the world. It does not accept gaol, or midden, or wain or vail. I am NOT archaic!!
My dad taught me that the accepted spelling is “victuals,” which is stupid. I will help you campaign for “vittles.”
Spelling Bee wouldn’t take “mizzen,” as in “mizzen mast.” Illiterate swine. Read your Patrick O’Brian, you grass combing bugger!
I love wordle and play it in English, German, Italian, and Latin. I only speak English and Italian, but I understand how language works.
In the puzzle you show above, don’t the letters have to touch when you spell a word?
“ Just because you can’t find it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist”
No truer words have been spoken…
I love you, Jenny!
I admire that you can do suduko. I can’t do it for shit. Wordle is usually pretty easy unless my brain is stressed. But you’re right – just cause they can’t find it didn’t mean clit isn’t a word! Sillies!
I tried vittle (autocorrect doesn’t like it any more than Spelling Bee) because I had Southern relatives. I thin the Bee is pretty East Coast-centric. It doesn’t accept Chile either and we all know that’s a delicious word!
Autocorrect doesn’t even like words that do exist.
It wasn’t until this moment that I realized you could use each letter more than once. Which explains why I never could get more than a few words. And vittle is totally a word
I love the NYT puzzles, but I agree about spelling bee. I can only do the easy sudoku.
I also tried vittle. I frequently suggest perfectly good words that Spelling Bee should add to its vocabulary but, so far, no luck.
I’m pissed because it didn’t accept “dickhead”. And it might have even been a pangram. Probably not, but that’s how I choose to remember it.
So salty about so many of their choices on what constitutes a valid word. I grew up with vittles – who ever heard of ‘blin’ as the singular of blini? That’s some east coast, big city nonsense. But neem isn’t allowed, despite being a common garden item. Fennec? Nope. So. Many. “Archaic” words. Are you telling me I’m old? But “doggo” is allowed…
Use the Spelling Bee Buddy! Go to >Hints and scroll down to Further Reading. Click the Try Spelling Bee Buddy link in the first paragraph. It’s WAY more better for your brain to get more of the answers and over time you’ll be able to get more of them without your Buddy. It’s the Queen Bee you’re going for and the end totally justifies the means!
Queen Bee 🐝
I cheat and use the Spelling Bee Buddy too. I am good at the crossword, great at the Mini and usually good at World. But, like you, I try CLIT and C_NT every time I get the letters – never is accepted….but I keep trying! I usually do OK on Connections and strands too…I like to think the puzzles are keeping my mind from going.
Villi is the word that the Bee never recognizes for me, and it makes me so mad! I only know the word b/c of my celiac disease….I can’t eat real bread anymore, c’mon Spelling Bee, give a girl a break. (BTW, love that I learned about ‘victuals’ today.)
Oh, my gosh, I was a total badass with Spelling Bee a lot of the time, but other days the helper was essential. It was so much fun! I love the Mini, but after a few month playing the full crossword, I decided it wasn’t good for my mental health, and I was a total bust with Wordle. I finally cancelled once the NYT made it easy to do so (that is, I was no longer required to call them).
As for some of your word choices… well, “clit” is obviously an abbreviation, and “tittie” is slang. I understand their rules, but it does make them look snobbish. I can imagine them clutching their pearls upon reading or hearing either one, knowing perfectly well what the word is but being shocked, SHOCKED I SAY that anyone should actually use it in their presence.
I can’t do spelling bee either. I have too many naughty words and British spellings in my brain, plus I just don’t SEE things that way (Strands is straight from Satan). My crossword times get faster all the time, though, except for Thursday’s, those blow my mind. I’m either saving my memory or getting a lot better at procrastinating, it’s hard to say for sure at this point.
My goal for Spelling Bee is to get an anagram. It doesn’t happen often but I get so excited when I find one.
I love the spelling bee, but it does tend to not allow words that are REAL words. Both “vittle” and “clit” are in the dictionary. And it even points out that “vittles” is the plural for vittle! And, more importantly, “titty” is defined in the dictionary as “Noun: tittie”, another name for tit. I do find it interesting that “tittie” is not in the dictionary, but it is used in the definition of titty. Gonna have to call those losers at the Oxford Dictionary!
Love the NYT games, too. I do them in this order: Connections, Wordle, Strands, Mini, Spelling Bee, and Squardle (which I think you would like). Then I do Waffle, which comes out at night because it’s from the UK. I usually get Genius or Queen Bee on SB, but was incensed the other day that “clit” was rejected. Hmmmph!
I’m too cheap to pay for all the games so I only ever try to guess the pangram on Spelling Bee. I LOVE Wordle, Connections and Spangram but SUDOKU is completely beyond me.
Omg I do the spelling bee everyday and had the same reaction to the word vittle! I also typed in “clit” mainly cause i thought it was funny, but i think your whole “just cause you can’t find it doesn’t mean it’s not a word!” is funnier.
Spelling bee Buddy and BestWordList.com get me to Genius almost every day but it takes a long time sometimes. I always think I am doing great – 20 words! I am so smart!… and then I see the hints and there 4 million words…… PS – I tried clit and vittles too.
Omg! I thought I was just super dumb when it comes to Spelling Bee! I can wordle,’strands/letterbox/mini crossword all day… and usually get something right in the Connections. But that damn Bee! Its the bane of my existence!
Jenny, just had a note for you regarding your memory issues. You might want to have a vitamin d blood test done if you haven’t done so already.
I thought my memory was failing after my hysterectomy 5 months ago(kept my ovaries) due to ovary failure, hormone fluctuations, etc. My gynecologist thought the same thing-she said “brain fog” was normal for 1-2 years after a hysterectomy and continued to encourage HRT.
I found out recently that I actually had alarmingly low vitamin D levels (my general practitioner issued a vitamin d blood test and made a big deal that my blood test showed I was 14 which is scary low). Low vitamin d is associated with lots of things included forgetfulness, depression, anxiety, slow wound healing, bone health issues, etc.
I’m taking 4000 units of D3 per my GP everyday (I have to take 4000 units a day for the next 6 months, and then after that take 2000 units a day forever) and I think my memory is improving already. It’s been less than a week of beginning vitamin D and I think I’m sleeping better, and I think I’m remembering things a little better already. Might want to get your vitamin D levels checked!
Just thought you and others on here should know-if your doctor won’t issue the test then you can go direct to a Quest Diagnostics lab (at least in CA you can) and pay out of pocket for the test.
Oh Jenny…You’re hilarious…and you’re correct! Wordle needs to seriously expand their vocab.
This. Is. Hilarious. Because we feel the same over here! Yes, cunt IS a word!
I grew up on the east coast, north and south. This is clearly a case of snobbery, hubris, nose thumbing, at the language of the South. Only northern words need apply…
Have I posted my list of Spelling Bee grievances lately? Because they are legion. By biggest fear is that the Tholians have noticed the slight and are now on their way to pulverize the NY Times. And they are NOT nice aliens.
I use the hints from readers! If you go to spelling bee buddy and scroll all the way down, you get these crossword type hints. Go for the longest words and you’ll be at Genius in no time! Also, it appears to be a Brit game, so the words “whinge” and “lotto” show up. Good luck!
I love your determination and humor! The NYT games are definitely a fun way to keep your mind sharp. It’s frustrating when the game doesn’t recognize valid words, but it’s also a great opportunity to learn and grow. Keep up the good work, and maybe one day you’ll reach that Genius level!
Your “meemaw” story is hilarious. It’s a reminder that language is constantly evolving, and sometimes, the most unexpected words can be valid.
khalidelarbi
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