stevebwriter.bsky.social
@stevebwriter.bsky.social
I don’t see why SOLICITER, in the general sense of someone who solicits something, shouldn't be a valid word. Recent #nineletterword puzzle doesn’t have enough Os to do it professionally.
December 10, 2025 at 7:37 PM
I don’t see why SOLICITER, in the general sense of someone who solicits something, shouldn't be a valid word. Recent #nineletterword puzzle doesn’t have enough Os to do it professionally.
What long or obscure word do you remember having discovered in early childhood? The one I've been thinking of recently is PACHYDERM (thank you R. Kipling); but I've just re-encountered FERRULE. It was in a comic-strip detective story, where someone's umbrella tip left a print in soft ground.
December 10, 2025 at 7:00 PM
What long or obscure word do you remember having discovered in early childhood? The one I've been thinking of recently is PACHYDERM (thank you R. Kipling); but I've just re-encountered FERRULE. It was in a comic-strip detective story, where someone's umbrella tip left a print in soft ground.
I'm also interested to see the eight-letter words generated by missing one of the letters. They often have nothing to do with the main word, or with one another.
HAILSTONE, for example, gives rise to HOTLINES and TOENAILS.
HAILSTONE, for example, gives rise to HOTLINES and TOENAILS.
December 3, 2025 at 8:34 PM
I'm also interested to see the eight-letter words generated by missing one of the letters. They often have nothing to do with the main word, or with one another.
HAILSTONE, for example, gives rise to HOTLINES and TOENAILS.
HAILSTONE, for example, gives rise to HOTLINES and TOENAILS.
Other current nine-letter words: BARRENEST (my first guess ARSEBERNT; also BANTERERS).
AICONVENT (robotic nuns?) = NONACTIVE. CLAPITUNE? INCULPATE.
AICONVENT (robotic nuns?) = NONACTIVE. CLAPITUNE? INCULPATE.
December 3, 2025 at 6:35 PM
Other current nine-letter words: BARRENEST (my first guess ARSEBERNT; also BANTERERS).
AICONVENT (robotic nuns?) = NONACTIVE. CLAPITUNE? INCULPATE.
AICONVENT (robotic nuns?) = NONACTIVE. CLAPITUNE? INCULPATE.
#nineletterword of the day: GLASSWORT. As I thought, it's a plant. Genus Salicornia. Grows in marshes. Salt-toleran. Its ashesare considered a rich source of sodium carbonate, used in glassmakin.
December 3, 2025 at 6:14 PM
#nineletterword of the day: GLASSWORT. As I thought, it's a plant. Genus Salicornia. Grows in marshes. Salt-toleran. Its ashesare considered a rich source of sodium carbonate, used in glassmakin.
The appeal of a #ninletterwored is possibly that it's long enough to be interesting but short enough to be easily remembered. But does adding words like calamites and petiolule to my vocabulary achieve anything meaningful?
December 2, 2025 at 8:37 PM
The appeal of a #ninletterwored is possibly that it's long enough to be interesting but short enough to be easily remembered. But does adding words like calamites and petiolule to my vocabulary achieve anything meaningful?
We (should) all know about the “six Ws” - the questions who, what, where, when, why and how, that any piece of writing should answer - but (it occurs to me to ask) what words does autocomplete prompt for to follow each of those question-words?
November 14, 2025 at 9:13 PM
We (should) all know about the “six Ws” - the questions who, what, where, when, why and how, that any piece of writing should answer - but (it occurs to me to ask) what words does autocomplete prompt for to follow each of those question-words?
The one that really defeated me was SAM/RIT/BDI. I saw SMART BID but that‘s only 8 letters. There‘s another I.
Gave up and clicked “show answer”. The #nineletterword is TRIBADISM. If you don’t know, Google it.
Gave up and clicked “show answer”. The #nineletterword is TRIBADISM. If you don’t know, Google it.
October 8, 2025 at 6:50 AM
The one that really defeated me was SAM/RIT/BDI. I saw SMART BID but that‘s only 8 letters. There‘s another I.
Gave up and clicked “show answer”. The #nineletterword is TRIBADISM. If you don’t know, Google it.
Gave up and clicked “show answer”. The #nineletterword is TRIBADISM. If you don’t know, Google it.
EUS/LII/DCF.
#nineletterword: DULCIFIES (makes [a foodstuf] sweeter).
#nineletterword: DULCIFIES (makes [a foodstuf] sweeter).
October 8, 2025 at 6:25 AM
EUS/LII/DCF.
#nineletterword: DULCIFIES (makes [a foodstuf] sweeter).
#nineletterword: DULCIFIES (makes [a foodstuf] sweeter).
NEON HORSE presents a visually appealing image, but I'm not sure exactly what NONHEROES are. #nineletterword.
October 8, 2025 at 6:10 AM
NEON HORSE presents a visually appealing image, but I'm not sure exactly what NONHEROES are. #nineletterword.
“Why is that flying saucer painted green and adorned with recycling symbols?”
”It’s an ECO UFO, SIR.”
And the #nineletterword is?
FEROCIOUS.
”It’s an ECO UFO, SIR.”
And the #nineletterword is?
FEROCIOUS.
October 8, 2025 at 6:02 AM
“Why is that flying saucer painted green and adorned with recycling symbols?”
”It’s an ECO UFO, SIR.”
And the #nineletterword is?
FEROCIOUS.
”It’s an ECO UFO, SIR.”
And the #nineletterword is?
FEROCIOUS.
An endless supply of the Target letter arrayS is at nine.mhb.nz. Just refresh the display to get a new one.
Nine Letter Word Puzzle
nine.mhb.nz
October 8, 2025 at 5:02 AM
An endless supply of the Target letter arrayS is at nine.mhb.nz. Just refresh the display to get a new one.
There must be at least one #nineletterword on the list, say the instruction. A major part of the puzzle is to spot this long word.
October 8, 2025 at 4:59 AM
There must be at least one #nineletterword on the list, say the instruction. A major part of the puzzle is to spot this long word.
The central letter of the nine, distinguished by being printed in white on black, is to be included in every word.
October 8, 2025 at 4:55 AM
The central letter of the nine, distinguished by being printed in white on black, is to be included in every word.
I've recently been directing my #wordnerd brain cells to #nineletterwords. They're popularly presented in the form of the Target puzzle, as a 3x3 array of lettered squares from which as many words as possible of four letters or more are to be extracted.
October 8, 2025 at 4:49 AM
I've recently been directing my #wordnerd brain cells to #nineletterwords. They're popularly presented in the form of the Target puzzle, as a 3x3 array of lettered squares from which as many words as possible of four letters or more are to be extracted.
Today I learned (via a word puzzle): a dido (not to be confused with a dado, a dildo or a diode) is a prank or act of mischief. Possibly connected somehow with the legendary queen of Carthage - but possibly not.
September 23, 2025 at 4:41 AM
Today I learned (via a word puzzle): a dido (not to be confused with a dado, a dildo or a diode) is a prank or act of mischief. Possibly connected somehow with the legendary queen of Carthage - but possibly not.
Nice @nytimes.com Connections puzzle (purple and blue sets) today. Meta-question: when is an -ing word (part of an English verb) a gerund and when is it a present participle?
August 21, 2025 at 8:41 PM
Nice @nytimes.com Connections puzzle (purple and blue sets) today. Meta-question: when is an -ing word (part of an English verb) a gerund and when is it a present participle?
Thought arising from a family conversation: if “Sulfur” is now the IUPAC-approved spelling for the element, then why not “fosforus”?
July 30, 2025 at 4:15 AM
Thought arising from a family conversation: if “Sulfur” is now the IUPAC-approved spelling for the element, then why not “fosforus”?
The #Pangram for the Nyt spelling bee a day or three ago is apparently FINABLY, a word the OED labels “archaic” and “obsolete”. I don’t see how you would use the word in a sentence, but it’s the only word I can mark with those letters.
July 26, 2025 at 9:02 PM
The #Pangram for the Nyt spelling bee a day or three ago is apparently FINABLY, a word the OED labels “archaic” and “obsolete”. I don’t see how you would use the word in a sentence, but it’s the only word I can mark with those letters.
Interested to see today’s NYTimes #SpellingBee approves LOWDOWN but not DOWNLOW. You often have to go “on the downlow” to get the lowdown.
July 26, 2025 at 8:50 PM
Interested to see today’s NYTimes #SpellingBee approves LOWDOWN but not DOWNLOW. You often have to go “on the downlow” to get the lowdown.
This is my ‘talking to everyone' space (as opposed to links with a specific person or group). I should keep it up to date more often.
The word occupying my mind this week is “quincunx”.
The word occupying my mind this week is “quincunx”.
July 26, 2025 at 7:39 PM
This is my ‘talking to everyone' space (as opposed to links with a specific person or group). I should keep it up to date more often.
The word occupying my mind this week is “quincunx”.
The word occupying my mind this week is “quincunx”.
Looking to bestwordlist.com for a hint re today’s NYT #SpellingBee, I find “oracular” and “ultra cool”. Maybe we saw those things like that when they first appeared on the market :)
Best Word List
Create word lists. You can build word lists, you can choose the size of words, the starting letters, the ending, or even words that contain letters of your choice.
bestwordlist.com
June 5, 2025 at 8:24 PM
Looking to bestwordlist.com for a hint re today’s NYT #SpellingBee, I find “oracular” and “ultra cool”. Maybe we saw those things like that when they first appeared on the market :)
Today's #Wordle reminds me (tangentially, so #notaspoiler) of 2 words I’ve confused, one a real thing from biology, the other purely theoretical (particle physics).
June 1, 2025 at 7:46 PM
Today's #Wordle reminds me (tangentially, so #notaspoiler) of 2 words I’ve confused, one a real thing from biology, the other purely theoretical (particle physics).
Reminding myself: when does the NYT Connections puzzle reset? The answer (midnight in every zone) is accompanied by a pic of a blonde woman with exaggerated cleavage, posing in front of a cod-mediaeval wooden shield on a wall. Why?
May 31, 2025 at 8:46 PM
Reminding myself: when does the NYT Connections puzzle reset? The answer (midnight in every zone) is accompanied by a pic of a blonde woman with exaggerated cleavage, posing in front of a cod-mediaeval wooden shield on a wall. Why?
Today I finally settled the difference between “bole” and “boll”. It’s not UK vs US spelling. They’re different parts of different plants.
May 31, 2025 at 8:21 PM
Today I finally settled the difference between “bole” and “boll”. It’s not UK vs US spelling. They’re different parts of different plants.