Alot Better Than You at Spelling

If you haven't read Allie Brosh's post about people who wrote "alot," please do so now. It's kind of my favorite thing ever.

The Alot is Better Than You at Everything



You can also get (alot of) Alot merchandise here.

September 13 Winners

1st Place: Wilson Southerland
2nd Place: Jennifer Lee
3rd Place: Jonathan Lill

All three winners qualify for the December 6th finals!

Come back on September 27th for the next Williamsburg Spelling Bee.

Finals Photos by Jane Macneil

This past June, U.K. photographer Jane Macneil happened to be in town during the Finals. When she got back across the pond, she sent us these:



Complete photoset here.

August 30 Spelling Results

Congratulations! All three winners qualify for the December 6 Finals.

1. Ben Kusmin
2. Jennifer Lee
3. Maddy DeLeon

Come back next time on September 13th! We take the first 18 contestants and signup begins at 7 -- our last two bees, we've filled up around 7:15 or 7:20. You must be physically present to sign up (if you have a group of people, one person can't sign up people on their way), so do arrive early!









Complete photoset here.

Photos from August 16th Kickoff Spelling Bee

See more here.

In the New York Times

In the Nocturnalist column by Sarah Maslin Nir: Spellbound in Brooklyn.



The Williamsburg Spelling Bee kicked off its first bee of the new season this Monday. Despite a brief but sloppy downpour, we filled up before 7:30 and had to turn people away. I didn't realize the NYT was in attendance until the bee was over, and all the sudden there was a woman with a notepad.

Some words from this week's bee:
purl
vesicle
lodestar
moil
celadon
jejune
carcinogenicity
tympanum
oribi
diktat
ordnance

Congratulations to:
1st place: Wilson Southerland
2nd place: David Zheng
3rd place: John (whose last name I neglected to ascertain!)

All three finalists qualify for the December 6th Finals. (John, email me and I'll update this!)
Come back Monday, August 30 for your next shot. (Arrive early! Signup begins at 7, and we take the first 18 people).

New Season Begins This Monday

Season Winner David Riddle Interviewed on Word-Buff.com

Check it out: Adult Spelling Bee Champion Gives His Top Tips.

Williamsburg Spelling Bee Season 12 Begins August 16th

The Williamsburg Spelling Bee
Pete's Candy Store, 709 Lorimer St., Brooklyn
(Lorimer St. between Frost and Richardson / L or G train to Lorimer)

Monday, August 16th
7:30pm
Free

Since 2004, the real adult spelling bee that started a national movement -- still fun and friendly, and open to everyone. Signup begins 7pm -- first 18 people get to play. Three-strikes-you're-out policy means more participation for everyone. Hosted by founder bobbyblue and comedian Jen Dziura. Winners get free booze and qualify for a twice-annual Finals.

Announcing The Vocabulary Blog

While I hate to use the word "synergy" outside of talking about Jem and the Holograms, it seems that my day job and my night job have collided.

Welcome to The Vocabulary Blog, in which I sort out what exactly a cog is, why you can't take incendiaries on a plane, what Tina Fey's name is all about, and the difference between being florid and being bombastic (not "boombastic," Shaggy, but thanks).



Visit The Vocabulary Blog.

Season 11 Finals: Congratulations to Winner David Riddle!

Thanks to our sponsors Bananagrams, Giant Microbes, So You Think You Can Spell, and of course, Pete's Candy Store, which provided a $200 cash prize to the winner!

1st place: David Riddle
2nd place: Tamara Glenny
3rd place: Sara Luchian
4th place: Carolyn D'Aquila
Tied for 5th: Dominique Vance and Ben Kusmin
Honorable Mention: Maddy DeLeon, David Zheng, Jenny Brown, Trent Williams, Johann Chen, Nathanael Bonnell

(After a season of bees, Jen's brain is a bit sore, and she's afraid she's misspelled someone's name up here. Alas!)

Come back August 16th for the start of Season Twelve!

June 7 Winners

1st place: Johann Chen
2nd place: Dominique Vance
3rd place: Nathanael Bonnell

All three winners qualify for the season finals. Our next bee is the Finals! Winners from the past six months will square off to be declared season champion! There will be a shiny trophy. Everyone is invited to watch.

Here is an incredibly low-quality photo. Founder bobbyblue was on vacation and magician Eric Walton subbed in. My iPhone couldn't really handle the dim lighting.


On a more positive note, the bee was featured on the BBC's website!