Soft-spoken but brimming with confidence, Dev Shah asked precise questions about obscure Greek roots, rushed through his second-to-last word and rolled to the Scripps National Spelling Bee title Thursday night.
Dev, a 14-year-old from Largo, Florida, had his spelling career interrupted by the pandemic, then didn't make it out of his regional bee last year. He got through his highly competitive regional this year for his third and final try at the national title, and he ended up holding the trophy over his head as confetti fell.
His winning word was “psammophile,” a layup for a speller of his caliber.
“Psammo meaning sand, Greek?” he asked. “Phile, meaning love, Greek?”
He soaked up the moment by asking for the word to be used in a sentence, something he described a day earlier as a stalling tactic. Then he put his hands over his face as he was declared the winner.
Charlotte Walsh, a 14-year-old from Arlington, Virginia, was the runner-up.
In honor of Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Cheddar's own Shannon LaNier sits down with chef Jordan Andino to discuss the finer points of Filipino cuisine.
Nora Minno, a registered dietician, spoke about the rise of the mocktail and explained the benefits of this non-alcoholic mixed beverage that can be made with fruits, seltzer or with non-alcoholic spirits.
Cheddar's own Shannon LaNier speaks with Paige Siegwardt, guest experience director at The Standard Plaza, about the Manhattan restaurant's 1960s-inspired roller rink.
2023 Tony Award nominee Kevin Cahoon speaks with Cheddar's own Baker Machado about joining the musical 'Shucked' and the peaks and valleys of his long career on Broadway.
Guinness World Records says the world’s oldest dog recently celebrated his 31st birthday. Bobi's owner says a party was held Saturday for the purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo, a breed of Portuguese dog.
Swedish singer Loreen won this year's Eurovision competition on Saturday night with her song "Tattoo." The singer beat acts from 25 other countries and became the second performer to take the prize twice after winning previously in 2012, but it was the Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton who stole the show before the competition got started.
