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:

spotted this pretty quickly #Nytspellingbee #nytsb #spellingbee pic.twitter.com/cLzBAkzZiH

— Matt Raab (@theraab) February 23, 2021

keep in mind that BOLLIX was acceptable the other day #nytsb #nytspellingbee #spellingbee pic.twitter.com/IdCXQIpc1m

— Matt Raab (@theraab) February 23, 2021

Anyone else watching CPAC? #nytsb #Nytspellingbee #spellingbee pic.twitter.com/PHablVLDff

— Matt Raab (@theraab) February 24, 2021

(in here) #Nytspellingbee #nytsb #spellingbee pic.twitter.com/DUbyoyGobi

— Matt Raab (@theraab) February 24, 2021

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:

Not a fan of spy optic sunglasses?! #nytsb #Nytspellingbee #spellingbee pic.twitter.com/ndLvqqD2hI

— Matt Raab (@theraab) February 23, 2021

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:

side effects may include bruxism, frustration, and insomnia due to inability to find today's pangram #nytsb #nytspellingbee #spellingbee pic.twitter.com/9jZgQQPY5m

— Matt Raab (@theraab) February 21, 2021

What's the solution to getting this included, @thegridkid? #nytsb #Nytspellingbee #spellingbee pic.twitter.com/BlWrm2g6xU

— Matt Raab (@theraab) February 22, 2021

Hello from Day 28 of the reopening of California. There are reports that the H5N8 bird flu has appeared in humans in Russia. I don’t know if this is genuine or if Russia is trying to start more craziness as we start to emerge from the COVID mire.

Yesterday I missed the other pangram ANALOGIZING as well as AIOLI, LANAI, LINING, LIONIZING, NONAGONAL, OOLONG, and ZONAL.

Meatier Misses

GALANGAL: An Asian plant of the ginger family, the aromatic rhizome of which is widely used in cooking and herbal medicine.

GANGLING: (of a person) tall, thin, and awkward in movements or bearing. Like Jeff Francis: All elbows and kneecaps.

GANGLION/GANGLIA: A structure containing a number of nerve cell bodies, typically linked by synapses, and often forming a swelling on a nerve fiber.
GLIA: The connective tissue of the nervous system, consisting of several different types of cell associated with neurons.
GLIAL: Related to the above.
LONGAN: An edible juicy fruit from a plant related to the lychee, cultivated in Southeast Asia.

Today’s summary

Final score: 48 words for 206 points.
Genius minimum: 189 points.
First word: ALLOWED.
Pangram: DOWNLOADED.

Hello from Day 27 of the opening of California. News broke that the Pfizer vaccine can be stored at higher temperatures than previously thought and that a single dose is pretty good protection, so maybe delay a second dose. I don’t know why they’d have made such a big fuss about the refrigeration before if it weren’t a requirement, but I’m not in charge of those things. My preference is everyone get all the shots and very quickly. Thanks. Also it’s my grandma’s birthday today. She passed a couple years ago, but she still was born on this day like a thousand years ago. So happy birthday to her.

Yesterday I missed AIDING, DIGIT, INDIGNANT, and PAID.

Meatier Misses

NAIAD: (in classical mythology) a water nymph said to inhabit a river, spring, or waterfall. I keep missing this one.

PANDIT: A Hindu scholar learned in Sanskrit and Hindu philosophy and religion, typically also a practicing priest.

Today’s summary

Final score: 52 words for 259 points.
Genius minimum: 255 points.
First word: GALLON.
Pangram: GAZILLION. FOR REAL.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Hello from Day 26 of the reopening of California. Today is National Drink Wine Day. Not to be confused with National Wine Day, which we all know is May 25. Rather than drink wine, Calah and I watched Sour Grapes. Wine and scandal together. What could be better?

Yesterday I missed ATILT, TIDILY, TIDY, TILT, and VIVIDITY.

Meatier Misses

LILT: A characteristic rising and falling of the voice when speaking; a pleasant gentle accent.

With not much to go on, I figured I’d find the etymology of the word.

From etymonline: 1510s, “to lift up” (the voice), probably from West Midlands dialect lulten “to sound an alarm” (late 14c.), a word of unknown origin. Possible relatives include Norwegian lilla “to sing” and Low German lul “pipe;” the whole loose group might be imitative. Sense of “sing in a light manner” is first recorded 1786. Related: Lilted; lilting. As a noun, 1728, “lilting song,” from the verb. As “a rhythmical cadence,” 1840.

Lul sounds a lot like lull. I wondered if there was any relation between the two. So…

cf. lull:

early 14c., lullen “to calm or hush to sleep,” probably imitative of lu-lu sound used to lull a child to sleep (compare Swedish lulla “to hum a lullaby,” German lullen “to rock,” Sanskrit lolati “moves to and fro,” Middle Dutch lollen “to mutter”). Figurative use from 1570s; specifically “to quiet (suspicion) so as to delude into a sense of security” is from c. 1600. Related: Lulled; lulling.

I guess there isn’t, then? Strange.

Today’s summary

Final score: 19 words for 102 points.
Genius minimum: 94 points.
First word: PADDING.
Pangram: ADAPTING.
Tweet:

You know, this again today #nytsb #nytspellingbee #spellingbee https://t.co/iFIcscgEA3

— Matt Raab (@theraab) February 19, 2021

Hello from Day 24 of the reopening of California. I got an email from UCLA that I should sign up in case I’m suddenly eligible for the vaccine. What a dream situation that is right now. Since I’ve got quite some time before I’m 65, the wait continues. Biden tweeted that we’re well on track to get 100,000,000 shots in the first 100 days. I’m still waiting on my stuff, brooooo.

Yesterday I missed EAVE, LEVEE, LEVEL and LEVY,

Meatier Misses

GAVAGE: The administration of food or drugs by force, especially to an animal, typically through a tube leading down the throat to the stomach.
UVEA: The pigmented layer of the eye, lying beneath the sclera and cornea, and comprising the iris, choroid, and ciliary body.

UVEAL: Related to the pigmented layer of the eye, lying beneath the sclera and cornea, and comprising the iris, choroid, and ciliary body.

Today’s summary

Final score: 43 words for 187 points.
Genius minimum: 181 points.
First word: ENTENTE.
Pangram: NOPE!
Tweets:

No way to skate by on this one. #nytsb #nytspellingbee #spellingbee pic.twitter.com/4HkN7wmR81

— Matt Raab (@theraab) February 16, 2021

Ok then how do you attach a watch to your wrist? #nytsb #Nytspellingbee #spellingbee pic.twitter.com/aez9hMrbMg

— Matt Raab (@theraab) February 17, 2021

A little bit of Valentine's Day missing from today #nytsb #nytspellingbee #spellingbee pic.twitter.com/wRwT1tgfxo

— Matt Raab (@theraab) February 17, 2021

Hello from Day 23 of the California reopening. The county supervisor says it’s time to reopen the classrooms because it’s safe. This is in advance of two drinking holidays. Purim is next week, and then St. Patrick’s Day is in about a month. Will the bars reopen? Superspreading yayyyy!

Yesterday I missed ACTUATOR (again), AUTOCRAT, COCONUT, CONCUR, OUTRO, TOUCAN, TOUT, TUTU, and UNTO.

Meatier Misses

CURACAO: A liqueur flavored with the peel of bitter oranges.

I remember watching the Little League World Series years and years ago. Each player had a prerecorded video with their names and favorite baseball player that was used for the lineup. When it came to the Curaçao team, every kid’s favorite player was Andruw Jones, since Andruw Jones is from Curaçao.

NURTURANT: A thing that provides emotional and physical nourishment and care given to someone.

Today’s summary

Final score: 18 words for 82 points.
Genius minimum: 78 points.
First word: VALVE.
Pangram: VAGUELY.

Hello from Day 22 of the reopening of California. And happy Valentine’s Day. It’s been quite the windy day here in LA. Sustained winds in the high-teens and gusts in the upper-20s.

Yesterday I missed the pangram, NONBELIEF. Unbelievable! Also BELIE and BELLE.

Meatier Misses

BOBBIN: A cylinder or cone holding thread, yarn, or wire, used especially in weaving, machine sewing, and lacemaking.

ENFEEBLE: Make weak or feeble.
ENNOBLE: Give (someone) a noble rank or title.
LIBELEE: Someone who was defamed through writing.

Today’s summary

Final score: 32 words for 149 points.
Genius minimum: 146 points.
First word: CURRANT.
Pangram: TURNCOAT.
It really seems like TURNCOAT isn’t there by accident. After yesterday’s betrayal of our country. Jeez.