# So why do they call it a "spelling bee"?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-do-they-call-it-a-spelling-bee/318464>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 24, 2005, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-do-they-call-it-a-spelling-bee/318464 "2005-08-24T18:25:19Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![justwannano](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7ab992/32.png) [@justwannano](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justwannano)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-do-they-call-it-a-spelling-bee/318464/1 "2005-08-24T18:25:19Z")

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A spelling test, Spelling competition, but a spelling bee?

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**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-do-they-call-it-a-spelling-bee/318464/2 "2005-08-24T18:29:16Z")

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A ‘Bee,’ seems to come to us from "as busy as a bee.’ From that we get a communal activity. A quilting bee for example.

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**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-do-they-call-it-a-spelling-bee/318464/3 "2005-08-24T18:31:22Z")

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From Merriam-Webster:

> [@](#):
>
> **bee**  
> Function: _noun_  
> Etymology: perhaps from English dialect _been_ help given by neighbors, from Middle English _bene_ prayer, boon, from Old English _bEn_ prayer – more at BOON  
> : a gathering of people for a specific purpose \<quilting bee\>

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**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-do-they-call-it-a-spelling-bee/318464/4 "2005-08-24T18:33:52Z")

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That still doesn’t answer why it is a “spelling bee” however. A spelling bee is a contest rather than a communal activity. By that definition, kids would need to sit around helping each other spell big words.

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**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-do-they-call-it-a-spelling-bee/318464/5 "2005-08-24T18:40:36Z")

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“helping each other” is not part of the definition in Merriam-Webster.

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**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-do-they-call-it-a-spelling-bee/318464/6 "2005-08-24T18:58:03Z")

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[http://www.word-detective.com/112402.html#bee](http://www.word-detective.com/112402.html#bee)