Thursday, June 03, 2004

Logorrhea: Indian Americans in spelling bees

Four of the last six national spelling bee competitions have been won by Indian Americans. Clearly, if the Japanese have Yakuza, and the Irish have 'Westies', we have a spelling mafia.

Four winners: Nupur Lala (1999), George Abraham Thampy (2000), Pratyush Buddiga (2002), and Sai Gunturi (2003). Nine words: xanthosis vivisepulture euonym chiaroscurist logorrhea demarche succedaneum prospicience pococurante autochthonous (1995-2004)

Interestingly, chiaroscuro, logorrhea, and autochthonous are humanities-ish words. (I would have gotten them, though I'm a little too old, I know.) And vivisepulture and pococurante are pretty easy.

Logorrhea: think diarrhea of language. (SEE: blogosphere)