It’s in Washington, D.C., on June 5 and 6 May 29 and 30. speller73 is taking part. Anyone else?
The event takes place just a block from Robert’s office, so any MBers and their families are welcome to stroll over for a tour of Science magazine and/or lunch at the National Press Club.
The 2007 bee made for some high drama on the blog. You can read about it here.
I would love to go on a tour of Science magazine, but unfortunately I’m booked at this point.
Wait. What am I doing here? I need to be studying…….
I’m not. I’m not very good at spelling, but better than a lot of people I know. It must be exciting to compete, though. Good luck, Speller 73!
Woot! Go speller73! For fear of making a spelling mistake (a very unwise thing to do on such an orthographically centered thread) I will now retreat! But, woot!
*pies with good luck pies* *gives chocolate* (yes, I just made the ultimate spelling sacrifice)
Hm……..I know I won’t since I simply won’t be there. But it sounds interesting.
first post??????????????????
“Gar-“*is pied by emmatheduck* Sorry.
I’ve never been in a spelling bee. What’s it like?
Okay, that was not first post. forget it.
GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!
Where did my post go? just now?
Good luck, Speller!
I just read through the entire last thread.:o
-5 neither have I, but…I’m considered the best speller in my house…
-1 W00t, speller! good luck!
I can’t spell. at all. my cousins though are freakishly good spellers. In their respective first years, all three made state finals. My cousin came in second his final year and so didn’t proceed but he had the best story (I don’t remember the word and it’s specifics, but it doesn’t matter):
Beemaster: Spell “Thyutksksdkjgfjfdjud”
Him: Can I have the language of origin, please?
Beemaster: qwerty
Him: Can you repeat the word?
Beemaster: “Thyutksksdkjgfjfdjudâ€
Him: Please use it in a sentence.
Beemaster: The Thyutksksdkjgfjfdjud waitor was very something or other.
Him: Can you spell it for me, please?
The state rules were officially changed to forbid contestants from asking the beemaster to spell the words.
good luck speller73!
Good luck Speller! I wish I were there. How many people are taking part?
Well, naturally, Speller is going to take part… Not taking part would be like an oxy moron. It would be extremely ironic if Speller came in 73rd. (Not that I want that to happen)
Good luck! Too bad I can’t be there!
Thanks everyone!
5 – Fun! And emmatheduck has no need to worry. They never ask the same word two years in a row.
11 – Beemaster? I’ve always heard it called pronouncer. Something similar happened in the 2005 National Spelling Bee. But they actually do have rules about what you can and cannot ask.
12 – 288
13 – Actually, I took that from last year’s speller number. But I got 34th last year and I’m aiming for higher this year.
Oh, and sorry if this is a double post but its May 29 and 30, not June 5 and 6.
What kinds of words are there, usually? Are they words no one but dictionary absorbers know?
16 – Pretty much, from my impression.
I am a horrible speller. Sorry folks, but although it may be fun for some of you, but I am not so endowed with the ability to spell things on demand….in fact, I’m quite inept at it.
16 – Well, definitely not round 2, which is common words, but for the most part yes. Some early written round words and much of round 3 are not that weird either.
I won my school wide spelling bee. Then I got out in round 17 in the state one.
Good luck, Speller!
Whoa, good luck! I can spell most words in common use (and some that aren’t, like pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis) which allows me to get through a normal English test, but I could never do that sort of crazy competitive spelling. Kudos to you for being able to, speller!
14- Being a terrible speller myself, I would never dream of having actualy been in spelling bee. That’s the term my cousins used. Could it be a regional thing?
22 – Possibly. At the nationals and all other bees I’ve been at, they’ve called it pronouncer.
I’m a good speller for most words, but I get confused at the simplest things.
Congratulations, Speller! Make sure to study up on your gardez!
pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis = a lung disease caused by silica dust… If anyone asks…
1-Don’t you dare neglect MB for studying!!!!!!
5-It’s a form of child abuse. Everyone knows that.
16-Some of them. The word I misspelled last year, though you probably already know this, was an obscure chess term that ended with a silent Z. Speller 73’s was something relating to teeth specifically for eating meat, or something like that.
20-What state?
I am still sad about being too old to compete this year…And I won’t even be able to watch the last day of it, since I’ll be on my way to a math competition
But I will be calling home constantly to get updates on the 3 of my friends from last year who will be there (speller73, Samia, and Tia), especially since it sounds like all 3 of them have good chances of doing very well.
Speller73: Good luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will be unofficially rooting for you! (anyone who I actually said I was rooting for last year went out pretty soon after…) Remember, commands in French end with silent Zs
And eat plenty of carrots. Fish may be a good idea too. But I prefer carrots.
I’m a good speller, but I don’t have the commitment or competitiveness to participate in a bee. I wish I could go watch, though. Sadly, I’m graduating on that very day! Good Luck!
LOL did anyone watch that movie on the kids in the speling bee. LOL I watched it the other night in my dorm with my friends and it was SO FREAKING HILARIOUS!
theyre pretty challenged in the “cool/atrractive” department!! ahahaahaha
*coughs LOSERS*
Are you a neophyte? If so, go to the neophytes thread. You are being insulting and rude, and chat speaking!
(29) Hello, Queen Mae. Are you the same person as the Qween Mae who was on the blog many moons ago?
24 – I mess up on really easy words too. (For example, I recently spent a long time learning to spell harassment.)
27 – Carnivorous teeth. Grrrr… And I doubt I’ll do particularly well. Tia on the other hand… By the way, they’re webcasting the quarterfinals this year.
29 – Spellbound, maybe? I love that movie.
I must say you know you’re a speller when you’re in the middle of your sister’s orchestra concert, and you notice that the song they’re playing is the same one one of the spellers played in Spellbound.
29-There are more important things in life than being cool and attractive. The kids in the bee are all very smart, and often worked very hard to get there. They also tend to be very nice and supportive of each other, and you have no right to insult them.
24,32- I’ve misspelled plenty of easy words, like in my regional bee in 7th grade (when I got 2nd), I misspelled “satire” in the practice round
32-You got 34th last year, and will probably be improving this year. You’ll do great! How much have you studied?
Yes, Tia will most likely be a finalist. I’m expecting Samia to probably do very well too. She went out in round 3 last year but it was just extremely bad luck, she probably deserved to make the finals last year, and even more so this year.
Oh, they’re just webcasting the quarterfinals! I misread it on the website and thought it was going to be on TV. Does that mean no commercial breaks? I really hope so, round 4 last year was tedious enough without the time being doubled by stupid commercials….
I used the phrase “last year” 4 times in this post (5 now) and 3 in my last one. Even as I finally reach the end of 9th grade, my life continues to revolve around 8th
31 – yup its the same person.
I apologize for that post. That was my friend Josh. he was a bit drunk that night. ahah. (dont ask – LOOOOOOOONG story)
I won my school spelling bee, then competed against Speller73 and two others in the county. I lost Dx but then again, I was up against the Speller herself!
33 – I’ve studied quite a bit, but I’ve found myself forgetting a lot of the words I used to just know.
35 – You did great. And I’ll be done with the bee next year.
Today is the big media day for the Chicagoland spellers. I did two TV interviews early this morning, and I have press conference in an hour.
36- Interviews? Press conference? How much coverage do you get? I mean, I know it’s big, but…. Dang. (When is it going to be on TV?)
37 – Next week on Friday. Chicagoland MBers might be able to catch me on the news tonight. Yes, it’s pretty big.
36-I meant like how much of the cwl have you been through? But I know what you mean about forgetting words, yesterday I was looking through my 2006 Paideia and there were far too many I didn’t remember
Ugh, I hate interviews. I never had that much though.
39 – I actually got through the entire CWL. Not that I remember it at all.
40-That’s still really good! Well, i hope you get words that you do remember or can figure out…it must be really horrible to get a word you studied but don’t remember
Oh goody speller73! Is it showing on the internet on the chanel’s site? Can you give us your first name so we know which person is you? Are you excited? Nervous? Personally, I can’t spell to save my liffe, so I think that it’s really cool that some people are really good at spelling. And I’d always thought of your name as someone who casts spells, magyk and stuff, so I was thoroughly surprised when I read that you were competeing. Good luck, we are here to gevi you pies and hugs and kisses and tissues if you don’t make it, and no one will ever finish cheering if you do make it. YAY!!!!!
42 – Did you misspell “life” on purpose?
Good luck speller! I think the the interviews pale in comparison t te sandwitch that has been named in your honour.
Go Speller!
I’m goining to watch it this year I think.
Its going to be live on abc! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
Another nationwide bee wrapped up in Washington last week: the National Geographic geography bee. You can see the video of the final three questions on the National Geographic website:
http :// video.nationalgeographic. com/video/player/news/culture-places-news/geo-bee-vin.html
Has anyone here taken part in that kind of competition?
46- Oops I spelled going, g-o-i-n-i-n-g! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
Speller73- Since you’ll probably have a different number this year, will you change you screen name to Speller(new number) or will it still be Speller73?! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
47- I participated in my school geography bee about 5 times, but never actually studied for it and never advanced beyond the school level. I’m more of a spelling person
48- She said she wouldn’t, because she doesn’t want to make it too easy for people to figure out who she is, I guess.
42 – Various clips of me are on various local TV websites. If you dig a bit, you might find me. Also, my first name won’t help to much because there’s another girl with the same name in the bee.
44 – Ah, yes. The local Panera did name a breakfast sandwich after me for the week.
47 – I got second in the school geo bee last year. I failed the class bee this year. National MathCounts occurred recently as well.
48 – I don’t feel comfortable posting my new number.
50-[Let’s not play guessing games with her name, please. –Admin.]
Hey, I’ll be in DC that day!! I just realized, dad came in my room and told me that on Thursday we were going to Washington…Oh, that so?
Anyway, we’ll probably be doing some other stuff, but there who knows?
Good luck Speller!! I’ll be thinking of you!
I meant how many people are taking part in the whole thing, not how many people here on museblog that are taking part.
Good Luck once again!!!
(sorry for the double post)
There are 16 people from Illinois in the Bee.
50-They did? That’s so froody! Did you eat yourself?
53-There are 288 people competing this year, 2 more than last year.
50- Wow, they named a sandwich after you? That’s awesome. What’s in it?
Do you know what your number is? (I’m not asking what you number is, but whether or not you find out beforehand)
Good luck! Again! (I probably won’t stop wishing you luck until it’s over)
Sorry Speller! I’m still rooting for you!
56-The list of spellers, along with their numbers, is on the bee website.
AAAAAH I am SOOOOO jealous of every single speller in the world who is in 8th grade or below. And especially the 288 who will be in D.C. this week without me. Grr.
58-the bee website? what is it?
59-Can’t post the link, of course…it should be the first thing, or very nearly the first thing, if you google “scripps national spelling bee” or something like that.
53- No. *hangs head.* I was typing while trying to train the dog to ‘speak’.
WHAT’S IN THE SANDWICH!!!!
I found something about the sandwich online, but nothing bout what’s in it
And she’s in D.C. by now, so I don’t know if she’ll be able to get on here again….she’s probably too busy having fun and learning new words and making friends and getting signatures… *sigh*
60-thanks.
62 – Of course, I’m in DC by now. And doing all the things listed in your post.
The sandwich is a breakfast sandwich with bacon, eggs, and cheese.
64-Grrr. Well, I’m glad you can get online…How many signatures do you have? I challenge you to beat the 166 I got last year! (That’s just for spellers. I also got lots of bee officials and crew members, one protester, and a few siblings who I didn’t count.)
Did you have the memorial day barbecue today, like last year? Were there sno(w) cones?
Oh, and if you happen to see Samia (speller 8), could you please ask her to email me? I don’t know why she hasn’t.
And remember to carry around a [i] Muse [/i] and see if anyone comments on it, and if so force them to come to MB. Especially any 7th graders or below. We need an MBer in the bee every year! Or a speller on MB, depending on how you look at it.
Are you eating carrots?
Forget what I said about Samia, I’ve heard from her.
I’m getting extremely nervous about the bee, considering I’m not in it. I don’t know why. But I’ll be glued to my computer tomorrow watching the quarterfinals. I really wish I could watch on friday, but I’ll be calling home for updates every hour, and mom says she’ll call me if anything important happens. and we’ll tape it, so i can watch everything later. But still.
Speller73, if you see this before (or during) the bee, good luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (42 exclamation points. Probably.)
Break a leg, Speller!
Bee update: Speller missed her word in Round 2, but she can still make it to the next round if she did well enough in the preliminaries. Only 90 of the 288 contestants will be in Round 3. We’ll know soon…
She’s IN! And she aced her word in Round 3. On to Round 4!
That’s tomorrow, though. Right now, Speller gets the rest of the day off.Sorry, I was wrong: Speller’s bee ordeal is not over for the day! Round 4 has just started. Round 3 narrowed the field of spellers from 90 to 63. The bloodbath continues…
Excellent! I’m really excited to see what happens!
And remember, speller, gardez is spelled gardez. I think. Okay, fine, ask Emma. The duck.
SHE DID IT AGAIN! On to the semifinals!
w00t! GO SPELLER!!!!!!!!!!
Congratulations, Speller! *flings happy spelling pies*
Robert- I participated in the Geography Bee at my middle school, but the school didn’t take it very seriously…it was more like just a classroom-have-fun-and-answer-questions day. I never missed a single question, though!
Woot! Absolutely flamablamablous! You spell ’em home!
Congratulations!!!!!! I was watching it, of course. and great job on the written test! I just took it online (anyone can, just go to the bee website) and I only got 16 of the 25 words. So even if I got my round 2 word right, I would have been 1 point away from making it to the quarterfinals. That is very depressing.
But all my friends made it to the semifinals!!!!!!!! Good luck tomorrow!!!!!!!
71-Yes, gardez is spelled gardez. But they wouldn’t use the sme word 2 years in a row. The only word i heard today that bore any resemblance to gardez was patzer, which has the same number of letters and syllables, has four of the same letters, and is also related to chess. It means someone who’s bad at chess.
Go, Speller, Go!!!!!!!!!!
The semifinals are about to begin. Only 45 spellers remain from the original field of 288. Round 4 was easier usual, so it’s likely that the beemeisters will crank up the difficulty this time around. It could get fierce.
I won’t be able to check on speller73’s results until after lunch, but anybody else who is following the bee on ESPN or the Web should feel free to tell the blog how she’s doing. Good luck, Speller!
It’s started: chrysoprase, amylolysis, mcleod, tombolo… Yes, they’re getting tricky, and one speller has already fallen.
Now I have to get back to work.
How can we if we don’t know who she is?
emmatheduck knows her, and so do the other GAPAs.
Speller got through Round Five!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (I think…)
Yes! She did it! Resistance is Museless!
(78) I’ll say they’re getting trickier. Nine spellers in a row went down. Sadly, a Québecoise missed a French word.
As of this writing, 18 spellers are still in and 15 are out.
All the Canadians are out. So is the boy who likes to trace words with his finger on the back of his number tag. It’s a tough round.
Round 6 is in progress, with 24 spellers still standing. Word is that the bee-headers are going to try to cut the field in half again.
Word just in: speller73 the Invincible triumphs again! She’s made it through Round 6
and will be in the finals tonight. [Sorry — one more round this afternoon.]Round 7 begins, with 16 spellers remaining…
No problem — she shoots, she scores! Speller73 is in the finals.
76 – Yeah, I know, it was more of a joke than an actual tip.
Wow! That’s impressive. Go speller73!
I’ll have to find those words that you spelled correctly – they’re undoubtedly words that I couldn’t spell.
12 spellers left standing, and she’s one of them!!!!!!!!!!!! Yay Speller!!!!!!
Go Speller!
Yay! Go Speller!!
GO SPELLER!
Man, she’s really doing great, isn’t she?
I cannot spell to save my life. But I will cheer her on when I watch it on tv tonight!
Go go go!! You rock!
*silent consonant pie*
…also I apparently cannot spell “consonant” correctly, actually it seems as though I’ve been adding a ‘t’ to my pronunciations as well. Double good it’s not me competing. XD
I’m watching the finals: one speller down out of the first four. “Aurelian”? “Tralatitious”? They’re not pulling any punches tonight.
She’s up… here goes… Got it!
She looked like she knew the word as soon as it was announced.
Joyful and confident — that’s our speller73!
I watch so little TV nowadays that I’d forgotten how obnoxious commercials are.
A lot of them write the words with their fingers.
End of the round… 11 spellers left.
(97) Same here. This is more television than I’ve watched in the last year put together.
Wow, that was fast.
Watching it now… ^^ I’ll write everything
Oh! Is this her? I think so… she looked so relieved when she got the word.
If so, you rock! w00t! *clapclapclap*
I watched Speller, I could never spell quaternion (however you spell that) You did really good! I am prolly the worst speller ever (except for science words).
102- Alter-ego alert! Man, that’s happened a lot.
Well, I take it you are #[snip] speller? Wow!!! GO SPELLER GO! w00t!!!!!
These kids are magic, but the tension is agonizing.
So there are still 11 kids in it?
Go Speller!
This is the best play-by-play we’ve had since the Phoenix touchdown.
Yes, 11 as a new round begins.
Oh, no! Surfer Justin goes out on “satyagraha.” Down to 10. And now 9. And now Speller73… I’m holding my breath — YES!
Oh, the speller who asked for an easier word before is up. Nietzchean… ahhg, she’s got the first 3 letters, you can do it, go go go… OH MY GOD, she got it! Wow… I applaud her. Even though she’s not our speller, good for her
Commercials now. Blahblahblahblahblah…
Ohgoddadnowisnotthetimetomakemetakethegarbageupthe200ftdrivewayIamwatching! Okay back I haven’t missed anything.
Here’s emma’s friand Samia. She got it, yay.
Satyagraha. Oh, so close, he just added an extra t. Man, only 10 left..
Now 9. She’s really doing great.
Oh I think this is her now. OHYESSHEGOTIT. Fumagillin?
I hope this is her, otherwise I’ll feel silly. Oh well.
SHE DID IT AGAIN! (sorry for the double post) I held my breath for the whole time and I leaped with joy when she got it!
Aha, and in my first section of that post, it was a boy spelling Nietzchean. I thought so, but then the announcer said ‘she’, so I changed it. Eh, whatever. GOSPELLERGO.
(110) Same here! That was nerve-wracking.
I’m being amused by the misspellings in the closed-captioning. Sometimes it just gives up.
Sameer looks nervous, but nails it. Kavya gets a hard one… writes on hand… nails it! Sidharth… Oh, come on, that’s not a word. But he seems to know it, and does! Cat– foreign words now. I learned this one in Russian. She’s sighing, frowning– NO! Alas. Down to 8.
And now there are 7. Another round coming up.
Oh, the girl who got bogatyr is out. 8 left.
Oh, and another. 7.
*gnaws fingers* the tension mounts indeed.
Annnd it’s back…
Ohno, she didn’t get huapango.
6.
Tia T. is doing well, too, she hasn’t hessitated-
OHTHERESHEIS.
Oh, she didn’t get it.
Oh well, you did great, speller73! Way better than I ever could. *hugs&choklit*
You’re so brave!
Down to 6. Here she is… Deep breaths… NO. She’s out! But still smiling. Well done, Speller! Hail to our joyful warrior!
NO SPELLER! Wow, at least she did AWESOME! That was a really hard word!!! I never knew it was even a word.
and she’s out…
Way to go speller, though!
Kavya is out, and so dismayed. She looks numb.
Scott’s gone. Three left for the next round. This barrage of foreign words was a slaughter.
I believe that means speller73 tied for fourth.
I was voting for Reme, but now I’m with the Calley girl.
/gradster(1)/
Oh, look, she’s on a page of my newspaper (won’t say which cause she wanted privacy).
3 left… man. I could never do this.
That is, of course, besides Miss Speller.
I keep having to remind myself that it’s not actually me spelling, because I remember what it feels like. You have to do it once in your life, it’s amazing.
/gradster(1)/
122- saw her in it too. She really did a great job. 3 left. SUSPENSE!
Oh man, one left, if he gets it right… guerdon.
OHHEWINS. *clapclap*
They’re all so amazing; it hurts to see any of them miss. My highlight of the evening was seeing Speller’s joy after she spelled “fumagillin” correctly. She was flamablamablous all the way!
Yeah, I was definitely really sad when speller was out but once again she was awesome and it was always exciting to see her get a word correct. *claps hard* YEAH YEAH YEAH!
:'( We all love you, Speller! Good job!
So it was the he that got it right? Not the Calley girl?
/gradster(1)/
Speller, you did a great job! *Gives Choklit* Tied for fourth!!!!
all hail Speller!
Hey! Speller73s on the news now, cause she live not near me but sort of ish, and it’s wide-area news. Whee! I’ll have to watch ^^
I’m watching right now. My mom was looking at the TV listings, and saw that it was on. I mentioned that Speller was taking place, and that I knew her name. And then we turned on the TV, and there was someone with her name in the final 11!
It’s delayed, though, so we haven’t gotten to the point where she goes out.
Great job, Speller!
Resistance is Museless!
w00t! 4th place for speller73, congrats! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
*checks website* Oh! THAT’S Speller!
Congratulations! We were rooting for you!
I could have never gotten 4th!!!
She got 4th! OMGMO! Thats completely and utterly flam!
I’m really sorry that I couldn’t watch, how wowing!
4th! *spazzes*
Spiffingly well done!
YAY!!!! Congrats, Speller!
CONGRATULATIONS, SPELLER!!!! I wish I could have seen it…
I saw it! I can’t BELIEVE that is a Muser!
I would have cracked under the pressure.
Speller73 and her parents and sister and I just had lunch at the National Press Club. Far from having cracked under the pressure, she was bubbly and funny and Musishly zany. We had key lime tarts for dessert but, out of respect for Club decorum, kept them on our plates and ate them.
138-graaarg. I can’t find out who speller73 is…(name) so I can’t look it up… I watched the ending, and probably saw you speller, but I didn’t know…
140 – SHE got fourth. Tied, actually.
141-uhh…yeah. I know she’s a girl. Without her name, I can’t find the rankings.
142 – Google “scripps national spelling bee” and it’s the first hit. Go under the category “finalists”.
Congratulations, Speller!
*many pies*
I just took the online written test, and got a 23/25.
I missed “Pyrrhic” and “beignet.” (Grr, French words).
Great job speller! I couldn’t have gotten anywhere near fourth if I had been in it. You make me jealous. But in a good way.
146- Yeah she was
I’m going to take the online test.
All 3 of my friends were in the top 7! I didn’t get to actually watch the bee, but my parents taped it so I’ll watch tomorrow..
Well, I got a score of 17 when I took the test first (
), and then I retook it a little later and got a 25.
Congradulations speller!!!!!!!
As someone who can not spell anything, I can only look in awe at your achievement.
147 – “all three of my friends” You only have three friends? (Sorry, had to.)
Go Speller! I didn’t even win top in my school.
I’m actually perplexed about how I got “Pyrrhic” wrong. I missed the H. *hits self in head* I knew that one!
And of course I got the French one wrong. I never understood, nor had the chance to understand French spelling.
150-I only have three spelling friends who were only 7th graders last year, and therefore able to come back this year. :p
I took the online test and got 19/28 (16/25), which wouldn’t even have been good enough to qualify for the semifinals.
152 – The cut-off was tougher this year. And I’m certain that had you been in the bee this year, you would have studied.