Happy Independence Day!!! It’s now 12:15 am on July 4, and I’ve finished the Spelling Bee. I knew I wouldn’t have time today–and there may be stories from today that I’ll share later–but I did what I could to get this out almost 24 hours from now. I hope I’m back home by now, but just in case I’m not, this is scheduled to go out at normal time.

Yesterday I missed ADDENDA, APNEA, INDIE, INNIE, NAAN, NADA, NAIAD, NANNIED, NEAP, NINEPIN, NIPPED, NIXED, PANINI, PEND, PENDED, and PENNE.

Meatier Misses

ADENINE: A compound which is one of the four constituent bases of nucleic acids. A purine derivative, it is paired with thymine in double-stranded DNA.
APIAN: Relating to bees.
ENNEAD: A group or set of nine.
PINNIPED: A carnivorous aquatic mammal of the order Pinnipedia, such as a seal or walrus.

Today’s summary

Letters: IBKLNOT
Final score: 30 words for 97 points.
Genius minimum: 97 points.
First word: KNIT.
Pangram: INKBLOT.
Tweet:

What?! This isn't the pangram??? On Independence Day?? #nytsb #nytspellingbee #spellingbee pic.twitter.com/soVELUhorV

— Matt Raab ∛ (@theraab) July 4, 2021

Since tomorrow will be a busy day, I knew that I would have to do as much as I could for this blog tonight. I hoped for an easy-ish Saturday crossword puzzle and a fine/fun Sunday crossword and for a Spelling Bee with a genius minimum of like 64 points instead of like 224. After all today is the latest Shabbat ends all year at 8:50pm. And I have to wake up early-early tomorrow. To my dismay, this was in excess of what I had dreaded as an upper bound.

But it went by surprisingly quickly. It’s 11:04 right now, and I’ve finished the Saturday and Sunday crossword puzzles and this puzzle. I don’t think I’ve stood up in the last two hours, and that’s probably not a good thing. Also I’ve been typing a lot during this time, and I should probably take a break. But I also have to sleep so, here I continue.

Yesterday I missed BOGEYMEN, the pangram, BONE, MONEYMEN, MONONYM, and YEOMEN.

Meatier Misses

With all the writing I have left to do tonight, I’m kinda lucky that I only missed pretty easy stuff. I’m off to write the Sunday NYTXW blog now that will post at 7:30 tomorrow morning yay!

Today’s summary

Letters: NAEDIPX
Final score: 47 words for 246 points.
Genius minimum: 241 points.
First word: PANDA.
Last word: DEPENDED.
Pangram: APPENDIX.

I found out yesterday that Costco stopped carrying Hello Panda cookies. I like the Hello Panda cookies. Calah seems to like the Hello Panda cookies. They’re kinda dry, but they’re filled with chocolate stuff. What I’m saying is that they’re fun snacks.

Yesterday I missed ABUT, ALIBI, BABA, BAHT, BATH, BATHTUB, BILL, BLAH, BLAT, BUILT, BULB, BUTT, and TUBA.

Meatier Misses

TABLA: A pair of small hand drums attached together, used in Indian music; one is slightly larger than the other and is played using pressure from the heel of the hand to vary the pitch.

TUBAL: Relating to or occurring in a tube, especially the fallopian tubes.

Today’s summary

Letters: VDEINTU
Final score: 31 words for 176 points.
Genius minimum: 175 points.
First word: INTUITIVE.
Last word: ENDIVE.
Pangram: UNINVITED.

Ugh. Such a humid day today. And a long Spelling Bee. Like who has that kind of time? But I couldn’t let it go when I realized that I could just put UN in front of everything until the genius bee popped up.

Yesterday I missed DUETTED.

Meatier Misses

DEPUTE/D: Appoint or instruct (someone) to perform a task for which one is responsible.

It’s always great to learn another word related to delegation.

It’s clearly related to deputy, but I’m interested in the etymology, so as always, I look to the Online Etymology Dictionary.

depute (v.)

mid-14c., deputen, “to appoint, assign as a substitute or agent,” from Old French deputer (14c.), from Late Latin deputare “destine, allot,” in classical Latin “to esteem, consider, consider as,” literally “to cut off, prune,” from de- “away” (see de-) + putare “to think, count, consider,” literally “to cut, prune,” from PIE root *pau- (2) “to cut, strike, stamp.” Meaning “assign to a deputy” is from early 15c. Related: Deputed; deputing.

Today’s summary

Letters: TBEILNU
Final score: 55 words for 228 points.
Genius minimum: 228 points.
First word: UNITE.
Pangram: BULLETIN, EBULLIENT.
Tweet:

Then what did Alfred do for the Wayne family???? #nytsb #nytspellingbee #spellingbee pic.twitter.com/K6FUexilhL

— Matt Raab ∛ (@theraab) June 28, 2021

Happy birthday to my beautiful bride-to-be Calah! Lessons from today: Riding bikes at the beach is underrated, and wearing sunscreen is underrated. Also flour tortillas can dry out, and crumbly tortillas make for messy burritos.

Yesterday I missed ARRAY, ARTY, KARAT, KART, RATATAT, RATTY, TARTAR, TRACT, and TRAY.

Meatier Misses

None, which is a huge relief because I’m ready to pass. out.

Today’s summary

Letters: UDEIPTZ
Final score: 19 words for 98 points.
Genius minimum: 83 points.
First word: PUTZ.
Pangrams: DEPUTIZE and DEPUTIZED. <- I was ready to quit after searching and staring, and I’m glad I solved it.
Tweets:

Unacceptable. I mean, right? Or is it me? #nytsb #nytspellingbee #spellingbee pic.twitter.com/ZaHTpBihGe

— Matt Raab ∛ (@theraab) June 28, 2021

THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT, @ccaallaahh !!!! #nytsb #Nytspellingbee #spellingbee pic.twitter.com/kAManKPQDu

— Matt Raab ∛ (@theraab) June 28, 2021

It’s supposed to be really hot tomorrow. But tonight there are fireworks popping off in the distance. Where are they? Probably everywhere.

Yesterday I missed UNFLEDGED (the second pangram), DUFFLE, FEND, FUGUE, FUNDED, UNDEFENDED, and UNFUNDED.

Meatier Misses

FUDDLE/D: Confused or stupefied, especially as a result of drinking alcohol.

Alcohol? Etymology time!

From the Online Etymology Dictionary:

fuddle (v.)

1580s, “to get drunk” (intransitive); c. 1600, “to confuse as though with drink” (transitive), of obscure origin, perhaps from Low German fuddeln “work in a slovenly manner (as if drunk),” from fuddle “worthless cloth.” The more common derivative befuddle dates only to 1873. Related: Fuddled; fuddling. A hard-drinker in 17c. might be called a fuddle-cap (1660s).

Cool! Get drunk to be fuddled!

FUGU: A puffer fish that is eaten as a Japanese delicacy, after some highly poisonous parts have been removed.

That something called Departures recommends a thing that can kill you seems very appropriate. I don’t know if they just took the article offline entirely (only for those efforts to be foiled by archive.org) because it’s crazy dangerous and irresponsible to recommend eating something known to be deadly. But literally deadly. Not like school cafeteria food deadly.

Today’s summary

Letters: RACKTWY
Final score: 21 words for 91 points.
Genius minimum: 89 points.
First word: ATTRACT.
Pangram: TRACKWAY.

I got two words after getting the genius popup, but I can’t take a new screenshot in the app like I used to be able to. This is not progress. This is not helpfulness. Why are they making things worse? Stop taking away our features!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yesterday I missed CAIO, COACT, COCA, IOTA, MOAT, TATTOO, TOMCAT, and TOMTIT.

Meatier Misses

COXA: Anatomy The hipbone or hip joint.

I’ll find a worthwhile picture at some point, but the ones I’ve found are all kind of lame.

…Because legs.

I’ll show myself out.

Today’s summary

Letters: FDEGLNU
Final score: 37 words for 172 points.
Genius minimum: 167 points.
First word: ENGULFED.
Pangram: ENGULFED.
Tweets:

Finally Sam and I agree on something! #nytsb #nytspellingbee #spellingbee pic.twitter.com/P2FTm5IHWt

— Matt Raab ∛ (@theraab) June 25, 2021

Many notable streaks were kept up today! When I posted today’s crossword blog, I brought the overall streak to 261 days. The crossword puzzle streak was brought up to 18. Also I used my free twitch subscription from amazon prime to subscribe to Pocket’s channel for the fourth month in a row.

Yesterday I missed APATHY, HARP, HARPY, HYPO, PAPAYA, PHARAOH, POOH, POTATO, PRAY, PYRO, RAPTOR, RATTRAP, TAPA, TARP, and TYPO.

Meatier Misses

OPAH: A large deep-bodied fish with a deep blue back, silvery belly, and crimson fins, living in deep oceanic waters.

PARATHA: (in Indian cooking) a flat, thick piece of unleavened bread fried on a griddle.
PARRY: Ward off (a weapon or attack) with a countermove.

Today’s summary

Letters: OACIMTX
Final score: 26 words for 102 points.
Genius minimum: 91 points.
First word: TACO.
Pangram: AXIOMATIC.

Some exciting news first: I now have a table saw. It’s a small table saw, but it’s a table saw nonetheless. That should greatly impact the projects I can do and am doing, and that will be reflected in future posts on the weekly Tuesday morning woodworking blog.

Yesterday I missed AIRBALL (appropriately), ALIBI (my mind was elsewhere), BAILOR, BARB, BILABILAL, BILLIARD, BRAD, BRIAR, LABIA, and LABIAL.

Meatier Misses

ARBORIO: A variety of round-grained rice produced in Italy and used in making risotto.
BIRADIAL: having both bilateral and radial symmetry
RAILBIRD: A spectator, especially one at a horse race who watches from the railings along the track.

Today’s summary

Letters: PAHORTY
Final score: 37 words for 154 points.
Genius minimum: 153 points.
First word: POOP.
Last word: PARATROOP.
Pangram: ATROPHY.