Pohadka: Blog -- And a Memory

When I was in 7th grade (I think), I competed in the Wisconsin State Spelling Bee. Somehow, I managed to get there after winning the city and regional rounds, although I steadfastly refused to crack the word list and study*, despite my parents' encouragement. On the rare occasions when my father did cajole me into practicing, I would misspell things like "echelon": E-S-C-H-I-L-L-O-N. I just didn't know the words and didn't care to, especially since I had won regionals with the comparatively easy "cemetery."

It caught up with me at state, of course. I realized immediately that I was way out of my league; I think I got dropped in the first round, which was, to my fragile ego, only slightly less embarrassing than winning would have been.

As usually happens with such experiences, I still remember the word I misspelled, and I still maintain that mine is a better spelling and would make an excellent word, if only I could think of a suitable definition. I got "perusal." The judges were met with my blank stare**, even after I had the definition read to me: "The act of reading or examining, typically with great care." And I popped out a spelling that I knew had to be wrong, given that definition, but which I still love:

Obviously inspired by "bamboozle."*** And so the word seems to have a negative or slightly shady connotation to me. But for some reason, I've always thought that maybe it involves alcohol, like "a darkly comic and desperate binge drinking episode." (I don't remember if this is what I thought in 7th grade.)

Anyway, I submit memory #58274, "Paroozle", to Pohadka readers. Maybe one of you can find a use for it.

*I think I was a little mortified by the whole ordeal. While I have a mean competitive streak, and was (at that time, but not now, of course) an enormous know-it-all smartass, I really didn't want to be That Girl Who Won the State Spelling Bee. As if my social life wasn't pathetic enough.

**My father, in the audience, was disappointed, thinking he had educated me in the pop culture of his youth more thoroughly. "Don't you remember The Twilight Zone? 'Submitted for your perusal'?" As soon as I learned the word, I heard it everywhere, including a Tiny Toons episode.

***Hey, songwriters and poets, there's a challenge -- a clever rhyme with bamboozle and perusal?

Comments

And let's not forget that this little episode happened within about 10 days of your appearance at the state MathCounts competition.... imagine how bad your social life could have become had you won both!
And, not to rain on your parade, but I think the Twilight Zone quote is the more standard "submitted for your approval".

Says Dad
4 Mar 2002 at 01:16 PM

K-I-N-E-S-T-H-E-T-I-C-S. 8th grade. Jaideep spelled it right after I spelled it "kinisthetics". All these people who had been knocked out on their first or second word came up to me afterwards and couldn't believe I didn't know that one. Damn them all to heck!!!! And this was the local competition, not the state one!

Unfortunately, my social status had already been secured by the Academic Pentathalon and the fact that I took a bus to the local high school every afternoon for math classes.

Says Buddha
4 Mar 2002 at 01:38 PM

Ha -- that's funny, Dad, you're right. What I was actually remembering was a Tiny Toons episode that was a *parody* of an old Twilight Zone, and one of the Toon characters said "perusal" instead of "approval", rubbing salt in my relatively fresh wound.

Then there's the time in 4th grade when the teacher said I misspelled "acquaintance", even though I KNEW I hadn't. She was taping it, too, and refused to replay the tape. (I'm obviously a grudge-holding Scorpio, eh? It's ridiculous the things that stick with you. It's also ridiculous how many of my memories involve spelling bees.)

Says Xy
4 Mar 2002 at 03:23 PM

So, tell me, do you remember the spelling bee at Cumberland Trace?

Says Dad
4 Mar 2002 at 05:37 PM

Yes.

[pointed silence]

I prefer not to think about it.

Says Xy
4 Mar 2002 at 05:58 PM

I like the Dad. I dispair of the daughter ever making it to the Junior Prom.

Anyway, can't wait for the next episode of Father (no, Daughter!) knows best.

Says Jeff
19 Jul 2002 at 04:54 PM