Fri, May 30, 2008 - 7:00 PM

8:08 p.m.

Tralatitious was correctly spelled by Akshay Buddiga back in 2005. If you're familiar with the bee, you may remember Buddiga fainting on stage when asked to spell alopecoid in round five.

If you don't remember, here's a link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06JUfkiMOVc

-Josh Dawsey

8:07 p.m.

It surprises me that shamateurism is in round eight. If you take the word amateurism and add an "sh", it's a very simple word. Wonder if the words tonight will be easier than today? Regardless, good job Tia Thomas.

We'll keep watching.

-Josh Dawsey

8:05 p.m.

The trophy cup is at the left. Their families are at right.

Four of the 12 finalists have never been in the national bee before.

Favorites:
-Tia Thomas' fifth bee. The Californian has placed as high as 8th.
-Kansas' Kavya Shivashankar won 8th place last year and 10th the year before.

Here we go

--Neil H. Simon

Frank Neuhauser, a legend in this hall, is sitting right in front of me. Spellers keep filing past to have them sign their "Bee-keeper" autograph books they each have been carrying around all week.

Neuhauser, 94, won the 1925 bee with the word gladiolus. He was sponsored at the time by Louisville Courier-Journal.





He went on to become an engineer and then a patent attorney lawyer. For his first place finish in the 1925 bee he won $500 in gold. Upon winning the bee, her husband rode in a parade in an open-top car with the mayor of Louisville.

He enjoyed another honor just now -- a standing ovation from the 2008 crowd.

On stage, he said, "It was much easier back then. I'd never make it now"

--Neil H. Simon

When I return -- around 7:30 -- we'll have a look at a group who thinks it's time to do away with this whole wacky spelling thing. I'm serious - they're out there.
In the meantime, check out this little slideshow:




--Neil Simon

2:34 p.m.

The final 12 have been selected.

After just more than two hours of spelling the field of 45 is now a dozen spellers.

The finalists are, in order of their speller number. Their sponsor and the word they spelled correctly to advance is listed here:

7. Samia Nawaz, Arkansas Democrat Gazette, Little Rock, Arkansas, pyrrhotism
13. Tia Thomas, Sierra Telephone/Mountain Home School, Coarsegold, California, canicular
16. Austin Pineda, The Press-Enterprise, Riverside, California, torii
19. Justin Song, The San Diego Union-Tribune, San Diego, California, trophallactic
84. Kyle Mou, Peoria Journal Star, Peoria, Illinois, bulbul
88. Rose Sloan, Commonwealth Edison, Chicago, Illinois, pruritus
97. Sameer Mishra, Journal and Courier, Lafayette, Indiana, macédoine
107. Kavya Shivashankar, The Olathe News, Olathe, Kansas, allotriophagy
136. Sidharth Chand, The Oakland Press, Pontiac, Michigan, picry
140. Catherine "Cat" Cojocaru, Forum Communications Company, Fargo, North Dakota, anticum
197. Scott Remer, The Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio, oceanodromous
218. Jahnavi Iyer, The Patriot-News, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania galeate

For results ands words from all rounds go here.

--Neil H. Simon

2:34 p.m.

The final 12 have been selected.

After just more than two hours of spelling the field of 45 is now a dozen spellers.

The finalists are, in order of their speller number. Their sponsor and the word they spelled correctly to advance is listed here:

7. Samia Nawaz, Arkansas Democrat Gazette, Little Rock, Arkansas, pyrrhotism
13. Tia Thomas, Sierra Telephone/Mountain Home School, Coarsegold, California, canicular
16. Austin Pineda, The Press-Enterprise, Riverside, California, torii
19. Justin Song, The San Diego Union-Tribune, San Diego, California, trophallactic
84. Kyle Mou, Peoria Journal Star, Peoria, Illinois, bulbul
88. Rose Sloan, Commonwealth Edison, Chicago, Illinois, pruritus
97. Sameer Mishra, Journal and Courier, Lafayette, Indiana, macédoine
107. Kavya Shivashankar, The Olathe News, Olathe, Kansas, allotriophagy
136. Sidharth Chand, The Oakland Press, Pontiac, Michigan, picry
140. Catherine "Cat" Cojocaru, Forum Communications Company, Fargo, North Dakota, anticum
197. Scott Remer, The Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio, oceanodromous
218. Jahnavi Iyer, The Patriot-News, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania galeate

For results ands words from all rounds go here.

--Neil H. Simon

2:32 p.m.

With Cherry Mathis missing sciuromorph, the field's finalists is down to exactly a dozen after round seven.

Perfect.

Don't miss the finals tonight on ABC at 8:00 p.m.

-Josh Dawsey

2:30 p.m.

This year's winner will be an American.

With Sade Dunbar of Jamaica going down on hidradenitis, only Americans remain in the bee.

Scott Remer, count your blessings. So far, oceanodromous has been by far the easiest of round seven.

We're down to 13.

-Josh Dawsey

2:28 p.m.

Here's a look at the Carolinians who had to say good bye to the bee today.

-Baron Fenwick trying to spell exsertile.


photo by Amy Dominello

-South Carolina's Jackson Crist misspelled segno. Watch the video below.




-South Carolina's Keiko Bridwell thinks as she tries to spell phrenicectomy.


Watch the video:



--Neil Simon

2:00 p.m.

16 remain.

Round six cut the number of spellers from 24 to 16. The shocker of the round came when Matthew Evans was eliminated on secernent.

Both South Carolinians were eliminated as well.

Surprisingly, the bee will have one more round before the primetime coverage on ABC tonight.

-Josh Dawsey

The illustrious spelling bee career of Matthew Evans is over.

Evans, given secernent in round six, botched the word by incorrectly spelling the word s-e-c-e-r-n-a-n-t. Rightfully so, his parents are shellshocked.

Evans received a standing ovation as he exited the stage.

Keep your head high, Matthew. Erik Zyman Carrasco, considered one of the best spellers in his era, was predicted as a favorite in 2004. However, he exited in round four on Gomorrah, a shocking end to a great career. Ironically, the next word on the list after Evan's exit was the word that tripped Zyman Carrasco in 2003. The bee rears its nasty head.

It happens to the best, Matt.

1:46 p.m.

The crowd just gave a standing ovation to Matthew Evans of Albuquerque,N.M., after he misspelled secernent. Evans was the sixth place finisher in the 2007 bee.

Six people have been eliminated in this round, but Akshat Shekhar from Roxbury, Mass. refused to be bruised by his word: suggilation.

He said, "S-U-G," then quickly, "I’m starting over."

Then he raced through it. "S-U-G-G-I-L-A-T-I-O-N"

No ding.

“Wow!”he said and ran to his seat and waved to the camera.

Suggilation is a bruise, especially one formed posthumously.

-Neil H. Simon

1:33 p.m.

Sameer Mishra is warming up.

While Mishra missed his word in round two, his score on the written test propelled him to the oral rounds. Earlier in the competition, he appeared a little nervous at the microphone and struggled with his words. In his last two rounds, he has dispatched his words with more confidence.

Mishra just correctly spelled hyssop in round six, and he will be on ABC this evening.

-Josh Dawsey

1:29 p.m.

I almost forgot to mention fourteen-year-old Jahnavi Iyer’s joke.

Few of the students have tried to dialogue with pronouncer Dr. Bailly (view the pronouncer profile here).

But during his last word Jahnavi, from Enola, Pa., did. After the typical questions about definitions and language of origin, he asked Bailly, “Can I have an easier word please.”

--Neil H. Simon