The Los Angeles and Orange County contestants in the Scripps National Spelling Bee both advanced to the quarterfinals May 28 by correctly spelling two words and answering a vocabulary question.
Oliver Halkett, a sixth-grader who attends The Mirman School in Brentwood, correctly spelled “desiccate,” a verb meaning to dry up, and chose the correct answer to the vocabulary question “Acerbity is?'‘ selecting ”a manner that is harsh, biting or irritated.’’
