The other day I was talking to a friend of mine who works in the accounting and consulting side of restructuring businesses. We agreed that I look at accounting with businesses continuing to survive. You really can only work with a company on credit if you think it will continue to exist, and that is what the going concern principle is. The concern will keep going. But since he works in the restructuring and bankruptcy, he lives by different rules. I offered that he uses the going, going, gone principle. I’m not so smart that I’m the first person who has ever made that joke, but I’ve not heard it anywhere, so I came to it on my own.

Yesterday I missed ADDEND, ADDENDA, ADENINE, AGENDA, AIDE (though I got AIDED), DEAN, IDEA, KINDA, NAIAD, and NANNIED. Shame on me for missing ENGAGE, ENGAGED, and ENGAGING.

Meatier Misses

ENNEAD: A group or set of nine.
NANKEEN: A yellowish cotton cloth.

Today’s summary

Final score: 33 words for 120 points.
Genius minimum: 116 points.
First word: FUNNEL.
Pangram: CONFLUENCE.
Tweets:

my remote control car agrees #nytsb #nytspellingbee #spellingbee pic.twitter.com/Z9f6KIxoJ1

— Matt Raab (@theraab) April 11, 2021

I guess I'm alone in thinking this is enough in the morning #nytsb #nytspellingbee #spellingbee pic.twitter.com/9vyywbJGoq

— Matt Raab (@theraab) April 11, 2021

Today would have been my bubbie’s (grandmother’s) birthday. She passed away years ago. But this would have been her birthday.

There was an article that today the vaccines are open to everyone 16+ in Los Angeles. With spikes in many places in the country, this is a good thing! Let’s get the world back on track!

Yesterday I missed ADMAN, ADMIN, AIRMAN, AMID, IAMB, IAMBI, and IMAM.

Meatier Misses

MIDRIB: A large strengthened vein along the midline of a leaf.

Today’s summary

Final score: 40 words for 187 points.
Genius minimum: 187 points.
First word: NAKED.
Pangram: KNEADING.
Tweet:

Well, yeah, but if Elon Musk wrote the #Nytspellingbee… #nytsb #spellingbee pic.twitter.com/3qMUwXCnwC

— Matt Raab (@theraab) April 11, 2021

Finally I got the pangram, and that it was MIDBRAIN and that it was a guess seems very appropriate for me. I certainly am glad it’s the weekend because I am wiped. A crazy thing is that in less than a week, all Californians will be eligible for the covid vaccines. Could it be that we’re getting out of this thing? I’m still waiting for the world to be declared safe to be convinced that the world is safe again.

Yesterday I missed BLIN, BLINI, and IBEX.

Meatier Misses

LIBELEE: Someone who is a victim of a published false statement that is damaging to a person’s reputation; the subject of an undue/inaccurate written defamation.

from etymonline:

libel (n.)

c. 1300, “formal written statement, a writing of any kind,” especially, in civil law, “plaintiff’s statement of charges” (mid-14c.); from Old French libelle (fem.) “small book; (legal) charge, claim; writ; written report” (13c.), from Latin libellus “a little book, pamphlet; petition, written accusation, complaint,” diminutive of liber “book” (see library). Meaning “false or defamatory statement” is from 1610s. Specific legal sense of “any published or written statement likely to harm a person’s reputation” is first attested 1630s.

Today’s summary

Final score: 33 words for 151 points.
Genius minimum: 131 points.
First word: MANDARIN.
Pangram: MIDBRAIN.
Tweets:

Oh just you wait #nytsb #nytspellingbee #spellingbee pic.twitter.com/jKzUi5xu7Y

— Matt Raab (@theraab) April 9, 2021

when you really just need 87 breakfast but want to pay more. #nytsb #nytspellingbee #spellingbee pic.twitter.com/WlxpD4FrUD

— Matt Raab (@theraab) April 10, 2021

Short one today! I make up for it with more etymology from yesterday’s misses. Speaking of getting things wrong, I’ve been watching The Blacklist. There are so, so many inaccuracies that pull me out of the show. Just one example: Why does Elizabeth have a clearance that lets her go to a black site? But then again, Jared. So maybe it was just ahead of its time.

Yesterday I missed APOLOGY, GLOOMY, LALLYGAG, LOAMY, PAPALLY, PLAY, PLOY, and PYGMY.

Meatier Misses

AMYL: The straight-chain pentyl radical —C₅H₁₁.
LOGY: Dull and heavy in motion or thought; sluggish.

From etymonline:

logy (adj.)

also loggy, “dull and heavy,” 1847, American English, perhaps from Dutch log “heavy, dull” + -y (2); compare Middle Low German luggich “sleepy, sluggish.” Or perhaps a variant of loggy.

MAMMALOGY: The branch of zoology concerned with mammals.
PALMY: (especially of a previous period of time) flourishing or successful.

palmy (adj.)

“triumphant, flourishing,” literally “worthy of the palm” (of victory or triumph), c. 1600, from palm (n.2) in the “triumph” sense + -y (2). The meaning “full of palms” attested from 1660s.

Today’s summary

Final score: 17 words for 82 points.
Genius minimum: 73 points.
First word: BELIEF.
Pangram: INFLEXIBLE.

I learned something to day about the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power: They do tree trimming at no cost to you! They want to make sure that the wires don’t get taken over by trees, so they send out guys to trim the trees. I think that’s nice. They say that people who aren’t certified to trim trees around wires absolutely shouldn’t do that. There’s even a certification for it.

Yesterday I missed EIGHTIETH, EMIT, HEAT, HEATH, HEIGHT, MATTE (SHAME ON ME!!!), MITIGATE, and TEATIME.

Meatier Misses

AGATE: An ornamental stone consisting of a hard variety of chalcedony, typically banded in appearance.

HAMATE: A carpal bone situated on the lower outside edge of the hand. It has a hook-shaped projection on the palmar side to which muscles of the little finger are attached.

Today’s summary

Final score: 28 words for 145 points.
Genius minimum: 141 points.
First word: POLYGAMY.
Pangram: POLYGAMY.
Tweet:

We did it! #nytsb #nytspellingbee #spellingbee pic.twitter.com/71dvrpA4eZ

— Matt Raab (@theraab) April 7, 2021

There have been small earthquakes, but so far we’re OK. Also a few minutes ago I realized that I hadn’t scheduled the April 2 blog post to publish, so that’s now out. Even though Passover has concluded, matzah pizza is still on the menu. I’ll have a post about that another time because it’s remarkably good.

Yesterday I missed the second of two pangrams, INCAPACITY, as well as ANTICIPANT, PAPAYA, and TAPA.

Meatier Misses

INAPT: Not suitable or appropriate in the circumstances.
PICCATA: Cooked in a sauce of lemon, parsley and butter.

PICNIC:

PIPIT:

Today’s summary

Final score: 41 points for 123 points.
Genius minimum: 123 points.
First word: HEMATITE.
Pangram: MEGAHIT.
Tweet:

"They said nobody could do it." #nytsb #ntyspellingbee #spellingbee pic.twitter.com/z7Pzf7pGvV

— Matt Raab (@theraab) April 6, 2021

Oh snap! Pretty much at the buzzer. Got the genius finish. We’re getting close to the 24-hour mark to know if yesterday’s temblors were pre-shocks or if things are settling down. I don’t know about you, but I’m OK if there’s less excitement on the world-is-out-to-make-a-wedding-impossible front.

Yesterday I missed the second pangram, UNCLOGGING. Also GULLING, LINGUINI, LUGING, NULL, and UNCLOG.

Meatier Miss

OCULI: Many of a round or eye-like opening or design.

Today’s summary

Final score: 29 words for 138 points.
Genius minimum: 137 points.
First word: CAPACITY.
Pangram: CAPTAINCY.
Tweets:

Is it even possible for him to be overrated? #nytsb #nytspellingbee #spellingbee pic.twitter.com/S7x5nwmzhs

— Matt Raab (@theraab) April 6, 2021

There was never enough of her on TOWIE #nytsb #nytspellingbee #spellingbee pic.twitter.com/Y3pL10bk1Q

— Matt Raab (@theraab) April 6, 2021

come on, people! #nytsb #Nytspellingbee #spellingbee pic.twitter.com/yHchKw71iy

— Matt Raab (@theraab) April 6, 2021

Now that Passover is complete, I am back on track with the Spelling Bee. I didn’t get to do yesterday’s Spelling Bee, so this is just today’s stuff.

Today’s summary

Final score: 24 words for 126 points.
Genius minimum: 123 points.
First word: CLUING.
Pangram: UNCOILING

This has been kind of a frantic day. Tonight the last pair of day of Passover begin. That means I won’t be doing the Spelling Bee till Sunday night. Also this was written without even enough time for the dough to rise because no other ideas came to my head in time.

Yesterday I missed PARATROOP, POOR, RAGTOP, RATTRAP, and TAPROOT.

Meatier Misses

APORT: on or toward the left side of a ship KEEP IN MIND ALEE IS STILL NOT ACCEPTED!
GRAPPA: A brandy distilled from the fermented residue of grapes after they have been pressed in winemaking.
OPAH: A large deep-bodied fish with a deep blue back, silvery belly, and crimson fins, which lives in deep oceanic waters.
PARATHA: (in Indian cooking) a flat, thick piece of unleavened bread fried on a griddle.
PHOTOG: A photographer.

Today’s summary

Final score: 42 words for 183 points.
Genius minimum: 180 points.
First word: MACHINE.
Pangrams: MACHINE, MECHANIC.

Happy April Fools Day! I woke up this morning and saw a bunch of free iPads on craigslist that were for an art project. Except that they were never for an art project. The photo was easily found through reverse image search. I sent a text to the person (from a google voice number, of course) to say that it was a decent April Fools joke. There was no reply. And now I’m wondering if the number was even real. OMG. DOUBLE-DUPED. Damn!

Yesterday I missed ABALONE, AEON (always!), BALEEN, BANKABLE, BELLE, KEBAB, KENNEL, KNEEL, LEEK, and NEON.

Meatier Misses

ALKANE: Any of the series of saturated hydrocarbons including methane, ethane, propane, and higher members. (Alkanes have the general formula: CnH₂n₊₂)
ALKENE: Any of the series of unsaturated hydrocarbons containing a double bond, including ethylene and propylene. (Alkenes have the general formula: CnH₂n)
NANKEEN: A yellowish cotton cloth.

Today’s summary

Final score: 35 words for 131 points.
Genius minimum: 130 points.
First word: RAPTOR.
Pangram: PHOTOGRAPH.
Tweet:

Not on word list, huh? Meh. I'm not one to care. #nytsb #nytspellingbee #spellingbee pic.twitter.com/cN2XMlImgU

— Matt Raab (@theraab) April 1, 2021