Search Details

Word: quidnuncs (lookup in dictionary) (lookup stats)
Dates: during 1950-1959
Sort By: most recent first (reverse)


Usage:

...round, 13-year-old Elaine Hassell of Dallas, the last girl survivor, fluffed on porphyry (she guessed porfiree). Three boys remained: Allan L. Kramer, 13, of Lake Worth, Fla.; Robert Crossley, 13, of Norristown, Pa.; Joel Montgomery, 12, of Denver. And down went Kramer in Round 24; after negotiating quidnunc, eclectic, and sarcophagus, he missed ratiocination. The mellifluous pronouncer ("I give full value to each of the diacritical markings in Webster") was so overcome that he nearly left the stage himself...

Author: /time Magazine | Title: Education: Spellbound | 6/22/1959 | See Source »

Jean tossed off quidnunc; Sandra got verisimilitudinous. Jean got boucle, and Sandra managed baccalaureate. Then Jean spelled cumaphyte with a "cumo," but Sandra missed with a "cume." Finally, the big break came. Jean spelled abbacy "abbosy," and Sandra got it right. The payoff word: crustaceology. C-R-U-S-T-A-C, said Sandra (pause), E-(pause), OLOGY. "The winner!" cried Pronouncer Alleman-and after the usual flurry of congratulations, a stunned but happy Sandra withdrew with her family for a big dish...

Author: /time Magazine | Title: Education: No. 49 | 5/30/1955 | See Source »

| 1 |