Just Do It

National Vocabulary Championship

by Megan M. Erwin

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Published: Nov 15, 2006

Thu., Nov. 16, 5-8 p.m., free, University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, 3260 South St., 215-898-4000, www.winwithwords.com

If you've ever wondered just who ranks in the 99th percentile on the SAT verbal, it's probably the perspicacious high schoolers competing in the National Vocabulary Championship.

This educational initiative, conceived by the Game Show Network, gives brainy kids who aren't great at spelling a chance to shine. Answering questions based around definitions, antonyms and synonyms of particularly onerous morphemes, competitors will be showing off lexicons that are positively thesauruslike.

Representatives from more than 20 local schools, including West Philadelphia High School and the Academy at Palumbo, will be competing for $5,000, a trip to the nationals and the chance to win $40,000 toward a college education.

"We're excited to be part of the NVC," said John Katzman, CEO of the sponsoring Princeton Review. "Normally, I eschew sesquipedalian verbiage, but we'll make an exception."

The pugilism's sure to be enthralling, yo.

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