Calah and I went to the Descanso Gardens last night to see Carved. There were carved pumpkins everywhere and skeletons made from trees and lights and stuff. It was awesome. But also it was cold. Calah surprised me as a date night out, and I enjoyed it. Definitely good to get out and do things.

Yesterday I missed ARCANA, CANNA, COIN, CRANIA, CZARINA, IONIC, NOIR, and RANCOR.

Meatier Misses

ARNICA: A plant of the daisy family that bears yellow, daisy-like flowers, native to cooler regions of the northern hemisphere. There’s too much reliance on unproven remedies homeopathy for me to feel comfortable posting some YouTube videos I’ve found about arnica.
CARRION: The decaying flesh of dead animals.
ZINNIA: An American plant of the daisy family, which is widely cultivated for its bright showy flowers.

Today’s summary

Letters: NACIORZ
Final score: 29 words for 177 points.
Genius minimum: 173 points.
First word: ADDICTION.
Pangrams: ADDICTION, DICTATION, and INDICATION.
Tweet:

Never a slot for this, either #nytsb #nytspellingbee #spellingbee https://t.co/Eoo8NbmSId pic.twitter.com/NMFmNlwR1S

— Matt Raab (@theraab) November 2, 2021

Happy Halloween! Tonight Calah took me on a date. Where did we go? I wish I could tell you, but I’m writing this before we headed out. I’ll write more about it tomorrow. In other news, the persistence of vision clock I have thinks that we’ve fallen back already. The clock is from 1999, which is well before the change of when we fall back and spring forward. It automatically provides the following message today: “HAVE A SPOOOOKY HALLOWEEN!” and will do so for an extra hour. It’s no big deal to live with that for another week.

Yesterday I missed CHIC, CHINO, CINCH, CINCHING, COHO, HIHG, HINGING, HOGGING, HOOCH, NIGH, UNHINGING, and UNHUNG.

Meatier Miss

CHIGNON: A knot or coil of hair arranged on the back of a woman’s head.

Today’s summary

Letters: NACIORZ
Final score: 32 words for 134 points.
Genius minimum: 133 points.
First word: ZIRCONIA.
Pangram: ZIRCONIA.
Tweet:

Total eyeroll #nytsb #nytspellingbee #spellingbee pic.twitter.com/SKceqaoEYG

— Matt Raab (@theraab) October 31, 2021

Tonight Calah and I got our booster shots for the vaccine. How am I eligible? My lovely wife works with the infirm, and I live with her, So as scary as it sometimes is knowing that she intentionally goes into places where the people are guaranteed to be sick to the point of knowing that they need medical attention, there’s the benefit in knowing that I’m at an elevated risk of catching scary stuff. I know that tomorrow is going to be a bear, but 🤷‍♀️.

Yesterday I missed DIME, EDDIED, FIEF, HIDE, HIED, MEDIUM, MUDDIED, and MUMMIFIED.

Meatier Misses

It was a short Spelling Bee, and I didn’t miss anything too nuts.

Today’s summary

Letters: ADEIHNP
Final score: 44 words for 218 points.
Genius minimum: 213 points.
First word: ADDENDA.
Pangrams: PINHEAD and PINHEADED.

I’ll update this later with the rest. Right now I’m stoked the Dodgers won! 😮

Meatier Misses

Today’s summary

Letters:
Final score: 34 words for 149 points
Genius minimum: 147 points.
First word: VITAL.
Pangram: VALIDITY.
Tweets:

I don’t know what will happen by the time this post publishes at 11:58pm, but it’s looking bad for the Dodgers.

Yesterday I missed BINNING, BOBBIN, NOGGIN, and UNION.

Meatier Misses

GIBING: Making insulting or mocking remarks; jeering.
NUBBIN: A small lump or residual part.

Today’s summary

Letters: FACELTU
Final score: 42 words for 159 points.
Genius minimum: 158 points.
First word: FAUCET.
Last word: FETAL.
Pangrams: FLUCTUATE and EFFECTUAL.

Ugh the Dodgers lost yesterday after blowing a 2-0 lead and then a 4-2 lead. I’m super annoyed at this 0-2. It should be 2-0.

Yesterday I missed INDUCTEE (the second pangram), DEDUCE, DUETTED, DUNE, DUNNED, NUDE (despite having gotten DENUDE, DENUDED, and NUDIE), TUTTED, TUTTI, UNDID, UNEDITED, UNIT, and UNNEEDED.

Meatier Misses

EDUCE/EDUCED: Formal Bring out or develop (something latent or potential)

Etymoloygy!

educe (v.)

early 15c., in the literal sense, “to draw out, extract; branch out,” from Latin educere “to lead out, bring out” (troops, ships, etc.; see educate). Meaning “bring into view or operation” is from c. 1600. Meaning “to draw a conclusion from data” is from 1837.

ENDUE/ENDUED: Literary Endow or provide with a quality or ability.

Today’s summary

Letters: IBGNOUX
Final score: 21 words for 138 points.
Genius minimum: 122 points.
First word: BOXING.
Pangram: UNBOXING.
Tweets:

Does not compute! #nytsb #nytspellingbee #spellingbee pic.twitter.com/yUB5QECSpZ

— Matt Raab (@theraab) October 18, 2021

But it's not Unix! #nytsb #nytspellingbee #spellingbee pic.twitter.com/HjIwf501BI

— Matt Raab (@theraab) October 18, 2021

I mean, OK? #nytsb #nytspellingbee #spellingbee pic.twitter.com/QoMdSOZehb

— Matt Raab (@theraab) October 18, 2021

As of writing this, I don’t know the result of the Dodger game. I hope the Dodgers won. If the Braves won again, that will be bad. Especially based on how lame the win was last night.

Yesterday I missed ADMAN, DYAD, LANDLADY, and NADA.

Meatier Misses

MANDALA: A geometric figure representing the universe in Hindu and Buddhist symbolism.

Today’s summary

Letters: UCDEINT
Final score: 40 words for 219 points.
Genius minimum: 217 points.
First word: CUTIE.
Pangram: INDUCTED.
Tweet:

Still not good. #nytsb #nytspellingbee #spellingbee https://t.co/UrdlpPBeMy pic.twitter.com/uzVoTJGpuD

— Matt Raab (@theraab) October 17, 2021

Ugh the Dodgers lost tonight in a game I only caught the last three innings of. The game was 2-2 when I turned it on, and Dodgers blew opportunity after opportunity. In the top of the ninth, Chris Taylor’s baserunning error meant the inning ended prematurely. Then the Braves made them pay. Really lame. I hope tomorrow’s game will be better.

Yesterday I missed ANARCHIC, CHIA, and CHIC.

Meatier Misses

DACHA: A country house or cottage in Russia, typically used as a second or vacation home.

HARRIDAN: A strict, bossy, or belligerent old woman.

Today’s summary

Letters: DALMNTY
Final score: 13 words for 65 points.
Final score: 14 words for 70 points.
New word: MADAM.
Genius minimum: 64 points.
First word: MALADY.
Pangram: ADAMANTLY.

Today marks two months of marriage to my best friend, Calah. It feels like so long since our wedding and yet like it was yesterday. It was hard to do a wedding during COVID, but as sad as it was not to be able to have everyone there like we’d have preferred to do, I am happy that I didn’t have to spend longer not married to her.

Yesterday I missed ANTEDATE, ANTEDATED, ATTENDANT, ATTENDEE, NAAN, NADA, NANA, NATANT, TAUTEN, TAUTENED, TAXA, and TUNA.

Meatier Misses

ANDANTE: Music (especially as a direction) at a moderately slow tempo.
ENNEAD: rare A group or set of nine.

Today’s summary

Letters: HACDINR
Final score: 20 words for 69 points.
Genius minimum: 68 points.
First word: CHINA.
Pangram: ARACHNID.