NYT Spelling Bee

[cathwen]

Wow, ab_grp, QB already?  Congratulations!

Parasaurolophus, congratulations on genius!  And may you continue to rack up points!

I've just finished grading midterm exams and entering midterm grades into the university system—so feeling s bit bleary-eyed.  Nevertheless, I did find enough more points on SB to just make Beta.  Onward...

[ciao_yall]

After a day of 3fers and b4ss solutions I finally went to the online solver for a hint. So got a 2fer but wow, none of my contenders were it!

Anyway, we are a bit early but if ab_grp feels like sharing a few odd words to help us out on the bee, I'm game!

cathwen, if you hint your 2fer I'll hint mine.

[Langue_doc]

Made it to QB and the two-fer.

I might not be checking in tonight as I'm still dealing with my body's reaction to DST (never a good one) and also have to deal with massive plagiarism.

Congrats to all for all levels of accomplishment.

[cathwen]

Congratulations on QB, Langue_doc!  I'm still stuck at Beta, although I haven't looked at SB since this afternoon. 

Ciao_yall, here's my 2-fer hint:  1.  Always wins; 2.  Use of a certain weapon.  Think of Zorro!  (Okay, if you're not as ancient as I am, Zorro might be an obscure reference.  But when I was a kid, it was one of my favorite shows, and I had a mad crush on Guy Williams, who played Zorro.)

[ciao_yall]

cathwen, I think we have the same second word. My first word is a dangerous material, ironically installed for safety. Let me see if I can figure out your first.

ETA: Found it! I bet it's the official one because it uses fewer letters than mine.

For the Bee, I'm just into genius so my words are pretty plain. The only odd-ish one so far is a style of hat popular in the 1920's.

[Langue_doc]

Good morning!

Two pangrams so far, and genius. Common everyday words.

LB debts/swordplay. From the Zorro analogy, I guess cathwen's second word is the same as mine. Douglas Fairbanks, anyone? The Prisoner of Zenda?

Happy solving!

[ab_grp]

Good morning!

Sounds like you got some different 2fers than the schmofficial solution.  Congrats! I was set on using storyboards but couldn't get the remaining letters to work.  And congrats on your QB yesterday, Langue_doc! And on beta, cathwen!

I got to Alpha today (154) and think I have three pangrams.  Not enough points left for another.  I have a deadline today but hope to be able to get some success during breaks.

Happy solving!

[cathwen]

Good morning, everyone!

Yes, my second word was swordplay.  My first was bests.  I saw wordplay first—but failed to see bestow out of the remaining letters.  But what works, works!  Debts, bests, and whatever ciao_yall has found!  I'm eager to see what the 'dangerous material' is.  (Having missed toluene in a recent SB, I clearly do not have a good grasp of dangerous materials.)

I found a 2-fer today without much trouble.

SB is currently at genius, with two pangrams.  Apparently, there is a third, with 165 points necessary for QB.  Yesterday's SB stayed stalled at Beta; I missed hellhole and a few others.

Congratulations on Alpha, ab_grp! 

[ab_grp]

Thanks, cathwen! I think hellhole was my third-to-last word, and I found it because husband said he had an 8-letter word, and I didn't (of course... what is it with 8-letter words?!).  My final two were mohel and kohl.

Congrats on your 2fer already today, too!

[cathwen]

Mohel was another word that I missed.  On the list for next time...

I'm at Alpha/151 on SB, with the third pangram finally found.  14 points and three words to go.  We'll see.

Edited to add:  SB really doesn't like words that begin with un-.  Grr!

[ciao_yall]

LB - After finally getting some hints from the online solver, got asbestos-swordplay. Darn those compounds! I probably found sword and play at different times but they didn't set anything up. I was quite proud of several b4ss solutions: eyebrowed-desperately, plods-strawberry, bylaws-sported.

SB - after lots of hints, still missed coho /headsmack and hoke (just learned a new word!)

Onward!

[ciao_yall]

Stuck at amazing, even with a pangram. Thought my first word was a pangram but I guess it's a trademark.

But already found a 2fer. Even before my first 3fer! Thought it would be a slow one but it came together. Wonder if cathwen and I found the same thing?

[ab_grp]

Congrats on your 2fer, ciao_yall! As for coho, husband was missing that one, and I was trying to give him a clue using the hand mnemonic for types of salmon but couldn't remember it.  Does anyone else use that? All I could remember for it was the "oh no!" finger.

Cathwen, I just made it to QB, so good luck!! You are close!

[Parasaurolophus]

Genius with two pangrams.

[ciao_yall]

Genius with two pangrams.

WOOHOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm still stuck at amazing... probably the next pangram will get me over the hump. Found only one. Grr. Just found a few more words, not pangrams, and still in amazing. Like the La Brea Tar Pits.

ETA: 2nd pangram, just tipped into genius. Pretty much all obvious words.