Spelling Bees (was: Grammar)

[Haggridd]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at y..., "Doreen Rich" <nera at r...> wrote:
> Do you not remember the fateful word ... that one word ... the one 
> you missed in the spelling bee ... for the rest of your entire 
life?!
> 
> Mine was "jar" in my first ever classroom spelling bee. I got in a 
> hurry since it was such an easy word ... and said, "j""r". Well, of 
> course, you can not go back and start over, so it was finished for 
> me. I think I cried.
> 
> Then in the big spelling bee, I missed, "realestate", which so 
> traumatized me that I *still* turn to the dictionary when I have to 
> spell it. I could spell some of the hardest words on the sheet 
> correctly every time, but the easy ones tripped me up. I remember 
> those long lists, consisting of pages & pages of all of the words 
> which would be in the contest.
> 
> I am glad to hear that they still have spelling bees. I do not watch 
> tv. My fifteen year old and I decided that we do not watch enough 
> television to merit having cable. We both are so busy with other 
> things that we have not missed it. 
> 
> Doreen, who would miss her computer, though
> 
> --- In HPFGU-OTChatter at y..., "Trina" <lj2d30 at g...> wrote:
> > Doreen wondered: 
> > 
> >  I also wonder if they still hold spelling bees or if this too has 
> > been deemed as "cruel & unusual punishment" for the poor children 
> and 
> > therefore "no fun", and has been dropped by the wayside along with 
> > many other learning aids, such as memorizing the multiplication 
> > tables. 
> > 
> > 
> > Yes, spelling bees are still held. Haven't you ever watched the 
> > National Spelling Bee, an annual event in Washington, DC?  For the 
> > last few years ESPN has been airing it, a fact which amuses me to 
> no 
> > end.  
> > 
> > I take pride in the fact that I was the *only* 5th grader in my 
> > district to make it past the written spelling test for our local 
> part 
> > of the National Bee the 1st year 5th graders were allowed in it.  
> Of 
> > course, I got shot down with the word "initiate" in the spell down 
> > with the 6th, 7th, & 8th graders, but not bad for a 10 year old!
> > 
> > Trina

My downfall was "however", which I nonchalantly spelled with a "u".

Haggridd