I Lost at the Spelling Be

[Dopey]

Not a spelling bee, but it was a 4th & 5th grade challenge with a blank US map and we had to say the state and it's capital city. I stayed in it till the very end. Came down to me and another girl. I won't dox her.

There was a completely dumb, made-up rule added to the competition part way through the event that you had to say the state first, and then the capital city. It was loosely enforced until the very end.

Final round, I buzz in and say Dover, Delaware. Incorrect.

My competitor cluelessly buzzes in and says Deleware, Dover. And wins. Prizes, snacks, everything.

Can't get over it.

 

[Drew0311]

I didn’t spell tomorrow right when I was in third grade. That’s when my teacher said “remember in the future to say Tom Or row” and everytime I spell it I say that in my head. Even though I can spell it now.

 

[MeanDean]

Didn't knock me out but should have. "Surround." I couldn't for the life of me figure out how that would be spelled. And neither could about 5-6 kids in front of me. They all started with S I R... Fortunately the girl right in front of me got it correct so I dodged the bullet. I can't remember if I won or not, probably not, but still remember that feeling of impending doom.

The other one that threw me was "Honeymoon." I guess we had to use it in a sentence too. I was mulling over honey and moon and trying to figure out a literal use of the words together. The true definition had slipped my mind. It just sounded really weird in my head all of a sudden... "honey" "moon"????

 

[andybernard]

I didn’t spell tomorrow right when I was in third grade. That’s when my teacher said “remember in the future to say Tom Or row” and everytime I spell it I say that in my head. Even though I can spell it now.

Still do that with Wed nes day. And I jokingly pronounce it that way on many occasions. It's hilarious...gets a laugh like a quarter of the time.

 

[1100011CS]

There's a lot of nerds on here

 

[ISUCyclones2015]

I know it's not spelling really but I always screw up effect and affect.

 

[1UNI2ISU]

Finished second in the state Geography Bee in 6th grade. One kid away from nationals and all the fame that comes with being on C-Span....

Lost on an Easter Islands question. I have vowed to never visit there in protest.

 

[LarryISU]

Never knew there to be any spelling bees when I grew up. I guess small town Iowa in the 60's there just wasn't such a thing. I think I could have done well because at an early age I enjoyed going through the dictionary to learn new words and write them in a notebook. Hey, it's lonely on the farm! All those town kids are playing while I thumb through my dictionary. Well, they can osculate my gluteus maximus!

 

[Dandy]

Not a Spelling Bee exactly but rather spelling tests...

In 1st Grade missed one word all year. Job. I wrote a D instead of a B. Jod.

In 4th grade I missed one word too, but I misspelled it. Thorough. I wrote Through.

 

[MeanDean]

Never knew there to be any spelling bees when I grew up. I guess small town Iowa in the 60's there just wasn't such a thing. I think I could have done well because at an early age I enjoyed going through the dictionary to learn new words and write them in a notebook. Hey, it's lonely on the farm! All those town kids are playing while I thumb through my dictionary. Well, they can osculate my gluteus maximus!

Same. Ours was just in our class in elementary school. And same with living in the stix. Mine was more looking at maps and imagining life is every remote city, state, country and tropical island.

 

[BurgundyClone]

I finished 3rd one year in 5th grade'ish -missed on locomotive (I went with locamotive) -d'oh!

 

[Mr Janny]

Never did the spelling bee, but in middle school, I went to State TWICE in the National Geography Bee.
And let me tell you what, that has never stopped paying dividends.
From the respect and notoriety, to the endorsements, to the legions of hot Geography Bee groupies just trying to get a glimpse of me, it's been one nonstop thrill ride ever since I unfolded my first Rand McNally.

 

[coolerifyoudid]

Never did the spelling bee, but in middle school, I went to State TWICE in the National Geography Bee.
And let me tell you what, that has never stopped paying dividends.
From the respect and notoriety, to the endorsements, to the legions of hot Geography Bee groupies just trying to get a glimpse of me, it's been one nonstop thrill ride ever since I unfolded my first Rand McNally.

Animaniacs taught me everything I'll ever need to know about geography.

 

[Tailg8er]

Thought I was the only one! Mine was in the school finals in 3rd grade (think it was 3rd), and the word was sourdough

 

[Drew0311]

Still do that with Wed nes day. And I jokingly pronounce it that way on many occasions. It's hilarious...gets a laugh like a quarter of the time.

Yep. I do the same.

 

[alarson]

I was in the state fair spelling bee in like third grade. Finished third after I missed the spelling of "discipline"

 

[cowgirl836]

Lost in 2nd grade spelling "all right" as "alright". Even my phone recognized the latter as a real word. I'm still bitter, yes.

Also still bitter that I won the reading contest school wide that year, reading the most books in whatever time frame. At the end, instead of giving me the award, the drew names from all the participants. Screw you, Boomer teachers with your everybody's a winner crap and first grade Drew who definitely didn't appreciate those roses (seriously odd gift for elementary kids) the way I would have.

 

[GrindingAway]

6th grade spelling bee. Prior to this spelling bees always came down to me or a girl in my class. I walked up confidently for the first word. Took

Took

T O K

Took

Oh wait no T O O K

Sorry too late

I obviously knew how to spell took but wasn't really paying attention since it was the first word and easy and just went too fast. I found out though that kids that were eliminated basically got to go goof off in the back for the room the rest of the time and then I wondered why I didn't just lose on the first work of every previous spelling bee.

 

[2020cy]

Same age with me at the regional spelling bee, IIRC it was the county school's. I made it much further than the "teachers pet" and missed out on "grieve."
I then learned the I before e thing after.
For the rest of the year my teacher was beyond nice to me.

Shouldn’t this be in the teachers having inappropriate relationships with students thread?

 

[usedcarguy]

I made it to districts in 6th grade. Was well into the top 10 and was cruising until I got served the word lederhosen. Considering that I was oblivious as to what the word meant, I knew I was toast. But for the last 40 years, I have been able to tell you how to spell lederhosen. So I'll always have that I guess...