Dylan Brogan
How do you spell “Nachtmusik”? Phil Leavenworth gives it a crack at the Mount Horeb adult spelling bee.
All eyes are on Phil Leavenworth, who stands before a packed crowd in historic District #1 Old School House. Like most people in the classroom, he dons a pointy red hat. It’s the traditional garb of tomten — a mythological, gnome-like creature from Nordic folklore — and proper attire at Mount Horeb’s annual adult spelling bee, a contender for sporting event of the year in the quaint Dane County village.
Leavenworth contorts his face, deep in thought as his mind whirls over the word “nachtmusik.”
“Oh my. That’s a toughie,” whispers one woman with a perfect Wisconsin accent.
The historic schoolhouse is filled wall-to-wall with attentive spectators. But it’s so quiet you can hear the century-old floors creak as Leavenworth shifts from side to side.
“Can I get a definition?” asks Leavenworth, a former champion and runner up of the “So you think you can spell?” Adult Spelling Bee held during the village’s Scandihoovian Winter Festival.
“Nachtmusik,” says Jane Burns, head wordsmith of the village (and an Isthmus contributor). “Music sung or played especially in open air.”
It’s the 10th round and to get this far Leavenworth has rattled off renegade, impetuous, synchronous, cacao and jeremiad with meticulous precision. But he’s struggling with nachtmusik.
“N-A-C-H-T,” says Leavenworth before pausing. Spectators lean forward, eager to see if the seasoned speller will pull it off.
“M-U-S-I-C,” Leavenworth finally lets out. “Nachtmusik.”
Time stops for just a moment before the harsh “ding” of a bell fills the silence, indicating an error. The sound hits Leavenworth like a knife. The tension in the room lifts with a loud, collective “ahhh” before the crowd breaks out in applause. Leavenworth is out and just five competitors remain. Not this year, champ!
Burns, a veteran journalist and copy editor, says the idea to host an annual spelling bee in Mount Horeb was born in 2010 at Sjölinds, a chocolate shop and cafe. Scandihoovian organizers were looking for an event that could incorporate the historic school house. A spelling bee was suggested and seemed to fit the bill. Burns, who had competed in a number of bees, agreed to run the competition and it’s been a hit ever since.
“I love the bee. I knew it was a good idea,” says Burns, who is still haunted by misspelling “roommate” during her sixth grade bee. “It caught me off guard how many people just wanted to watch one. The crowd erupts after a word is spelled correctly just like any exciting moment in a competitive sport.”
Each year’s champion is added to the “Spellin’ Ellen” plaque named in honor of Ellen Holk, who competed twice in the spelling bee while in her 90s. The nonagenarian vowed to win the competition before her 100th birthday but passed away in 2014 without a title.
This year, 25 spellers compete in the bee including all previous winners of the competition. Burns jots down hard-to-spell words year-round in preparation for the event.
“Unlike the national spelling bee where the words are really nutty, I try to select words that the average adult will know,” Burns says. “I’ve been meaning to throw ‘entrepreneurship’ into the mix. That’s not too tricky but it’s easy for even a good speller to get lost in the middle. In the later rounds, it gets tougher and you have to survive the landmines if you want to win.”
There were definitely landmines in this year’s final rounds. The final two spellers are 2015 winner Kellie Monroe Aquino of Mount Horeb and Jan Langdon of Middleton, who won her sixth grade spelling bee.
Aquino asks for the definition and origin for her next word, “langlauf.” It’s German for cross-country skiing, a helpful clue. “Langlauf. L-A-N-G-L-A-U-F. Langlauf,” says Aquino.
Langdon then nails “Batik,” an Indonesian method of hand printing textiles.
Now the 18th round, suspense is building. Aquino confidently spells “adagio.” The pressure is on Langdon, who steps up to the mic. “Euphemism. E-U-P-H-E-N-I-S-M. Euphemism,” says Langdon.
Ding.
That wayward “n” puts Aquino just one word away from victory. “Charlatan. C-H-A-R-L-A-T-A-N. Charlatan,” she declares.
And the crowd goes wild.
How Kellie Monroe Aquino became such a good speller: “I just read a lot.”
Toughest words in the 2018 “So you think you can spell?” Adult Spelling Bee (Play along by quizzing someone):
Klompen: folk dance performed in wooden shoes. Dutch origin.
Virgule: another term for slash. Latin origin.
Gauche: lacking ease or grace. French origin.
Quisling: a traitor who collaborates with an enemy force occupying their country. Origin from the name of Major Vidkun Quisling, the Norwegian army officer who ruled Norway on behalf of occupying Nazi forces.
Borzoi: a large wolfhound breed with a narrow head and silky, often white, coat. Russian origin.
The judges: Retired Mount Horeb educators Mr. Misky and Ms. Klir.
Other Mount Horeb factoids:
“Troll Capital of the World”
Former “Mustard Capital of the World”
The village is named for “Horeb,” the location where Moses (allegedly) received the Ten Commandments. It was originally called Horeb Corners. But that was deemed horeble and it was soon changed to Mount Horeb.
