Slog - Comments on Randy Hilfman Spells Defeat http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/09/randy_hilfman_spells_1 I skipped Bumbershoot on Monday night to congregate with the hardened orthographers at the third Seattle Spelling Bee. After last month's poor showing, I had little hope of returning to the form that won me second place in the first bee. Then I pulled off my greatest feat of spelling to date: C-I-C-I-S-B-E-I-S-M The Oxford English Dictionary definies "cicisbeism" as "The practice of attending a married woman as cicisbeo." With adorable though misleading chastity, the OED claims that a cicisbeo is a woman's "recognized gallant." At any rate, my correct spelling elicited the evening's biggest round of applause. More importantly,... Copyright 2007 Wed, 06 Sep 2006 15:43:58 -0800 Fri, 08 Sep 2006 09:29:41 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by MoTown "The notoriously difficult third round had eliminated all comers aside from me. Only three contestants out of twenty managed a signle correct word."

]]> MoTown http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/09/randy_hilfman_spells_1#c458461 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/09/randy_hilfman_spells_1#c458461 Life Wed, 06 Sep 2006 15:50:14 -0800 Comment by Andrew Bleeker Um... that seeming typo was really a metaorthographical comment on the futility inherent in the relatively recent codification of English spelling.

]]> Andrew Bleeker http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/09/randy_hilfman_spells_1#c458469 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/09/randy_hilfman_spells_1#c458469 Life Wed, 06 Sep 2006 15:57:21 -0800 Comment by josh you earned it, dude. from where i was, that was louder than rijsttafel

]]> josh http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/09/randy_hilfman_spells_1#c459169 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/09/randy_hilfman_spells_1#c459169 Life Thu, 07 Sep 2006 18:03:42 -0800 Comment by Lauren Damnation. The only way I could stop myself from weeping and beating my fists against the floor was with the knowledge that among the words I COULD have spelled were cicisbeism and enceinte. (They dig that shit in historical romance novels.)

Oh, and quaestio, which kindly stuck to the thankfully firm Latin pronunciation rules.

]]> Lauren http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/09/randy_hilfman_spells_1#c459221 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/09/randy_hilfman_spells_1#c459221 Life Thu, 07 Sep 2006 21:15:43 -0800 Comment by josh lauren, i apologize for not giving you your proper due as a 2nd place champion, i didn't realize you were you! next time, should you elect a pre-finals next time, i will let everyone know you are a great speller! in the finals, it will be obvious :)

]]> josh http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/09/randy_hilfman_spells_1#c459287 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/09/randy_hilfman_spells_1#c459287 Life Fri, 08 Sep 2006 06:36:39 -0800 Comment by Lauren Aww, thanks, Josh, but that's not necessary. I prefer to keep it on the down low. I'll be out of town performing my sister's wedding next month, but I'll be back for the November showdown!

]]> Lauren http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/09/randy_hilfman_spells_1#c459322 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/09/randy_hilfman_spells_1#c459322 Life Fri, 08 Sep 2006 09:29:41 -0800