Here are the guiding principles (more or less) editor Sam Ezersky used (and presumably still does) in coming up with his acceptable word lists. From a "Slate" interveiw a few years back:
"A lot of the calls are pretty easy. Even though the word list is a binary “yes, it’s in the word list” or “no, it’s not in the word list,” there are tons and tons of close calls. My methodology is just extensive research. If I’m unsure, if this is something that’s a total blind spot–hello to all the gardeners out there, you all know I don’t know my plants that well—I’ll go digging around. I’ll see if it gets a lot of news coverage. I’ll see if the word is listed in the major dictionaries that I have at my disposal, which primarily are Merriam-Webster and the Mac dictionary, which I believe riffs off New Oxford American. Ultimately, my guiding question is: What feels fair to our wide-ranging audience? I don’t want to snub those where it’s a word that is so common to their background or lifestyle or culture, but I also don’t want to include something that will truly mystify the vast majority of our solving audience—and not just those queen bee folks who know everything."
There is a shop here in Fairhope called "Mr. Gene's Beans." It started as primarily a coffee shop; now it is primarily an ice cream shop (though its most popular product is the Fairhope Float--coffee with ice cream). The original owner was named Gene, I think (it has now changed hands). But I never made the connection with Mr. Green Jeans. Thanks for the tip.
I loved Judy's FRIDGE-OPENER and Frank's DE-GONIF
Counting on people to be familiar with the term "gonif"; the NYT Spelling Bee game doesn't recognize it.
The NYT Spelling Bee doesn't recognize all sorts of things it really should.
Here are the guiding principles (more or less) editor Sam Ezersky used (and presumably still does) in coming up with his acceptable word lists. From a "Slate" interveiw a few years back:
"A lot of the calls are pretty easy. Even though the word list is a binary “yes, it’s in the word list” or “no, it’s not in the word list,” there are tons and tons of close calls. My methodology is just extensive research. If I’m unsure, if this is something that’s a total blind spot–hello to all the gardeners out there, you all know I don’t know my plants that well—I’ll go digging around. I’ll see if it gets a lot of news coverage. I’ll see if the word is listed in the major dictionaries that I have at my disposal, which primarily are Merriam-Webster and the Mac dictionary, which I believe riffs off New Oxford American. Ultimately, my guiding question is: What feels fair to our wide-ranging audience? I don’t want to snub those where it’s a word that is so common to their background or lifestyle or culture, but I also don’t want to include something that will truly mystify the vast majority of our solving audience—and not just those queen bee folks who know everything."
I also chuckled at Frank's de- gonad.
I liked GEODICK, HEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, and the Ogden Nash tributes.
Ogden Ash: "To dwell in pine may well be fine, but still I yearn to fill an urn."
I must be on Pam Shermeyer’s wavelength today—liked both BLODEGA and EYE-NOODGE
The all-bean portrait immediately suggested to me a variation on Captain Kangaroo's green-denimed farmer sidekick: it depicts Mr. Bean Genes!
There is a shop here in Fairhope called "Mr. Gene's Beans." It started as primarily a coffee shop; now it is primarily an ice cream shop (though its most popular product is the Fairhope Float--coffee with ice cream). The original owner was named Gene, I think (it has now changed hands). But I never made the connection with Mr. Green Jeans. Thanks for the tip.