Come watch my co-host Grant and me as we try not to embarrass ourselves at the San Diego Literacy Council’s Second Annual Spelling Bee for Adults on Thursday, Feb. 23. It’s an entertaining fundraiser for a great cause.

It should be an onychophagist’s delight! (“Onychophagist”? That’s someone who bites his nails.)

In case you didn’t finish last week’s either, here’s the solution on the Times website to the puzzle that featured my book, A Garden of Words.

I do love the quotation they chose, because “anthology” is indeed one of my favorite words:

“The anth- in . . . anthurium . . . means ‘to bloom.’ …The Greek word for ‘flower,’ anthos…, gave us one of the loveliest of English words, anthology, which literally means a ‘gathering of flowers,’ or ‘garland’ — a literary bouquet, if you will.”

Btw,  if you want to know how I fell in love with language, you can read an excerpt from A Garden of Words here.

Join me for an intimate conversation with members of the San Francisco band Blame Sally on Saturday, March 3, at 1 p.m. at Art Lab Studios in San Diego. I’ll be interviewing Renee Harcourt and Monica Pasqual from the band about the art of joining words and music, and there’ll be a chance for audience members to ask questions as well.

Seating for this afternoon event is limited, so book your seat now.

The band will perform that evening at 7. Concert tickets available here.

Enjoy some of Blame Sally’s videos here.

I’m looking forward to meeting folks who enjoy “A Way with Words” on  WVTF’s Radio IQ, so if you attend, please stick around to say hello afterward!

You must register by March 5, and you can do so here.

My co-host Grant Barrett is right in the thick of the ADS decision-making, and talking about the vote in various media outlets for weeks now, so keep an ear out for his comments about why they chose this word. (You can also hear Grant hold forth on NPR’s “Morning Edition” this coming Monday.)