$200 CASH Prize on December 31st!

That's right, $200 cash for the winner, along with the title of 2007 GRAND CHAMPION. We'll also have gift certificates for the first two runners-up and audience prizes too. 7 pm, as usual.

20 or under? Come to the kids' Bee at 5:30 pm! All entrants receive a CHAMPION shirt. My 9 year old will certainly be up there competing, and I've even seen younger kids who could spell up a storm - bring them on!

Stay for the party, too - at 9:30, a Cuban band will be playing so you can dance your way into 2008.

This Week's Champion: Egret

And the winning word:

FREESIA.

Congrats to Egret! I certainly hope she'll be back to try for the $200 cash prize at the 2007 Championship.

Here are the words spelled, in no particular order:

DATIVE
EUCHARIST
FURBELOW
EBENEZER
EUGENICS
FIDGETING
DIGRESSION
FLAILING
CULOTTES
ELECTROLYTE
FUSTIGATE
GLITTERING
GITANO
ENCOMIASTIC
EQUESTRIAN
EXEQUIES
ETHYLENE
EQUERRY
GATEADO
FLAGELLATORY
ENATIC
EMBERGOOSE
FESTSCHRIFT
GADARENE
EQUIVOCATION
EXCOGITATE
EMACIATION
DRIZZLE
GLOUCESTER
PARENTAGE
DECATHLON
GLYCERINATED
CULVERT
FRIGID
GADGETRY
ENCHANTED
DIFFUSION
FEARSOME
RETINUE
DROWSILY
DRAGOON
DUBIOUSLY
EXCLUSIVE
ELOQUENT
DOVETAILED
CUBIT
DRAMATIZE
CORPS
DECADENCE
CORRODE
EGYPTIAN
LEVIATHAN

Dr. Thomas - Thanks!

A couple weeks ago, my friend the (former) English Professor subbed in for me.

Thanks so much, Thomas!

He kept track of the words (in no particular order):

RECYCLABLE
RADARSCOPE
CYTOLOGY
THERMOPHILOUS
REDACTION
FACETIOSITY
ECLECTIC
CIRCINATE
CHURRASCO
DERMAL
RETROCEDE
OMBROPHILOUS
SCRIPOPHILY
MESOSCALE
SCRIMMAGE
CIRRHOSIS
FERMATA
BRACHYOLOGY
QUODDY
CIRCUMAMBULATE
RENIFORM
FALLIBILITY
CLAUSTROPHOBIA
REPERTOIRE
CICADA
TETRACHLORIDE
TENEBRISM
CITADEL
CISLUNAR
METAMORPHOSIS
ELEEOMOSYNARY
DESECRATION
SACRISTAN
CHUTNEY
MALVERSATION
PURL
RESURRECT
ELLIPSE
DAEDAL
LUMINOUS
FACULA
PRECIPITATE
LUTE
REVELRY
SALTATORY
RETROGRADE
MITIGATIVE

What, spelling for KIDS, too?

Yes!

On New Year's Eve, we'll have a kids' bee at 5:30 (20 and under), with our regular bee at 7 (21+).

Expect a lot of prizes and fun, and special t-shirts for the kids and the 2007 Grand Champion.

Stay, if you like, to usher in the New Year with cuban music, which will begin at 9:30.

Congrats to Norton

Our champion this week was Norton, who has been regularly drinking rum-and-cokes with us for a few months now. Congratulations!

The winning word was FIANCHETTO, a move in chess.

word list from this week

Thanks to Matt Whitman, who I'm sure will be back:

Round 1:
reprieve (ding)
recuperation (ding) dermatology
pulmonary
precipitation
renounce
revelatory
desultory
referendum
powwows
sconce
rhythm (ding)
squandering
cinematographer
scrimshaw
resolute

Round 2:
legislature
luminosity
prattle
malapropism
sacrosanct (ding)
deterrent (ding)
scriptural
parmesan
refectory
safari
feint (ding)
fennel
ponderously

Tough Beer Pitcher of Words:
occultation
leguminous
desacralize
mitochondrion (ding)
derogation
rheum (ding)
lecithin
oculus (ding)
quintal (ding)
metallurgist (ding)
dermatophyte (ding)
echolalia
quiescently
ochlophobia (ding) (me! ouch!)
prognosticator
ptarmigan
quila
philippics (ding)
ptosispultaceous (ding)
peirastic (ding)
novercal
macropterous FOR THE WIN!

Thanks, Matt!

Fun Twist!

This week I changed the format slightly, and it was a lot of fun.

I drew two words out of my beer pitcher, and let the spellers choose which one to spell.

For example, you might be offered the options:

EMMELEIA

noun, Greek. a solemn and stately dance used in ancient Greek tragedy. "The dancers performed the emmeleia with grave mournful gestures."

or

ALISON

noun, English. a plant of a genus of European and Asiatic herbs having small usually yellow flowers. "Bernice added an alison to her bouquet."

I think I'll keep this up for a few weeks at least.