WE HAVE A DATE

...and a venue.
The Dover Board of Selectmen voted to approve the Bee taking place in the Dover Town House this year, on March 26th (Thursday) at 7 p.m. We are excited to be back in the Town House, with live TV coverage and an improved capacity for the Bee Café and the Bee Tree.
Stay tuned as this blog ramps up, with words, study guides and news of the Bee as it evolves.
If you want to sign up for a team or sponsor a team, leave a post here.

Word trends, by Google

While tooling around in Charles Hodgson's Podictionary, I found a link to Google word trends. You can plug in a word and track where it is used, and how frequently.

Try this with the phrase "Spelling Bee":
http://www.google.com/trends?q=spelling+bee&ctab=0&geo=all&date=all&sort=0

Maybe we can generate enough publicity for the 2009 Bee to make the charts!

Try this online Bee

Looking for something else entirely, I just stumbled across the Visual Thesaurus Spelling Bee. When I first read about it, I thought that we'd have to spell a word based on a picture of it or something, but in fact the "visual" part gives you a diagram of where the word comes from. Words, spelling and etymology--in game format. It really doesn't get much better than that.

Try the VT Spelling Bee for yourself: http://www.visualthesaurus.com/bee/play . I did have some difficulty with some of the pronunciations (the readers change every few words)--spasmolysis sounded like it had a "t" at the end (although the definitions are given, which should have clued me in). I was pleased to see many of the words Dover spellers have conquered in the past, such as diphtheria and pettifoggery, and mostly I was happy to find a new and very entertaining spelling game. I recommend it.

Word of the Day: VOTE

http://www.yourdictionary.com/vote

You'd think this word had been coined for the way Barack moved during the debates...

...but no: according to Wordsmith.org, OBAMBULATE means to walk around. Check out the citation below from www.wordsmith.org:


obambulate
PRONUNCIATION:
(o-BAM-byuh-layt)
MEANING:
verb tr.: To walk about.
ETYMOLOGY:
From Latin ob- (towards, against) + ambulare (to walk). Ultimately from the Indo-European root ambhi- (around) that is also the source of ambulance, alley, preamble, and bivouac. The first print citation of the word is from 1614.

This week, Wordsmith.org is featuring words that could describe the presidential candidates. I'll be back with others that I find interesting.

Here's another fun word activity

Hangmania is an online game of hangman. You have 7 chances to solve each puzzle. Guessing the same letter twice does not count against you, but there is no visual record of what you've guessed as you play. You pick categories: countries, stars, Movies, etc. and play within those confines. Try it at: http://hangmania.com/ and see if it doesn't help exercise your brain for the Bee.

One good thing leads to another

I signed up for the Moot e-mail, and received a confirmation reply with a link to another terrific word site: http://odlt.org/
Apparently the MooTguy (as he calls himself) set up this Online Dictionary of Language Terminology which gives, as the site proclaims, "concise explanations of the words that English speakers use to talk about the English language". I wandered around for a bit and found words like aphaeresis, paraprosdokian and glossopoeia.

It might be on the site, but I did not see a word meaning "evil giggle". You will just have to check out the website and imagine mine.

moot

One of my favorite sources of Bee words, A.Word.A.Day (www.wordsmith.org) is being sponsored by an etymology game called Moot. This link will give you a series of sample questions from the game: www.mootgame.com. Try it; it's fun! You can also submit your e-mail address to receive periodic Moot questions--I haven't done this yet, but it does look promising.

Therefor?

One of my favorite sources for Bee words, A Word A Day, is presently featuring words that appear to be misspellings. Here's the link to today's word: http://wordsmith.org/words/therefor.html

You have been warned :-)

Is your vocabulary better than a 7th--grader's?

You have probably realized that I think about Spelling Bee words all year long. I had a really good one the other day--funambulist. I thought this would be a word nobody in my family knew, so naturally I tried to stump them by asking them what they thought it meant--over breakfast, when nobody here is really firing on all pistons.

Wouldn't you know it: my smart-aleck middle son replied, without skipping a beat, "It means tightrope-walker." Apparently funambulist is a word directly borrowed from Latin, where it means just that.



Oh, darn!



It might make the list anyway, even though my vocabulary is evidently NOT better than a 7th-grader's.

While you are enjoying your summer vacation....

I am already collecting words for the 09 Bee. I just subscribed to the RSS feed from A Word A Day (www.wordsmith.org) --one of my absolute favorite Bee word sources, but I grew weary of the daily e-mail. The RSS feed will place the words gently into my computer without loading up my inbox.

Check out today's word, and imagine our fearless MC George Doherty delivering it to a roomful of Dover's most competitive spellers: http://wordsmith.org/words/callipygian.html.

Enjoy!

Etymology on line--yessss!

Words are easier to spell (and more interesting in general) if we have some idea of their origins. I stumbled onto this interesting website via Charles Hodgson's daily etymology blog (http://podictionary.com/?p=810), and found myself yelling "YESSSSS!".

From a layperson's perspective, etymology seems to be part linguistics, part history and anthropology, and part shrewd guesswork. It's a fascinating topic. Check out the site's etymology for "bee": http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=bee&searchmode=none.

Although the entries have helpful links to an on-line dictionary, the random sampling of "killer bee" spelling words I entered did not turn up in its database. Nevertheless, it's worth a look. Some words to try: dog, hocus-pocus, window and narwhal. Have fun!

National Spelling Bee tonight @ 8 on Channel 5

http://www.boston.com/ae/tv/articles/2008/05/30/critics_corner
In case you are one of those people who can never have enough...

Bee Stats

Initial word list: 1200 words
Published list: 843 words (3 removed due to typos)
Words prepared for the Bee (with pronunciations, definitions and sentences): 164 (~19%)
Words used: 94 (~57% of prepared words, and ~11% of published list)

THANKS TO ALL WHO PARTICIPATED, IN WHATEVER WAY. YOU MADE THIS EVENT A SUCCESS!!

Wrap-up, Part 2

We had an update today that suggests that we broke last year's fundraising record...THANKS TO ALL!!

More on the stars of the show:
BeeCon Hill (Mary Jo Keaney, Nan Leonard, Senator James Timilty): this team got their words (and name) very late in the game, and their team members changed quite a lot...circumstances which did nothing to showcase their very real abilities. I hope they come back: they're a group to watch!

Non-Fiction Book Club (Barbara Roth-Schecter, Chip Spalding, Gerry Wise): this is one SMART team. They read everything! They're three-year supporters of the Bee and we are so grateful for their ongoing enthusiasm.

Spell Sesquipedalian (Julia Madden, Anna Gaissert, Jackie Carroll): last year's defending champs came skidding in from a late-afternoon athletic event, and gave another terrific performance. We hope they will come back next year--another team to watch; anything could happen!

The Warrant Committee (Robyn Hunter, Nate Van Duzer, and Selectman David Heinlein): well, you already know how I feel about these hard-working folks. They got the words at the last minute, and participated to show their support for our fundraising efforts. Kudos and sincere thanks to these good sports, and a Special Mention for Mr. Heinlein's authentic high-school jacket--very cool!

Taylor Estates (Joe Desalvo, Tom Dixon, Nancy Simms): Bee veterans Simms and Dixon combined forces with new player Joe Desalvo (can I call him a New-Bee?) to win Round 3, on the word "moliminous" --a word that means "massive" or "enormous" and which describes the efforts of all the players in Round 3.

First-time winners Dover Mothers' Association (Gina Doyle, Marisa Fisch and Kristen Sampson) made an excellent showing in Round 4. We especially liked their t-shirts, which boasted the nickname "The Spell-Checkers" on the front and the question "Got Kids?" on the back.

We are always happy to see teen participation in the Bee, and were especially happy to have the Library's own Teen Advisory Board spell again this year. Danielle Hall, Nicole Huang and Lauren Springett, active members of the TAB, gave yet another evening to the service of the Library--thanks!

The Town House Honey Bees had a spirited showing in bright blue shirts and brighter smiles. We were pleased to see Bee Veteran Sue Sheridan playing again, with Sue Hall and Julie Brantley. Their coach was all smiles in the audience, as well. In addition to spelling practice, I think they learned the definition and origin of every word on the list. They probably do crossword puzzles in pen now.

The Spellunkers (Tod Dimmick, Pamela Mok and Wendy Parker) continued to dazzle us with their blinking hats and their spelling skills. They won Round 4 on the word "mogigraphia", which means writer's cramp. (I think all the players had mogigraphia by that point...)

The finalists: Carpe Spellum, the Dover Foundation, Taylor Estates and the Spellunkers, burned through the Championship round and about three pages of extra-hard "Killer Bee" words before the Dover Foundation emerged victorious with the word "kishke".

Wrap Up

I can't believe it's over...but it was so much fun!

The Bee seems larger than life, even in retrospect. Random observations:

Jane Bleakley is the Artist of the YEAR: her set design, with the anthropomorphic putti-style bees flying in and out of the vegitation, astonished and pleased spectators and participants throughout the evening. Her Bee Tree in the foyer was a very fitting display for the generosity of dozens of donors.

Lorie Linnell masterminded the "outside" of the Bee, overseeing treats and Bee Tree Words ALL EVENING LONG. Michelle Donatelli marshalled dozens of bakers to furnish tray after tray of goodies for the spectators.

Marlayne Brace designed the layout and flow of the "inside" of the Bee. Her floor plans and detailed lists of materials and responsible helpers made the evening flow smoothly.

Dover Cable moved mountains of scaffolding to set up in the gym. We trust that their improved vantage points and serious advance planning will yield a TV event that will rival the live event for energy and accessibility.

Now, for the real stars of the show: the Spellers:
Check Paul Keleher's flickr account for photos of teams. Of particular note are:
Bee-lieve It to See It (Connie Dawson, Cathy Chiavarini and Stephen Harte) in their Bee suits and Bee glasses--always a fabulous team, but this year they outdid themselves.
Carpe Spellum (Christine DiMartino, Ellie Herd, and Karen McKoy), our first runners-up, dressed eclectically (although not in tiaras this year; oh, well)--hope to see them again next year, they came SO CLOSE!
Coldwell Banker, Wellesley (Jennifer Blake, Jean McDonnell and Laura Talmud): this loyal team put in another fine performance; they have supported us for 3 years now--THANK YOU!!
The Home Team (Kirk Downing, Deb Reinemann and Louise Snyder): The audience loved these players, particularly their "invented spelling" of various words...lots of fun.
Precious BEEginnings Preschool (Lara Clark, Michael Gilio and Regan Royston): these folks did well and seemed to be pleasantly surprised by how much they enjoyed the experience--come back again next year as an alumni team!
Bee Spellbound (Nancy Jefferson, Ginny Keniry and James Keohane): this team seemed to have as much fun off-stage as they did on--and the children had a wonderful time rooting for them.
The Capital Bees (Peter Mitchell, Carol Lisbon and Dave Melville): the HATS!! I hope you wear them to Town Meeting!! Please???
Dover Foundation (Rebecca Delgado, Marguerite Eckles, Brent Johnstone): what more can we say? Congratulations!
The Gentilli Geniuses (Sara Muckstadt, Lisa Sussman, Phuong Tang-Tso) were the Lime Green girls with the 18 really good reasons to be in the Bee, including the best cheering section in the event. They win the Spirit Award. What an excellent example for all of our children.
Spellerz from the 'Hood (Kim Chase, Leslie Moore and Andy Thompson) win the Best Costume prize. I think they should be on the cover of the next Town Report.

Will cover the rest later...off to the gym!

The winning word in 2008: KISHKE

which is a type of onion sausage.

It was a wonderful, amazing, successful night and I will write all about it tomorrow and over the weekend. Until then, congratulations to champions The Dover Foundation (Rebecca Delgado, Marguerite Eckles and Brent Johnstone), who edged out Carpe Spellum on the third page of the Especially Difficult Extra Words Just in Case (aka the Killer Bee words). Well done, all, and thank you!

Now, it is time to sleep.

Last-minute musings

The words have been selected, the pronunciations proofed, the sentences written. The programmes have been printed, the tables ordered, the nametags printed. The Bee Tree is organized, the decorations are ready to go. I'm baking cupcakes and brownies with little candy bees on them for the Bee Café. Tomorrow evening our months of planning will come to fruition, and the Bee will take on a life of its own.

I don't know who is more nervous at this moment--the contestants or the Bee committee.

As the compiler of the word list, I have to say it has been a challenge to balance the needs of the more competetive spellers with those who are just in it for fun. We don't want anyone going "out" on the first word, but we do need to establish a clear winner of each round--and, of course, of the Bee itself. Each of the 4 preliminary rounds has 18 words: easier words in the beginning, and harder words towards the end. The Championship Round has 17 words. Because we know we have some extremely good spellers coming, I have crafted a separate list of "Killer Bees": the most difficult words, designed to bring a protracted round to a (hopefully) swift conclusion. I have 75 "Killer Bee" words, and I'm bringing the entire 800+ word list just in case we need it. Remember, the folks who are spelling are really competing against the list, not one another.

Now is the time to remind everyone that all participants in this Bee are winners. They are supporting their town Library, one of Dover's finest treasures. I would like to thank all the participants, most sincerely, for their community spirit and willingness to come out and have fun to benefit the Library. I hope we have a large and appreciative audience to support the players (and to buy all the goodies out in the hall). Because we have had so many private donors to the Bee, all of our expenses have been covered. Everything we make tomorrow night goes directly to the Library via the Friends. It doesn't get much better than that!

Last but NOT LEAST: The Warrant Committee

You have no idea what an honor it is to have the support of the Warrant Committee. I don't care if they can't spell a single word--the fact is they've committed to the Bee because they believe in our grass-roots efforts to raise money for the Library (outside of municipal appropriations, which they control). I am fond of calling my own Board of Trustees the BBIT (acronym created by Holly Collins, of the Best Board in Town), but the Warrant Committee could easily be called HWBIT (somewhat less pronounceable: the Hardest Working Board in Town). These people meet ALL THE TIME and at crazy hours--early morning, after dinner--anything to make sure they have a quorum to address the financial needs of the town. You ought to read their minutes. And if you know any of them, you ought to thank them for their service to your town. And you REALLY ought to go to Town Meeting, where you will see all their hard work on display: they go, member by member, item by item, through every single warrant on the Town Meeting docket. It is an amazing process. (GO: it's 7 p.m. at the High School on May 5th--always the first Monday in May. Dover's governing body is Town Meeting, and that means you. If you don't vote, you cannot complain.)
As if they did not already have enough to do a month before Town Meeting, the Warrant Committee signed up for the Bee--just the other day. This evening I delivered a hard copy of the word list to Chair Robyn Hunter, who will spell along with Nate Van Duzer and former WC member (and Current Selectman--how's that for going from the frying pan into the fire?) David Heinlein. All I can say is, you had better applaud when they get up for their round. They deserve a standing ovation, for so much more than the Bee.

Pollinating the Bee Tree

The Bee Tree is a new venture for us, and we are excited to report that we have nearly 50 donors' gifts to sell. For prices ranging from $10 on up, buyers will select a word and receive a gift certificate for a donated item whose word is somehow linked to its identity. (Here's an example: purchasing the word "starched" might land you a gift certificate to a local dry-cleaner's.) The Greater Dover community has been extremely generous to the Bee Tree, and we have a huge variety of fabulous gifts and gift cards. We hope that you will shop for words (don't worry--the Tree words are much easier than the ones used in the Bee!) and show your appreciation to the many "pollinators" whose business support makes our Bee a success.