12-22-25 - Spelling Bee - w/Brady Pronouncing The Words - 2015 - BO

Summary

---

Holmberg's Morning Sickness – "Spelling Bee w/ Brady Pronouncing The Words" (12-22-25)

Overview

In this hilariously chaotic episode of Holmberg's Morning Sickness, the team hosts an on-air spelling bee, with co-host Brady Bogan reading out words for listeners to spell live. John Holmberg moderates, throwing plenty of playful jabs at contestants and Brady alike, especially when Brady battles his speech quirks and mispronunciations. Listeners call in to test their spelling prowess in hopes of winning prizes (including concert tickets), but the real entertainment comes from mispronounced words, unexpected admissions, and rapid-fire wit.

---

Key Discussion Points & Segments

1. Setting up the Spelling Bee

[01:07-02:08]

• John Holmberg introduces the Brady Spelling Bee, explaining the rules:
  • Brady pronounces each word (often imperfectly).
  • The word can only be said once, used in a sentence once.
  • If a contestant asks for a definition, Brady gives his interpretation.
• The crew teases that Brady’s definitions are questionable at best.

Memorable Quote:

"Brady will attempt to read words that are nearly impossible to say with a slight speech impediment." – John Holmberg [01:14]

---

2. Contestant 1: Adam

[02:20-04:44]

• Adam calls in and must spell three words.
  • Vietnamese
    • Adam spells: “V, I, E, T, N, A, M, E, S, E.”
    • Slight uncertainty if he spelled it right, but they let it slide.
  • Schenectady
    • Classic use-in-a-sentence:

      "I banged a girl from Schenectady." – Brady Bogan [03:18]

    • Adam gets it right, raising “cheating” suspicions.
  • Sticomaithia
    • Brady’s pronunciation is murky, stumping both Adam and everyone else.
    • Adam guesses and is hilariously off.

Highlight: John suspects Adam is Googling the words, but admits the words are tricky—especially with Brady's pronunciations.

---

3. Contestant 2: Jason

[05:02-05:22]

• Gets “Orangutan,” but spells it “O, R, a, n, e, 80a, n.”
• John dryly points out the miss; Jason is out quickly.

---

4. Contestant 3: Mike

[05:36-07:16]

• Mike is confident, declares himself a good speller.
  • Guantanamo – Asked for a sentence:

    “I have good friends that live at Guantanamo Bay.” – Brady Bogan [05:53]

  • Kayaker – Sentence:

    "The kayaker was really fast." – Brady Bogan [06:28]

  • Anesthesiologist – Spells it correctly, prompting accusations of Googling, denied by Mike.
• Mike wins Aerosmith tickets.

Quote:

"You threw anesthesiologist. That’s impressive." – John Holmberg [07:03]

---

5. Contestant 4: Jennifer

[07:29-09:52]

• Early words:
  • Fellatio – Jennifer misspells; John jokes,

    "B-L-O-W-J-O-B. Sorry." – John Holmberg [07:42]

  • Burglarizing – Spelled right.
  • Juliana Rancic – Jennifer is tripped up, missing the “G” and the joke about E! TV personalities follows.

Brady and John’s Banter:
Jesting at Jennifer’s pop culture knowledge, or lack thereof.

---

6. Lightning Round: Multiple Contestants

[10:10-16:26]

• Todd: Tripped up by “Nautilus.”
• Don: “Al Jarreau” becomes “Algero” (incorrect).
• Caller with Eighth Grade Bee Story:
  • Shares how mispronunciation at state finals cost him “almond.”
  • Gets “Onomatopoeia” and misses.
• Matt: Misses “Deterioration.”
• John ("I can spell some if you want"):
  • Spells “Promiscuous” right.
  • Trips up on “Gladiolus” and “Miscellaneous.”
  • Launches into comedic banter about his Cub Scouts expulsion and low-bar party introductions.

Memorable Quote:

“My name’s John. My quality is spelling. Oh, wow. This totally took on a different—Excuse me, Mr. Neil Armstrong. I’m gonna go talk to John for a while.” – John Holmberg [15:21]

---

Notable Moments & Quotes

• Unique Brady Sentences:

  • “I looked down at my dong and it had stica. Mathias.” – Brady [04:18]

• Listeners Play Along with Varied Success:

  • Many are accused of Googling; most misspell at least one word, especially when Brady’s enunciation is unclear.

• Meta-Humor and Self-Deprecation:

  • The crew consistently rib each other and the contestants.
  • John notes the intellectual prowess of their listeners:

    “Only one winner in the spelling bee. Which means what, Brady? Our listeners are dumb.” – John Holmberg [13:04]

• Running Gags:

  • Brady’s pronunciation and definitions.
  • Contestants claiming spelling bee glory from grade school.
  • The recurring implication (or accusation) of cheating via Google.
  • Holmberg’s deadpan delivery every time a caller fails.

---

Key Timestamps

• [01:07] – Introduction of the Bee and rules
• [02:38] – First word to Adam
• [03:18] – Schenectady in a classic sentence
• [04:44] – Adam loses on “Sticomaithia”
• [05:07] – Orangutan stumps Jason
• [05:41] – Mike spells “Brady” and progresses
• [06:46] – Mike nails “Anesthesiologist”
• [07:42] – Holmberg’s “B-L-O-W-J-O-B” joke
• [09:10] – “Burglarizing” spelled correctly
• [10:23] – Todd’s attempt with “Nautilus”
• [11:52] – “Onomatopoeia” derails another contestant
• [13:41] – John (“I can spell some”) enchants with low-bar humor

---

Tone & Style

• Lighthearted, irreverent, quick-witted: Jokes fly at the contestants’ expense, and no one escapes a good-natured ribbing.
• Lively, sometimes absurd: Between the mispronounced words, odd definitions, and the competitive spirit (and apparent Googling), the atmosphere is chaotic but upbeat.
• Audience participation: Contestants are either stumped, overconfident, or hilariously earnest—making for entertaining radio.

---

Summary

This episode of Holmberg's Morning Sickness offers a laugh-filled holiday spelling bee, turning simple word challenges into comic gold thanks to Brady’s pronunciations, the crew’s relentless teasing, and the callers’ earnest (if sometimes misguided) efforts. In true HMS fashion, it’s less about spelling mastery and more about the unpredictability and fun that comes with live radio—and a cast of characters who never miss an opportunity for a joke.

Perfect for listeners who:

• Love off-the-cuff comedy
• Appreciate classic radio banter
• Enjoy hearing real people fumble, fret, and laugh through the quirks of the English language

---

Transcript

[A]

You're listening to the HMS podcast brought to you by MMP Guns.com, your most trusted online marketplace for firearms, ammunition and accessories.

[B]

Get ready for the most wonderful time of the year. The exciting Red Tag savings has arrived at your Valley Chevy dealers. Wrap up a 2026 Chevy Equinox just in time for the holidays or conquer that holiday to do list in a brand new Chevy truck. Now is the time to get red Tag savings on the powerful 2026 Silverado or the adventure ready Colorado. This holiday season. It all comes together in a Chevrolet savings today at your Valley Chevy dealers Red tag sales event going on now.

[A]

Hey, it's Brett Vesely and I'm here with Byron from MMP Guns. Look, Byron, I have a friend wanting to sell some guns he inherited. What's the best way for him to do that?

[C]

Brett, the last thing you want to do is sell the gun to someone who can't legally own one. Tell him not to put himself at risk and come into M and P Guns where he'll get a fair offer and he can rest easy knowing it's not getting into the wrong hands.

[A]

Okay, but what if he lives out of state?

[C]

Easy legalgunbuyer.com and he can do it all online. It's really that simple.

[A]

There you have it. MMP Guns or legal Gun. The safe and legal way to sell your firearms.

[D]

The best of the morning sickness is on the air. Do any of you people do any actual work? The rest of Holmberg's morning sickness. The spelling bee is tonight, and Brady is here as your. I'm your humble host, John Holmberg of Brady Spelling Bee. Our moderator, Brady Bogan. Thumbing through the many words you will be forced to spell as Brady will attempt to read words that are nearly impossible to say with a slight speech impediment, you will then have to spell them. Brady's allowed to say the word one time, use the word in a sentence one time. After that, you better start to spelling.

[E]

Because assuming I know the definition and.

[D]

If you ask for the definition, Brady just has to. This is what I think it means, that kind of thing. I think you're gonna know most of the words are not foreign. No. Oh, yeah. No, they're not. It's just gonna be kind of weird to think how do you define that? So it'll be. This is what Brady's definition. Brady, can I have your definition is what you ask.

[E]

You know, it's one of them.

[D]

That. That's exactly what I'm looking for. You know, it's the thing that goes around the party that has the black, usually. Now let's go to the phones and see who our first speller is. Adam, how are you?

[F]

Good.

[D]

Welcome to Brady Spelling Bee. Are you prepared?

[F]

Yep.

[D]

All right. Good luck to you. Adam. Here is your humble host, Mr. Brady Bogan. As he reads your first word, give it to Brady. This is Brady. Will now read the first word. Brady, Go tell him the word Go.

[E]

Vietnamese.

[F]

Vietnamese. That's obviously. V, I, E, T, N, A, M, E, S, E. Correct.

[D]

Is it correct? I thought he missed.

[E]

Yeah, he missed one.

[D]

I thought he missed one, too. No, we'll give it to him. It's the first guy. All right. Nice try. I think you missed it. All right, word number two. You gotta get three of them. Good luck, Adam. Go ahead, Brady.

[E]

Schenectady.

[F]

Can you repeat it?

[D]

He cannot. He can use it in a sentence or he can define it.

[E]

I want Banged a girl from Schenectady.

[D]

Well done.

[F]

Schenectady.

[E]

Google faster.

[D]

Start spelling. Start your letters. There's one.

[F]

C, H, E, N, E, C. It's connected. T, A, D, Y.

[D]

You're cheating.

[E]

Correct.

[D]

You're cheating. All right. Finally then, for the win. This is impressive. If you're not cheating.

[F]

I won the fifth grade spelling beast, though.

[D]

Did you really?

[F]

Yeah.

[D]

Of the state or just your class?

[F]

Just my class. Little school.

[D]

How long ago was this? A couple years. Oh, no.

[F]

A long time ago.

[D]

All right. The best thing about when I won the fifth grade spelling bee was I was 31. All right, Brady, go right ahead.

[E]

Stico. Maithia.

[D]

Good luck. Google machine.

[F]

Can you use it in a sentence?

[E]

I looked down at my dong and it had stica. Mathias.

[D]

Start to spelling. I want some letters, starting right now.

[F]

F, P. Speakeomafia. S, P, E, A, K, O, M.

[D]

Way off, Way off. You were a good Googler and an excellent speller. But stico. Mathias screwed you, and it may come back later. I'm sorry, Adam. Nice try. Very impressive. It looks like your your spelling peak was fifth grade. Nice try. Good work, Brady. You did very well so far. Jason is on the line. Jason, are you there?

[F]

Yes, sir.

[D]

Are you ready for Brady's B?

[F]

I am.

[D]

All right, here's Brady's first word for you.

[E]

Orangutan.

[F]

Orangutan. O, R, a, n, e, 80a, n. Incorrect.

[D]

Oh, even can spell it. All right. Sorry about that. Nice try, Jason. So far, Brady, you haven't struggled at all, my friend.

[E]

Clyde.

[D]

Right turn. Orangutan. Clyde, Mike, are you there?

[F]

Yeah, I'm here.

[D]

Are you ready for the B?

[F]

I'm ready.

[A]

Let's do it.

[D]

Are you a good speller, Mike?

[F]

I'm very good.

[D]

Let's practice. Spell Brady. D, R, A, D, Y. Nicely done, Brady.

[E]

Give him the word Guantanamo.

[D]

Oh, he nailed it.

[F]

Guantanamo. Can you use it in a sentence?

[D]

Hurry.

[E]

I have good friends that live at Guantanamo Bay.

[D]

All right. Go.

[F]

Spell G, U, A, N, T, A, N, a, M, O.

[E]

Correct.

[D]

Guantanamo is correct. Well done. Your second word. Good luck. Speller. You ever win a B before, Mike?

[F]

No, I didn't. I never competed. But I am a pretty good spel.

[D]

I got People brag about that. Go ahead.

[E]

Kayaker.

[F]

Kayaker.

[D]

Go on. Spell.

[F]

Use it in a sentence.

[D]

Hurry, Brady.

[E]

The kayaker was really fast.

[D]

Good one.

[F]

K, A Y, a K, E, R. Kayaker is nailed.

[D]

All right. Good luck. Your final word.

[E]

Anesthesiologist.

[D]

Anesthesiologist. Everyone knows what it is. You don't need a sentence. Go.

[F]

A, N, E, S, T, H, E, S, I, O, L, O, G, I, S, T.

[E]

Correct. It's correct.

[D]

Wow. Were you Googling? Did you Google that? No.

[B]

I did.

[D]

You can go ahead and lie to me.

[F]

No, I didn't.

[D]

Honestly. You threw anesthesiologist. That's impressive. Well played. Nice. You deserve the winner. Nice job, Mike. Hang on a second. We're gonna get you Aerosmith tickets. He's going Aerosmith. How about that?

[E]

My anesthetic Anesthesiologist.

[D]

That's what I was counting on.

[E]

Makes me sleepy.

[D]

You're trying too hard. Put a little Brady into this. We got a girl on the line. You ready? Jennifer, are you there?

[F]

I am.

[D]

Brady, you have a girl on the line. Are you a good speller, Jennifer?

[F]

I think so.

[D]

Prove it.

[F]

Okay.

[D]

Fellatio.

[F]

S, A, L, L, I, C. No.

[D]

B, L, O, W, J, O, B. Sorry.

[G]

Nice try.

[D]

Sorry. Thank you, Jennifer. Merry effing holidays.

[H]

From the Big Red radio.

[G]

It'S John Holmerg here from the morning sickness. And it's time to talk about TVs Doug Hopkins of My Home Group and Doug Hopkins dot com. Have you ever thought to yourself, I'm gonna sell my house? Of course you have.

[D]

And one reason or another, you just didn't do it.

[G]

Probably because it's a hassle when you try to make a real estate deal. What if I could say, you can sell the day after you say the words, I want to sell my house. Doug's been at this for over 25 years. And that's why he's still on top of the Hill. TVs Doug Hopkins can handle everything. Won't move the price or you get $5,000. What do you do? Start the process right now@doug hopkins.com or grab the phone and sing.

[H]

Alright, HMS podcast time again to let you know where to go for some great comedy in the Valley this week. Head north to Desert Ridge to catch Chris Turner from AGT and Heather Posternach perform in Tempe at the Improv. You've got Matt Friend and Jesse Jet Ski Johnson doing their sets. And downtown at Stand Up Live, enjoy the comedy of Timmy no Breaks Lunel and Jay Pharaoh entertaining you this week. For the complete lineups and for tickets, go to standuplive.com desertridgeimprov.com and tempyimprov.com Holmberg's Morning Sickness.

[D]

All right, Brady, I'll give you a word.

[E]

Now, I tried burglarizing.

[F]

Can you use it in a sentence?

[D]

Of course. You know what this means? Now you're just gonna Google, start spelling.

[F]

B U, R, G L, A, R, I, V, I, N, G. That's correct.

[D]

Nicely done. All right, Freddie, give her something smoking hot or hard to do. There it is. Good luck.

[E]

Google both of them.

[D]

Yeah, the whole thing.

[E]

Juliana Rancic.

[F]

Juliana. Can you say the last name again?

[E]

Rancic.

[D]

She's Googling.

[G]

You're googling.

[D]

Start spelling.

[F]

J, U, L, I, J. Incorrect.

[D]

You aren't Googling. It's a G. Sorry about that. You don't watch enough etv, do you, Jennifer?

[F]

Apparently not.

[D]

Nice try, Jennifer. Sorry. You're a loser.

[F]

Ah, thank you.

[D]

Let's go. Thank you. Jennifer. Online. Juliana Wrenchage. Is it Rancic? I don't know. She looks like a cricket. All right, one and done.

[E]

I thought it was a tennis player at one time.

[D]

This person right here.

[F]

Wait.

[D]

Hi. Who's this? Todd, Are you ready?

[F]

I am ready.

[D]

Here's Brady's word. If you get it right, you're a champion. No sentence, no definition. Brady, go.

[E]

Nautilus, go.

[F]

Sorry, I just pushed the wrong button on the phone. Did you repeat it again?

[D]

But fine.

[E]

Nautilus, go.

[F]

N O, T, H.

[D]

All right, let me see another one.

[A]

Hi there.

[D]

Who's this? Are you there?

[F]

Yeah.

[D]

All right. What's your name?

[F]

Don.

[D]

Don. Here's your word. Go.

[E]

Al Jarreau.

[D]

Al Jaro.

[F]

Algero, Go. A, L, J, A, R, O.

[D]

Incorrect. That is the phonetic spelling of Algero.

[E]

That's what I was hoping for.

[C]

More like it.

[D]

Incorrect. Sir, try one more and we'll be done. Hi there.

[E]

Who's this?

[D]

Are you there?

[F]

Hello.

[D]

Welcome to Brady Spelling Bee in honor of the Scripps Howard Nerdfest tonight. Are you a good speller?

[F]

I won in eighth grade.

[D]

How far did you get?

[F]

I got to state, and the lady pronounced the word wrong and I didn't. Or in a sentence.

[D]

Oh, dummy. What was the word?

[F]

Almond, but she said alm, so I spelled a L, L, E, N. Ah, that's brutal.

[D]

You didn't, like, you know, file a complaint?

[F]

It was my fault entirely.

[D]

Okay. All right, Gotcha. All right, and then what would the sentence have been? Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't. Almond Joy has nuts. Mounds don't, because. Go ahead, Brady. Onomatopoeia on a monopia. Go.

[F]

Oh, no. M, A, T, O, P, E, I, A.

[E]

Incorrect.

[D]

Incorrect. I was closer.

[C]

Yeah.

[E]

Good run. It was a good run.

[D]

Thank you. Well played. Yes, that's definitely.

[B]

You got close, though.

[D]

Was it? Sorta. Can you use that in a sentence?

[E]

Orange is anonymous.

[G]

That's right.

[D]

That's sentence and a definition. I would try another one. Hi, there. Who's this?

[F]

Hello.

[D]

Hi. Go ahead. What's your name?

[F]

Matt.

[D]

Matt, turn your radio. All right, turn it down. All right, Brady, give Matt his word.

[E]

Deterioration.

[D]

Struggled.

[F]

Deterioration. Deterioration.

[D]

Go ahead.

[F]

Oh, deterioration. D, E, T, E, R, E. Cherry. I, A, T, I, O, N. Oh, man.

[D]

Didn't he missed an E?

[E]

No, it's your ear.

[D]

Oh, you got the.

[F]

Oh, yeah, because that's deterioration. Deterioration.

[D]

I thought he missed the E in the earlier part. Okay, you're right. I forgot. So I didn't even get to the O.

[H]

All right.

[D]

Nice try. You lose. All right, only one winner in the spelling bee. Which means what, Brady? Our listeners are dumb.

[E]

Give him one more.

[D]

I want to see if he. All right, one more. We'll try one more. Who can't spell? Juliana Rancic. Hi, there. Who's this?

[F]

This is John. I can spell session if you want.

[D]

Watch your mouth, John. We're online. Oh, okay. I really. I really enjoyed that sentence, and so did everybody listening on the Internet. So I answered the phone to all those people who just missed it on the dub, and I said, hi. What's your name? He said, john. I can spell some if you guys want to. Well, that's what we want. Well, we want. You're exactly the tradesman we've been looking for.

[E]

See how many you can get.

[D]

All right, Spelling John is on the line. He's got a little bit of a Tourette's problem. Go ahead. I understand.

[E]

That's me.

[D]

Go ahead.

[E]

Promiscuous.

[F]

OOH Promiscuous. P R, O, M I, s. C, U, O, U, s. Correct.

[D]

Give another one. This is for the win. Good luck. Ready to go.

[E]

Gladiolus.

[F]

I can't even hear you.

[E]

Gladiolus.

[F]

Gladiolus. Holy. G, L, A, D I, O, L, O, U, S. Incorrect.

[D]

Oh, you missed it by one. You added an extra O, right?

[E]

Yes.

[D]

Ah, you had it.

[F]

Ah.

[D]

One more. He wants to spell. Man, the guy likes spelling. All right, for the win. Let's go for it. Give him the big one.

[F]

He kicked me out of Cub Scouts. Let me spell.

[D]

What'd you get kicked out for?

[F]

Eat too many brownies?

[D]

All right, all right. Brady in the joke books. Go ahead.

[E]

The. No, it's miscellaneous.

[F]

Oh, that's easy. M I, s c. Ms. Alanius.

[D]

Miscellaneous.

[F]

Miscellaneous. Miss. M I, s, C A. Did I blow it? M I, s. C A. Yeah, I thought so. Oh, yeah.

[D]

Yeah. You don't know how to spell anything.

[F]

I don't know anything.

[D]

You came out of the gates. You don't know how to spell it. Came out.

[F]

Yeah.

[C]

You don't.

[D]

Yeah. You don't know how to spell, man. He promised us different.

[F]

I don't know how to spell.

[D]

All right. See you later, buddy. I'm John and I can spell some. That is like a low bar. You walk in, you announce yourself at a party like that, you have just set the bar insanely low. I didn't think of it that way. My name's John. My quality is spelling. Oh, wow. This totally took on a different. Excuse me, Mr. Neil Armstrong. I'm gonna go talk to John for a while.

[E]

Well, my name's Chuck and I love to.

[D]

Yeah, exactly. His name doesn't even rhyme with it. I'm John and I spell and rhyme. It's 9:15.

[E]

I'm Jeffany.

[D]

I don't know what you rhyme at. I don't know what that is. Stephanie's the only thing you gonna be effing. Yeah. There you go. I'm Jeffany and I want somebody me close. It rhymes. At home. Arizona's most powerful rock radio. He said fully erect.

[G]

It's John Holmberg here, and it's time to talk about TVs Doug Hopkins of my home group and doughns.com. i got a call from Doug the other day thanking me for leading so many of you guys his direction. He told me a story of a listener who had been through quite an ordeal and had a house they absolutely.

[D]

Had to sell to feel like they.

[G]

Were getting back to a normal place in life. You just never know when simple business transactions can actually change someone's life. So you want to deal with somebody great. TV's Doug Hopkins. That's your guy. So if you want to sell your house, start the process right now online@doug hopkins.com or grab that phone and sing.

[F]

Doug Hopkins, 1-800-sale- now.

[H]

All right, HMS Podcast, time again to let you know where to go for some great comedy in the Valley this week. All right, as you probably already know, we've got the big Holmberg After Dark show this Friday, December 12th. An amazing list of guests will be a part of it all. You're not going to want to miss this one, but you better get those tickets fast because this one sells out. Holmberg After Dark, Friday, December 12, at Stand Up Live. For the complete lineups and for Tickets, go to standuplive.com desertridgeimprov.com and Tempe improv.com.