Hello from Day 36 of the reopening of California. I made the mistake of watching Trump speak at CPAC. I got alerted that it was live on YouTube, so I figured I’d have a listen. Errant for certain. Among the silliest points was that after he promoted the idea that we used to be able to have real discussions and debates and the ability to disagree with one another without it leading to ugliness, Trump rattled off a list of names of people he declared as RINOs who had spoken out against him and therefore should be voted out of office. So there’s that.

Yesterday I missed ANTI, CACTI, CANCAN, CANTINA, CYAN, NAAN, TACT, TACTIC, and TACTICIAN.

Meatier Misses

CANNA: A tropical American plant with bright flowers and ornamental broad, flat leaves. Somehow I always forget CANNA lily and CALLA lily. When will I ever learn?
CANTATA: A medium-length narrative piece of music for voices with instrumental accompaniment, typically with solos, chorus, and orchestra.
NATANT: Swimming or floating.

from Lexico:

“swimming, floating,” 1707, from Latin natantem, present participle of natare “to swim,” frequentative of nare “to swim” (from PIE root *sna- “to swim”). Related: Natantly.

TANNIC: Relating to tannin.
TATTY: informal Worn and shabby; in poor condition.

Today’s summary

Final score: 17 word for 72 points.
Genius minimum: 70 points.
First word: ANIMA.
Pangram: MARIJUANA.
Tweets: Long-time readers of my tweets are aware that I gripe about proper nouns while being full aware that they do not qualify for the word list.

Hello from Day 35 of the reopening of California. The wind is picking up in LA again, and that can only be one thing: dryness, sneezing, and inability to count. Also tomorrow is the Golden Globes. I know as much now about the winners as I will tomorrow night.

Yesterday I missed BUBBLY, BULB, GLUT, GULLIBLY.

Meatier Misses

BUTYL: An alkyl radical —C₄H₉, derived from butane.

Today’s summary

Final score: 32 words for 174 points.
Genius minimum: 172 points.
First word: ATTAINT.
Pangram: INACTIVITY.
Tweets:

Hello from Day 34 of the reopening of California. Today is Purim. Usually it’s like reverse Halloween where, although you dress up in costumes and drink, instead of trick or treating, you drop off baskets of food to people. But Covid, so that’s not a thing we can do this year and couldn’t do last year. Bummer.

Yesterday I missed AGOG, AMMO, AMOUR, GROG, LARGO, LOLL, MAMMOGRAM, MOLL, and MOOLA.

Meatier Misses

AGORA: (in ancient Greece) a public open space used for assemblies and markets.
LOGOGRAM: A sign or character representing a word or phrase, such as those used in shorthand and some writing systems.

Today’s summary

Final score: 19 words for 79 points.
Genius minimum: 76 points.
First word: GULLIBILITY.
Pangram: GULLIBILITY.
Tweet:

Hello from Day 33 of the reopening of California. Tonight starts Purim. It’s usually a social and drinking holiday, but COVID has put a stop to that for this year and last year. Really annoying.

Yesterday I missed ANARCHICAL, ANARCHIC, ARCHAIC, and CHAI. The pangram is stupid.

Meatier Misses

CHICHI: Attempting stylish elegance but achieving only an overelaborate pretentiousness. Like yesterday’s pangram?

From etymonline: “extremely chic, sophisticated,” also, as a noun, “pretentious fussiness,” 1908, from French chichi “airs, fuss.” Perhaps, like frou-frou, imitative.

Today’s summary

Final score: 27 words for 108 points.
Genius minimum: 105 points.
First word: MOGUL.
Pangram: GLAMOUR.
Tweets:

Hello from Day 31 of the reopening of California. I drove on the 405 northbound today for a little bit, and it was bumper-to-bumper traffic. Later there was a car in front of mine that was veering all over the place, including into the median. I got out of the way because I didn’t want the bumper cars approach to extend to my coupe.

Yesterday I missed DROID.

Meatier Misses

TORRID: Very hot and dry.

All you need for nosebleed city!

Today’s summary

Final score: 32 words for 118 points.
Genius minimum: 113 points.
First word: APPARAT.
Pangram: PITUITARY.
Tweets:

Hello from Day 30 of the reopening of California. I take walks sometimes. Not as often as I probably should, but I do it. I see restaurants that have the outdoor seating they’re allowed to have during this stage of reopening. However, I’ve noticed those outdoor areas sloooooowly being covered and closed in. To the point that it’s just footprint creep. How is that safe?

Yesterday I missed ABOIL, AIOLI (you’d think I’d learn), BOLA, LAMA, LIMO, LOBO, and MOOLA.

Meatier Misses

AXILLA: The space below the shoulder through which vessels and nerves enter and leave the upper arm; a person’s armpit.
BOLLIX: another way of spelling BOLLOCKS. Yes, I know, Calah. You told me so.
MAXILLA: The jaw or jawbone, specifically the upper jaw in most vertebrates. In humans it also forms part of the nose and eye socket.
MOIL: Work hard.

Today’s summary

Final score: 26 words for 98 points.
Genius minimum: 76 points.
First word: DORMITORY.
Pangram: DORMITORY.
Tweet:

I think I got close to Queen Bee, but I don’t know for certain.

Hello from Day 29 of the reopening of California. They’re no longer giving first doses of vaccine. I haven’t heard anything new on the H5N8 front. You know, the avian flu reported in Russia yesterday. I hope that’s just an early April Fools.

Yesterday I missed AEON, ALOE, DONEE, LLANO??? I could have sworn I got this! LOWLAND, NEON, NONE, ODEON, OLDEN, OLEO, WALLOW, WALLOWED, and WOODLAND.

Meatier Misses

DEADWOOD: A branch or part of a tree that is dead.
ENOW: archaic enough.
ODEA: Multiple of (especially in ancient Greece or Rome) a building used for musical performances.

Today’s summary

Final score: 34 words for 105 points.
Genius minimum: 101 points.
First word: BILL.
Pangram: MAILBOX!

Tweets: