Bee Roots for 2022-09-11

The table provides clues for the roots of words in today's NY Times Spelling Bee. You're responsible for prefixes, suffixes, tense changes, plurals, doubling consonants before suffixes, and alternate spellings of roots. An exception: since Sam won't allow S, when the root contains an S, the clue may be for a plural or suffixed form. "Mice" for example. If a clue isn't self-explanatory, try googling it. The TL;DR about the site comes after the table.

Past clues are available here

 
Today's puzzle
  • Letters: V/DEIONT
  • Words: 55
  • Points: 293
  • Pangrams: 1
Source: ravelry.com

Table content

  • with first two letters of answer and length
root #answers coveredanswer's first two lettersanswer's lengthclue for root (answer may need prefix, suffix, tense change, alt spelling, ...)
11DE6Give a large part of one's time or resources
201DE6Tube that returns blood to the heart
291DE6Not valid or legally binding; or, completely empty
12DE7Give a large part of one's time or resources
11DE8Give a large part of one's time or resources
201DE8Tube that returns blood to the heart
21DI4Jump headfirst into water
21DI5Jump headfirst into water
61DI5Chunk of grass knocked loose by a golf swing
31DI6Separate into parts, or ÷ arithmetic operation
51DI6Of, from, or like God or a god (to forgive is…), adj.; or figure out from a hunch or prophesy
31DI7Separate into parts, or ÷ arithmetic operation
51DI7Of, from, or like God or a god (to forgive is…), adj.; or figure out from a hunch or prophesy
71DI7Break into parts for sharing (… up the proceeds)
41DI8$ paid quarterly by a stock
81DO4Pigeon family, chocolate brand, or jumped headfirst into water
91EN6Leafy veg (Belgian …) AKA chicory
101EN6Jealousy, noun/verb
111EV4Number that can be divided by 2 without a remainder, or flat & smooth; adj.; or to make or become that (… out the edges)
121EV5Thing that happens (“When in the course of human …s”)
111EV6Number that can be divided by 2 without a remainder, or flat & smooth; adj.; or to make or become that (… out the edges)
131EV7Obvious (“We hold these truths to be self-…“)
141IN6Create something new (device, e.g.)
151IN6Ask someone to a party
152IN7Ask someone to a party
141IN8Create something new (device, e.g.)
142IN9Create something new (device, e.g.)
161IV5Climbing plant with shiny, dark green five-pointed leaves (… League)
121NO8Thing that happens (“When in the course of human …s”)
171OV4Appliance for baking
181OV5Sheep adj.
191OV5Egg shaped
201VE4Tube that returns blood to the heart
211VE4Sell (…-ing machine, e.g.)
221VE4Exhaust outlet (clothes dryer, e.g.), noun; or let out your frustrations, verb
241VE4Presidential rejection of a Congressional bill, noun/verb
201VE6Tube that returns blood to the heart
211VE6Sell (…-ing machine, e.g.)
221VE6Exhaust outlet (clothes dryer, e.g.), noun; or let out your frustrations, verb
231VE6Person with combat experience, noun; check credentials, verb
241VE6Presidential rejection of a Congressional bill, noun/verb
261VI4Compete eagerly
271VI4Climbing plant (Marvin Gaye “I Heard It Through The Grape…”)
251VI5Good friend of audio; the V in A/V
281VI5Producing powerful feelings or strong, clear images in the mind (a … memory); or, of a color, intensely deep or bright
251VI7Good friend of audio; the V in A/V
291VO4Not valid or legally binding; or, completely empty
311VO4What you do on Election Day, noun/verb
311VO5What you do on Election Day, noun/verb
291VO6Not valid or legally binding; or, completely empty
301VO6Haitian religion with pincushion dolls
321VO6Pledged (offering), adj. (she lit a … candle at the altar)

About this site

This site provides clues for a day's New York Times Spelling Bee puzzle. It exists to make it easier for Kevin Davis to take a day off. Most of the clues come from him. There may be some startup problems, but long term I think I can put the clues together with no more than half an hour's work.

The "Bee Roots" approach is to provide explicit clues for root words, not every word. This is similar to what Kevin Davis does, but without information about parts of speech As logophiles, we are pretty good at putting on prefixes and suffixes, changing tense, and forming plurals (including Latin plurals!). The clues cover root words, arranged alphabetically by root word, with a count of words in the puzzle that come from each root. For example, if a puzzle includes ROAM and ROAMING, there will be a clue for ROAM and a count of 2. The root may not appear in the puzzle at all; for example, the 2021-07-23 Bee included ICED, DEICE, and DEICED. For such a puzzle, the clue would be for ICE with a word count of 3.

The Bee Roots approach involves judgement sometimes. For example, if a puzzle includes LOVE, LOVED, and LOVELY, how many roots are needed to cover them? LOVE and LOVED share the root LOVE, certainly, but LOVELY is tricky. LOVE is part of its etymology, but by now, the word means "exquisitely beautiful," which is a lot farther from the meaning of LOVE than swithcing to past tense. I'm inclined to treat LOVE and LOVELY as separate roots. You may not agree, which is fine. Another thing we logophiles share is a LOVE of arguing about words on Twitter.

One last complication, until another one pops up: a few roots have multiple spellings, for example LOLLYGAG and LALLYGAG. Depending on the day's letters, and maybe even the editor's whims, one or both could be in the puzzle's answer list. With such roots, you could see a word count of 2, even if there are no applicable prefixes or suffixes.

I will do my best to keep this site up to date and helpful (I hope). Check it out, and tweet feedback to @donswartwout Tweet to @donswartwout

Many thanks to Kevin Davis, whose 4,500-word clue list made this possible.