A Spelling Bee for Fun

A New York Times reporter participates in a spelling bee at a Brooklyn bar. Here are 18 words, (not the ones he had to spell) about his experience. Drawn from Test of Wits and Sobriety The New York Times, August 1. 2013
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. nemesis
    a personal foe or rival that cannot be easily defeated
    His achievement reminded me of those happy days when I routinely crushed my opponents in grade school spelling bees, with the exception of Linda Hyatt, perennially the smartest girl in the class and therefore my nemesis.
  2. fuselage
    the central body of an airplane holding crew and passengers
    It feels like the fuselage of a paratrooper plane.
  3. paratrooper
    a soldier who is trained to jump from airplanes
    It feels like the fuselage of a paratrooper plane.
  4. preliminary
    preceding or in preparation for something more important
    The rest of us took our seats, gripped our beers and waited as the preliminaries unfolded.
  5. repository
    a facility where things can be deposited for safekeeping
    In due course, he was joined by Jennifer Dziura (pronounced di-ZOOR-uh), mistress of ceremonies and keeper of the sacred book, a repository of often arcane, outré, maddeningly complicated words, most of which should really not be in Webster’s Third but somehow are.
  6. arcane
    requiring secret or mysterious knowledge
    In due course, he was joined by Jennifer Dziura (pronounced di-ZOOR-uh), mistress of ceremonies and keeper of the sacred book, a repository of often arcane, outré, maddeningly complicated words, most of which should really not be in Webster’s Third but somehow are.
  7. invigorated
    with restored energy
    Mr. Cruz said that his first dive into electoral politics had left him feeling “invigorated and inspired.”
    New York Times (Aug 1, 2012)
  8. nonplus
    be a mystery or bewildering to
    When History first approached Beers about making a show about truck drivers in the Canadian Arctic, he was nonplused.
    New York Times (Dec 16, 2012)
  9. minuscule
    very small
    We are talking about tiny traces, millionths of a micron, it's really minuscule.
    The Guardian (Mar 25, 2013)
  10. inoculate
    inject or treat with the germ of a disease to render immune
    Meanwhile in Boston, the city is offering free flu vaccinations and is trying to set up more locations where people can get inoculated.
    BBC (Jan 10, 2013)
  11. solace
    comfort offered to one who is disappointed or miserable
    On leaving the stage, contestants needing solace can grab a little cookie in a paper container on the judging table.
  12. derivation
    the source or origin from which something comes
    To keep the energy going, Mr. Blue dinged his bell, honked his horn and tossed out wisecracks, as Ms. Dziura moved crisply through the list of hopefuls, giving them a word, a definition, a derivation if asked.
  13. rally
    the feat of mustering strength for a renewed effort
    Miraculously, I rallied.
  14. precipice
    a very steep cliff
    The gang can get pretty worked up when a speller seems to be on the edge of the precipice but then pulls back and successfully negotiates a word like “immiscible” or “yttrium.”
  15. throes
    violent pangs of suffering
    Spellers in the throes of anguish indulged in stalling tactics.
  16. anguish
    extreme distress of body or mind
    Spellers in the throes of anguish indulged in stalling tactics.
  17. insouciant
    marked by unconcern
    “If you are an Etsy seller, you know the word,” Mr. Blue said insouciantly.
  18. pervasive
    spreading or spread throughout
    Another contestant managed “stylopharyngeus” but stumbled over the short but thorny “boyg,” a Norwegian borrowing that means “a formless or pervasive obstacle, problem, or enemy.”
Created on Sat Aug 03 00:13:14 EDT 2013 (updated Mon Aug 05 16:08:07 EDT 2013)

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