[paulcole]

As you can see from the winning words 30–50+ years ago, the Bee used to be a vocabulary contest among average people. Today it’s a test of who can commit to memorizing essentially the entire dictionary. You’re going to see a lot more high-performing doctors, lawyers, etc. in the future compared to older winners.

[CydeWeys]

> Today it’s a test of who can commit to memorizing essentially the entire dictionary. You’re going to see a lot more high-performing doctors, lawyers, etc. in the future compared to older winners.

Why would the latter follow the former? What does memorizing the words in an entire dictionary (not even the meanings, just the spelling of the words themselves) have to do with being a high-performing doctor, lawyer, etc.?

It may well be that the hyper-focus on rote memorization that the bee is known for now will lead to reduced outcomes. Rote memorization just isn't that important of a skill in modern society.

[paulcole]

They are memorizing (most of) the meanings as well as the roots, patterns in the languages of origins, etc. Why else do you think they always ask the pronouncer for the definition?

Commitment to a years-long slog of seemingly endless and pointless repetition and stressful competition? If that doesn’t scream doctor/lawyer I don’t know what does.

[double0jimb0]

Most doctors will tell you that they only use about 10% of what they learned in medical school or had to memorize for boards.

[sporkologist]

I don't think they would start allowing the use of professional jargon as spelling words, such as pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis. But I may be mistaken.

[paulcole]

That word would be of no challenge to the current top spellers. There was an 8-way tie for victory this year because the best kids are all but unstumpable. You are vastly underestimating the level of preparation that goes into competing to win the Bee.

For that and other obvious reasons, Scripps is unlikely to open the word list to include any and all nonsensical jargon.

[sporkologist]

> nonsensical

What would you consider nonsensical jargon? Jargon is jargon because it makes sense to those in that particular profession (medicine in this instance) but not to those outside it. Jargon that doesn't make sense to those who are using it is just fiddle-faddle.

[paulcole]

> pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis

This is nonsensical.

[sporkologist]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilico...

It is a type of silicosis, and has been around since 1935.

[paulcole]

Did you even read that link?

> artificial long word

> coined by the president of the National Puzzlers' League as a synonym for the disease known as silicosis

Nonsensical.