NYT Spelling Bee

[ciao_yall]

Morning!

SB - Thanks to the new Bee blog learned some new words bailee, labile, libelee.

LB - Lots of 3fers but saw a spoiler on the blog flop-picturesque. Not sure I would have found it on my own, though I did have flip-pic-croquets, clop-piquets-surf, flip-proscript-toque by then so perhaps it would have jumped out.

I often think I should go for GN4L but then the words start flying through my brain and I forget. Takes some discipline!

Anyway, happing solving!

[cathwen]

Good morning!

SB:  My last word yesterday was labile, which I failed to see even after LA-6 from Shunn, and the definition in Wordplay.  In frustration, I just started typing combinations, and voilà.  Congratulations on QB, ciao_yall and ab_grp!

Today I made QB with Shunn for the last two words. 

LB:  I got the official solution yesterday.  I have a 2fer today, but I might try for another one, as I don't like my first word.  But we'll see.  I have a lot of stuff to do today. 

Ciao_yall, how disappointing about the spoiler yesterday!  I hope that Wordplay will edit out the spoilers in the future.  Hints are one thing, but answers are another!

Happy puzzling, everyone!

[ab_grp]

Good morning/afternoon!

I tried for the GN4L and made it, but I wonder if it depends on aspects of the puzzle.  Also got to QBABM! Congrats on your QBs yesterday, ciao_yall and cathwen! The word we missed was balalaika, which I guess we'll have to put on the list to remember in the future.  And congrats on your QB today, cathwen!

For LB yesterday, I got critiques-superfluous.  I've got a bunch of contenders today but need to write them down since I've been doing it on my phone and just now got to my computer.  Congrats on getting one already today, cathwen!

Still have to do sudokus, and I am trying to do some stealth cooking for an early birthday present for husband once he heads out today.  I woke up in the middle of the night and realized I might not have one of the tools I need, though I can probably make do.  I need him to get out of here so I can nose around in our old tools area.  If not, it will just take a bit longer, and I kind of need the time.  I even got the special ingredients in behind his back! Argh.

Happy solving!

[Parasaurolophus]

Got to genius, but haven't seen the pangram yet.

[Langue_doc]

Afternoon!

Got to QB earlier today.

Took another nap yesterday soon after I posted here with the result that I slept for another three hours and couldn't fall asleep until quite late. Needless to say, I didn't get back to SP or LB what with chores that needed to be done and today's crosswords that had to be completed before bedtime.

Another long day because I had to leave early for a doctor's appointment. The early leaving was because the beachgoers park by the subway station so I try to get to that area before 8:30. It's either leaving home early or taking a bus to and from the subway station which adds an hour to an already long commute. The reward was getting to spend the extra hour birdwatching in Central Park. Good visit, hadn't seen the doctor in two years, so had to get bloodwork and also paperwork for all kinds of routine tests. Got home an hour ago, and just had breakfast. Now I think it's time for a nap to make up for the hours spent last night trying to sleep.

LB is way down the list of to-do things today.

[ab_grp]

Congrats on the QB, Langue_doc, and good luck, Parasaurolophus!

Sounds like a mixed bag on the day due to the early appointment, Langue_doc.  Not fun having to leave early just to get a parking spot, but it's great that you got some birdwatching time in at Central Park! I hope your sleep gets back on track.

Still no LB solution, but I spent the day like a chicken with my head cut off, cooking up this ranchero sauce for husband and getting all the dishes done before he got home so it would be a surprise sans mess.  Whew! Hopefully I will sleep better now that that feat has been accomplished.  I had to sudoku like a mad woman while he was driving to work so I could get right to it as soon as he got there.  Anyway, hopefully a contender will yield a mate at some point!

[ciao_yall]

QB WATHICG, and LB with the solver site.

Don't worry if you don't get one on your own - the solutions are a bit weird. I found a 2fer b4ss which it might not have taken anyway due to the nature of the second word. Ended up in the 3fer slog.

[ab_grp]

Congrats on QB and 2fer!

I also finally found a 2fer, but not with any of my previous contenders.  Definitely interested in the solutions!

[Langue_doc]

Good morning!

Pangram and well above genius so far.

privates/somewhat

ab_grp, hope your surprise dishes turned out well and were indeed a pleasant surprise. As for the planning around parking, I'm used to it and typically plan other activities such as a museum visit, park,  or even window shopping when I go into the city. I think I'm still recovering from the surgery, hence the fatigue.

Happy solving, all!

[ciao_yall]

Morning!

QB - last few words were chichi, techie and hectic /headsmack.

LB - vipers-somewhat. I just was not seeing all day somewhat. Again, 3fers abounded withers-samovar-rip, whomever-respite-eta. movers-swap-pith and a b4ss (trigger alert) whomever-rapist.

Not sure how much puzzle time I'll have today but we'll see.

Happy solving!

[cathwen]

Good morning!

Genius without the pangram this morning.  I think it's going to be a Shunn day.  Ciao_yall, congratulations on QB and LB! 

LB:  Yesterday I first had whops-semiprivate,then found pivoters-shawm.  That reminded me of my friends in former BucolicTown who were music professors and specialists in early music and sometimes played their shawms.

Today I have a 2fer, but I was surprised that one of the words was accepted. 

Ab_grp, I'm sure your husband was (will be?) very pleasantly surprised by all your culinary efforts!  What are you making to go with the ranchero sauce?

Langue_doc, it's surprising how long the fatigue drags on after a simple cataract surgery.  My husband had his surgery on the 12th and felt tired for a good week after.  I hope that you start to get your energy back soon!  Birdwatching in Central Park must have been soothing, though.  It's an amazingly rich habitat—I say amazingly, because as one who moved to NYC after years in a semi-rural area, I couldn't believe how good the birding was.  Battery Park City is another good place to bird (I lived there when we first moved to NYC—joining a birding group there really helped me transition to urban life). 

Happy puzzling!

[ab_grp]

Good morning!

Man, we are struggling today on the bee.  Not at Alpha yet (though we do have the pangram... I think it was in there recently), and though I got to GN4L again I still have a four-letter left now that I can't find.  I think that may be easier on puzzles like yesterday's.  Yesterday my final word was chide for some reason, though I had its past tense! I'm glad I just randomly typed that in and got to QB.  Hectic was definitely one of my last.

I got whomever-respirates finally yesterday.  Never saw somewhat.  Congrats on those solutions! I had some contenders that used up almost all the letters, but I guess not the right ones.  Congrats on your 2fer already, cathwen!

Thanks about the cooking.  Husband loves huevos rancheros, so we will have those for breakfast.  Probably often, as I made him 3Q of it, but it freezes well.  He's more used to a different ranchero sauce, as the specific flavors are pretty regional, but he said this one tastes really good (he might just be being nice).  I don't really eat it, so I am not exactly sure what it is supposed to taste like.  I hope to also try it with enchiladas, and it is supposedly a good topping for meatloaf, which he has also mentioned an interest in recently.  We'll see.

Langue_doc, it sounds like there is quite a recovery process not related to the eyes after that type of surgery.  I hope you regain your energy but get to take it easy in the meantime.  I know what you mean about planning parking, having taken the train in to the city regularly for 15 years.  It makes a big difference! But bonus if you get to use the extra time for fun things.  Continued good thoughts for your recovery!

Happy solving!

[onthefringe]

mmmm- ranchero sauce (drool).

Yesterday LB 2fer of whisper-remotivate. Another good day for vaied answes! 2fer today just now.

[ab_grp]

Onthefringe, congrats on your 2fer! And we have plenty of sauce to share! Fortunately, it was deemed a great success.  I'll have to try to make the kind he's more familiar with at some point, if I can find a good recipe for it.

We straggled to QB with Shunn's help for the final couple words.  I'm not sure I would have picked up one of them without Shunn.  Egad.  And there were a couple that weren't accepted that we thought should have been.

Not much luck on LB yet, and still have to finish hard sudoku.

[cathwen]

I, too, straggled to QB with help from Shunn, and also from Wordplay for a couple of definitions.  Ab_grp, I think I know the word you're talking about.  I had the first two letters from Shunn, and guessed at the rest (had I seen the word before somewhere, and just don't remember?).  Anyway, congratulations on your QB!

Congratulations on your 2fer, onthefringe!  And for adding to the variety of answers for yesterday's LB!