Bee Roots for 2024-08-05

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: M/CDEOPT
  • Words: 54
  • Points: 219
  • Pangrams: 1
Source: space.com

Table content

  • with first two letters of answer and length
answers coveredanswer's first two lettersanswer's lengthclue for root (answer may need prefix, suffix, tense change, alt spelling, ...)
1CO4Travel toward a particular place, tell your dog to move toward you, or slang for “to orgasm”
1CO5Icy solar system body with a tail
1CO7Fancy word for “toilet,” or cabinet or chair containing one
2CO4,6Provide for free (entry ticket, hotel room, drinks), slang abbr.
2CO7,8Take part in a contest, strive to win, past tense is a pangram
1CO7Fruit preserved or cooked in syrup
2DE4,6Consider (I … it a great success)
2DE4,6Show off, slang abbr. (a … model impressed investors); or demolish, slang abbrev.
2DE6,7Reduce in rank
2DO4,5Rounded vault on a roof
2DO4,6Terrible fate (they fell to their …), or pioneering 1st person shooter game
2EM5,6Master of Ceremonies (sounded-out initials), slang noun/verb
2EM5,6Express feelings (especially when acting)
1ME4Encounter (I’m supposed to … him in the park)
2ME4,5Viral internet funny image, noun/verb
1ME4Office note abbr.
2ME4,5Dispense justice (“… out punishment”), homophone of “animal flesh for consumption”
1MO4Manner in which something happens (… of operation), or fashion (pie à la …)
1MO5Device to get a computer online (cable or DSL …)
1MO5Sound a cow makes
1MO4Emotional state (happy, angry, sad, etc.)
2MO4,6Irrelevant, in law (it’s a … point), adj.; or obscure verb meaning to raise a topic for discussion
1MO6Tool for cleaning a floor with liquid, noun/verb
2MO4,5Sulk, brood; verb, past tense is also a bicycle with a small motor
1MO6Small endearingly sweet child
1MO4Speck of dust
1MO5Short piece of sacred choral music, typically polyphonic & unaccompanied
1MO5Short phrase encapsulating beliefs of an institution (Marines’ “Semper Fi”)
1PO4Verse that usually rhymes, from Frost et al.
1PO4Botany term for apple or pear (think French)
1PO4Ceremonial public display (Elgar’s “… & Circumstance March” at graduations)
1PO6Cheerleader accessory
2TE4,6Be full or swarming with; homophone of Yankees group
2TE4,6Office worker fill-in, slang abbr.
1TE5Speed at which a passage of music is played; more generally, pace of an activity
2TE5,7Entice (as a donut to a dieter, e.g.), verb
1TO4Large, heavy book
1TO5Symbolic object (… pole)

About this site

This site provides clues for a day's New York Times Spelling Bee puzzle. It follows in Kevin Davis' footsteps. The original set of 4,500 clues came from him, and they still make up about three quarters of the current clue set.

The "Bee Roots" approach is to provide explicit clues for root words, not every word. 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.

A few words can have one meaning as a suffixed form and another as a stand-alone word. EVENING, for example. In those cases I will use the meaning that I think is more common.

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