For the first time since 1962, there was a tie at the Scripps National Spelling Bee. The two winners were Sriram Hathwar and Ansun Sujoe, both of Indian descent, who absolutely killed it at the Finals. The past eight winners and 13 of the last 17 winners have been of Indian descent, as well. This run began in 1999 after Nupur Lala’s win–which was featured in the cult classic documentary Spellbound. People of Indian descent being smarter and more focused than most of us? Well, that kind of covers all races and creeds.
But what were the infamous words that won the 2014 Spelling Bee? Believe us, they’re a lot harder than most of the words from years past. Drum roll, please…
Hathwar’s word: “Stichomythia”
“Dialogue especially of altercation delivered by two actors.”
Sujoe’s word: “Feuilleton”
“Part of a European newspaper.”
