Quiz: These words helped crown National Spelling Bee champions. Can you spell them?
The national spelling bee was first held in 1925 when the Louisville Courier-Journal invited spelling champions from around the country to gather in Washington, D.C., to find a national champion. There were just nine participants that year. The winner was 11-year-old Frank Neuhauser, who won by correctly spelling 'gladiolus' — the name of a flower in the iris family — in the final round.
Since those early days, the competition has exploded in size and popularity. Every year, millions of people tune in to marvel at the extraordinary skill these young people display, sharing in all of their joy and heartbreak along the way. The words have also gotten more challenging over time. In the early days, children could win by spelling words as familiar as 'knack' and 'fracas.' More recent champions have sealed their victories by navigating words like 'stichomythia' and 'scherenschnitte.'
For a window into just how difficult the contest has become, we put together a quiz of the winning words from the past eight Scripps National Spelling Bees. How many can you get right?
Photos: Getty Images
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Forbes
an hour ago
- Forbes
Best Glass for Lager: What to Use and Why
Two men clink their beer mugs filled with 'Pilsner Urquell' beer in the 'U Rarasku' pub in Prague, Czech Republic, on March 19, 2025. The Czech beer-making tradition is over a thousand years old, and beer is omnipresent in Czech history and culture. While many beer drinkers in the Central European country have turned to buying the popular tipple in supermarkets to save money, Czech beer professionals are seeking a UNESCO listing as a possible boost to pubs. (Photo by Michal Cizek / AFP) (Photo by MICHAL CIZEK/AFP via Getty Images) AFP via Getty Images Lagers are the world's most popular beers, filling glasses everywhere from backyards to beer halls. Their crisp, clean flavors and easy-drinking nature make them universal crowd-pleasers. Yet for all their ubiquity, most drinkers overlook one simple truth that means so much. The glass you pour a lager into can dramatically change how you experience it. From their Bavarian origins to the golden pilsner that spread across the globe from its birthplace in the Czech Republic, lagers have a rich history, and the vessels they're served in are a part of that story. The proper glass doesn't just look good; it influences aroma, carbonation, temperature, and flavor. In short, it's the difference between an ordinary pour and an elevated drinking experience. The first step to determining what glass to use is understanding what a lager is. It isn't just one style of beer; it's an entire family of beers that cover a broad spectrum of flavors. At one end are golden pilsners and helles, prized for their clarity and balance. Vienna lagers and Märzens lean maltier, offering notes of bread and toast that shine during Oktoberfest season. Darker variations like dunkels and schwarzbiers bring roasted, nutty, and chocolate-like tones, while bocks and doppelbocks push into rich, full-bodied territory. More recent innovations, such as India Pale Lagers that blend lager's crispness with a modern IPA punch. With such breath, it's no surprise the glasses designed for lagers are just as varied. Knowing which one to use isn't about being fussy; it's about honoring the beer. Pilsner Glass: When Josef Groll brewed the first golden pilsner in Plzeň in 1842, its brilliance and effervescence were unlike anything drinkers had seen before. A tall, slender glass became the perfect showcase, directing hop aromas towards the nose while preserving a lively head. It remains the best choice for pilsners, helles, and other pale lagers. Stein or Maßkrug: These Bavarian icons aren't just for Oktoberfest aesthetics. Their thick glass walls help insulate beer in crowded festival tents, while the handle keeps hand heat at bay. They shine with Märzens and festbiers, built for hearty, communal drinking. A Seidel Beer Mug. AFP via Getty Images Seidel Mug: Everyday tavern staples in Central Europe, mugs suit darker lagers like dunkels, bocks, and schwarzbiers. The sturdy handle and thicker walls echo the utility these beers were brewed for—robust, satisfying, and meant to be lingered over. Weizen Style Glass. Houston Chronicle via Getty Imag Weizen Glass: Traditionally for wheat ales, the tall, curving shape accentuates foam and fruity aromatics, making it a fun alternative for wheat-lager hybrids. Tulip Glass. Houston Chronicle via Getty Imag Tulip Glass: A modern twist born from the craft era, tulips work beautifully with hoppier or stronger lagers like IPLs. The bulbous body traps aroma and allows a creamy, rich head to develop. At the same time, the flared lip delivers it smoothly with each sip. English Pub Style Glass. getty Pub Beer Glass: Originating from the English pubs in the 17th century, where ales were predominant, a well-designed pub glass will work well with a lager. Unlike its cousin, the shaker glass, an unfortunate bar staple across the globe, a good pub glass usually holds 20 ounces of beer and has a flair in the upper body that allows aromas and flavors to blossom. Lagers have always been defined by their precision. When Anton Dreher brewed one of the first pale lagers in Vienna in the 1840s, its clean, balanced profile stood apart from the heavier ales of the time. That sense of clarity remains at the heart of the style today, and the glass you drink it from plays a crucial role in preserving those qualities. A well-chosen glass doesn't just hold the beer, it frames it, highlighting its bright appearance, lively carbonation, and subtle interplay of malt and hops. The wrong glass can mute those traits, while the right one amplifies them. Tall, narrow shapes emphasize sparkle and clarity, directing delicate aromas toward the nose. A proper pour creates a lasting foam cap, which locks in carbonation and aroma just as European brewers intended. In this way, the glass becomes an extension of the brewer's craft, ensuring that every sip delivers the crisp, nuanced experience that has made lager the world's most enduring style. How Size and Shape Affect Beer Temperature One of the reasons lagers conquered the world after the advent of refrigeration in the 19th century is their refreshing coolness. But keeping them in the right temperature range—generally between 38 and 45°F, depending on the style—relies as much on the glass as the keg. Tall, slender pilsner glasses, for instance, expose less surface area to the air, allowing the beer to stay crisp and cold longer. Their design suits a slower, more measured pace of drinking, keeping that clean bite intact from first sip to last. By contrast, the hefty steins and mugs that dominate beer halls offer a different advantage. Their thick walls act as insulation, slowing the warming process, while the handle keeps body heat from creeping into the beer. The tradeoff is size—when you're working through a liter of Märzen at Oktoberfest, the last few sips won't be as cold as the first unless you drink briskly. That's why in much of Europe, smaller servings remain the norm. Half-liters and even smaller mugs ensure that every pour stays at its most refreshing, honoring the lager's core promise of crispness. Avoiding Pitfalls and Elevating the Lager Experience For a beer as straightforward as lager, it's surprising how easy it is to undermine the experience with the wrong glass. Chief among them is the American led habit of defaulting to a shaker pint. Sturdy and ubiquitous, it was designed for mixing cocktails, not showcasing beer. Its wide mouth dissipates aroma quickly and does little to preserve a creamy head. Equally misguided is the frozen mug, a mid-20th-century marketing gimmick that still lingers. While it may look refreshing in commercials, it collapses foam instantly and mutes the beer's subtle malt and hop notes. Oversized glasses create another issue by leaving too much headspace, which lets carbonation fade long before the last sip. And perhaps the most common error of all is ignoring the style—pouring a delicate pilsner into a heavy mug or a rich dunkel into a skinny pilsner flute robs each beer of its intended character. Fortunately, getting it right doesn't take much. Start by matching the glass to the style: a pilsner glass for pale lagers, a mug for darker brews, a stein for festbiers. Before pouring, give the glass a quick rinse with cool water to wash away dust and improve foam stability. When you pour, tilt the glass and then straighten it midway to build a head of one to two fingers—just enough to cap the beer and release its aroma gradually. And consider portion size. Half-liters and smaller pours, long the standard in European beer halls, aren't just tradition; they keep the beer at peak refreshment from start to finish. With these minor adjustments, the humble lager transforms from an everyday beverage into something much closer to the experience its brewers intended. The Bottom Line From Bavarian caves to Bohemian beer halls, from Milwaukee taverns to Oktoberfest tents, lagers have always been tied to the vessels they're served in. The glass is not just a container—it's part of the beer. Next time you crack a crisp pilsner or settle in with a malty dunkel, give some thought to what you pour it into. After all, centuries of brewers refined these styles with a particular drinking experience in mind. Why not enjoy it the way they intended? Follow here for the most up to date information about the ever changing beer, wine, and spirits industry. 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Yahoo
2 hours ago
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The Mancunian Way: In the garden city
Hello, Tammin Yorke-Davenport has spent her life at The Addy. That's the Wythenshawe youth centre which features south Manchester's 'only free adventure playground' - a sprawling wooden structure of monkey bars, spiders' web netting, rope bridges and a zip line. It's an oasis within Europe's biggest council estate and somewhere parents can trust their children will be given some good life skills. READ MORE: Crime scene investigators tape off city shopping centre as man rushed to hospital after attack READ MORE: Pensioner died after hospital missed bleed on the brain, then made it worse For Tammin, who grew up on Woodhouse Lane, it's a home from home. She 'played religiously after school' here with her eight brothers and sisters, volunteered here as a teenager, then became a staff member. The 23-year-old is now working here part-time in the summer holidays having just finished her first year as a secondary school English teacher in Gorton. She remembers what it was like when she first arrived, at five years old, telling reporter Ethan Davies: 'I just felt really happy. It's my comfort zone. We are in an area with challenges, so you're grateful for the opportunity.' But Manchester Young Lives chief exec Elaine Young, says The Addy is more than it seems at first glance. She says it's an essential tool to stopping Wythenshawe's youngsters from a life dominated by knife crime, poverty, or low aspiration. 'With all of the social issues in Wythenshawe, places like this are needed. A lot of young people in Wythenshawe have low aspirations compared to more affluent areas. 'We are here to make them aware it's not the area you come from, it's about ambition and taking opportunities available to you.' But The Addy's playground is in need of a revamp, which is why the charity is fundraising for £650,000 for a new model. You can donate to The Addy's fundraiser here. 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A6 Chapel St westbound, Salford, closed for long-term roadworks between Blackfriars Rd and New Bailey St until January 19. Manc trivia: The first statue in a century to honour a woman was unveiled in Manchester in 2018 - who did it depict? Worth a read 'There are five (yes, five) Princess Dianas on stage in front of me, strutting and thrusting around as they sing along to modern pop hits in a range of questionable 'royal' accents,' writes Adam Maidment. 'And that's just moments before a former Hear'Say member portraying King Charles III then proceeds to sing the chorus of The Veronica's Untouched with near-perfect mannerisms of the monarch.' Adam describes, in very funny detail, what it's like to get whiplash watching The Diana Mixtape while dosed up on pain medication for a toothache. You can read his lovely review here. Trivia answer: Emmeline Pankhurst
New York Post
2 hours ago
- New York Post
Rosie O'Donnell slams ‘mean a–hole' Jay Leno over cruel behavior in ‘Biggest Loser' docuseries
Rosie O'Donnell has strong feelings about Netflix's 'Biggest Loser' docuseries. After watching 'Fit for TV: The Reality of the Biggest Loser,' O'Donnell publicly called out Jay Leno for how he treated former contestant Tracey Yukich in the doc. 'Jay Leno is a mean a—— #biggestloserdocumentary,' O'Donnell captioned her Instagram post Monday, which included photos of Yukich during a confessional and on 'The Tonight Show with Jay Leno' in the new docuseries. Advertisement 9 Rosie O'Donnell in a selfie. rosie/Instagram 9 Tracey Yukich in the 'Fit for TV' docuseries. rosie/Instagram In 'Fit for TV,' Yukich recalled the time she went on Leno's late-night show and he read her death threats that she had received. Advertisement In another Instagram post, O'Donnell called out former 'Biggest Loser' trainer Bob Harper who participated in the doc. 9 Biggest Loser contestant 'Tracey Yukich' on Jay Lenos' late-night show in November 2009. NBCUniversal via Getty Images 9 Jay Leno, Tracey Yukich and Ross Mathews on 'The Tonight Show' in 2009. NBCUniversal via Getty Images 9 Jay Leno attends the 'Midas Man' opening night premiere on June 26, 2025. Getty Images Advertisement 'Ok now bob harper – can u not say IM SORRY – seriously- so hurtful- so cruel – come on bob – #biggestLOSERdoc @netflixuk,' O'Donnell wrote alongside pictures of the doc on her TV. Harper stated in 'Fit for TV' that he 'will stand behind everything that I've ever done' on 'The Biggest Loser.' He also denied that he ever 'put anyone in harm's way.' 9 Bob Harper on 'The Biggest Loser' in 2004. Trae Patton 9 Rosie O'Donnell at the 'Burlesque: The Musical' premiere in London in July 2025. BACKGRID Advertisement The Post has reached out to Leno and Harper's reps for comment. 'Fit for TV' shed lights on the dark side of 'The Biggest Loser,' which forced overweight contestant to lose the most weight to stay in the competition. The show aired from 2004 to 2016 before moving to the USA Network for Season 18 in 2020. During the three-episode doc, Yukich claimed she nearly 'died' during the first challenge of the show's eighth season in 2009. 9 Tracey Yukich on 'The Biggest Loser' Season 8. NBCUniversal via Getty Images 'In my head, I'm like, 'I can run, I've got four kids,'' Yukich recalled. ''I'm running after them all the time.' But it was the longest mile ever.' Yukich suffered a medical emergency as a result of overexerting herself. 'I don't remember a lot,' she said. 'I remember hearing the helicopter. I just felt like I was floating. And then my grandpa was there. And then I saw darkness. But then I saw light. So I knew, I knew I died that day.' 9 Tracey Yukich was a contestant on 'The Biggest Loser' in 209. NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images Advertisement The reality star also admitted that she thought the incident 'was my fault because I was fat.' 'Fit for TV: The Reality of the Biggest Loser' is streaming on Netflix.
