Zia Won, Hurray

gnathonic (næˈθɒnɪk)

— adj
literary deceitfully flattering; sycophantic

[C17: from Latin gnathōnicus, from Gnathō, such a character in the Eunuchus, Roman comedy by Terence]

Zia won the OnPoint Community Credit Union Celebrity Spelling Bee last night, spelling “gnathonic,” which is such a damn fine word I wonder why I have never used it, such a cartoon villain word. (My dumb computer dictionary thinks it’s spelt wrong. Oh yeah, MacBook Pro, how would YOU spell it?? Oh, no suggestions? I thought so.)

Anyway, the bee brought out such Portland luminaries as Killer Dave, the president of the Blazers, and the new mayor Charlie Hales. This event was to benefit Schoolhouse Supplies, an award-winning nonprofit that supports public education in Portland by giving students and teachers free classroom supplies. Please check out their site, and if you can, please donate.

GOTHMAN