Spelling Bee

June 4.  On this day in 1970, Libby Childress won the 43rd National Spelling Bee in the US by spelling croissant.   For some reason, croissant doesn’t seem like such a tough word.    Maybe more people eat them today than they did in 1970?  This year, they had co-champions.  One spelled scherenschnitte (the art of cutting paper into decorative patterns) and the other spelled nunatak, (a hill or mountain completely surrounded by glacial ice).  Those kids are pretty darn smart.

But I started thinking that there are lots of dog breed names that could be in the Spelling Bee.  So let me give you a few – to prepare you in CASE you enter a Spelling Bee yourself!

Affenpinscher – the little German “monkey dog”.  They are not very common.  I think it’s because people can’t spell their name.

Dachshund – another German breed.   Another tricky one to spell -no wonder people call them Weiner Dogs.

Chihuahua – the little Mexican guys.  Too many vowels and ‘h”s. Plus it SOUNDS like Chiwawa.

And the ULTIMATE Spelling Bee word –Xoloitzcuintli – the Mexican Hairless dog.  Seriously.  This should be the last word in the Spelling Bee.  Any kid who spells this deserves a REALLY big trophy.  I wonder if it has ever been used?  And you thought Polski Owczarek Nizinny was tough!

Have a PONtastically wonderous day.

©  Linda Wozniak