I love words….what they symbolize, what they mean, how they sound, what they can do. I love words. They have been my passion for my entire life, from the first nursery rhymes I read to the complexities of Thomas and Yeats…I love words!!
It is without shame that I tell you that each year, I eagerly await the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Each and every batch of young wordsmiths stand in front of a slender microphone stand with a giant piece of cardboard strapped hastily over the standard cotton pique polo shirt, eyeglasses crooked and smudged with fingerprints, some of which aren’t even the wearer’s. It is this sporting arena that brings words such as pleat or polarimetric to the forefront of the American consciousness.
This year’s champion, Sameer Mishra, out-signified his competitors with the proper explication of “guerdon” - something that you have earned and thus deserve - as if I had to explain that to you. Sameer, an Indiana speller, did provide one moment of levity with impeccable comic timing and a certain amount of “je ne sais qua”.
By the way…what’s the deal…Erin Andrews is sideline reporting the Spelling Bee? Who did she numb nut to saddled with this gig? Don’t get me wrong, Holmes likey!!!
I, too, love words. Too bad I can’t see the video on my work computer–have to wait until I get home. Uh, Holmes, as one word-lover to another(that could be a song title!), I think it’s spelled “je ne sais quoi”. I could be wrong, though, because French has all of those stupid gender rules. (It’s been ages since I’ve taken French)
MLM wins the french game!
Come to think of it, it’s been ages since I’ve GIVEN French, too!
MLM…thank you for teaching this Irishman a thing or two about french…whoa…sorry…I got a little light-headed…I sure could use some more french lessons…
I was using the “urban” french that all the cool kids are using on the streets…. I learned it while watching “The Warriors”…maybe the greatest gangland film of all time…sorry for my sloppiness…with the french and all…
How do you say, “Waaarriors, come out to plaaaaay” in French? No problem, Holmes, frenching is BOUND to be sloppy from time to time–that’s what makes it interesting!