Another long puzzle today!
But first! Yesterday’s misses:
CONCEIT: That thing where you tell people you can’t get Covid, but it turns out you can!
(Sidenote: Comedian Brent Terhune said it best, “How can a man so strong get something so fake?”)
COOTIE: Aw, man! Missed this one?
ECOTONE: This thing!
INNOCENCE and INNOCENT: What does it say about me that I got INCONTINENT and INCONTINENCE but not these two?
NONET: What SCOTUS usually is.
OCTET: What SCOTUS is right now.
ONION: :/
TECTONIC: I missed this, and I live in California.
TENON: This thing! Thankyou, Bob Vila!
TONTINE: Aw, man! I forgot that this is the name of what Woodhouse was part of in the Archer episode Double Deuce! (Poor Reggie!)
TOONIE: Canadian money making its way into the puzzle. I bet Not A Spelling Bee Word got this one.
XENON: At least I got NEON this time.
For this puzzle, Genius level started at 178. I like these better than the puzzles that end at 68.
I did it in phases until giving up. I knew I’d never get to Queen Bee on this one, so it’s better to stop, as the holiday of Sukkot starts tonight (and will prevent me from doing tomorrow’s puzzle).
My final score: 41 words for 186 points.