Mr. Milchick, your word is “approbation.”

As the final round of the Scripps National Spelling Bee approached, Mr. Milchick (Tramell Tillman), a star of the Apple TV series Severance, sent an unexpected video message to the contestants. His encouragement resonated deeply as he likened their linguistic challenges to his own battles on the Lumon severed floor—regardless of whether or not the Board approves.

Oh man, now I have to transcribe this heartfelt message for you. No pressure.

“Octonocular. Breviloquence. Aioli,” Tillman declares, standing before a green screen displaying the enigmatic Macrodata Refinement office of the fictional company. “On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, hearty congratulations to all the spellers who have demonstrated extraordinary orthographic prowess and etymological rigor. For that, we are exultant. E-x-u-l-t-a-n-t. Exultant. Congratulations!”

Now we’re going to delve into the meanings of these words, such as:

Octonocular, adjective: “having eight eyes.” This term derives from the Latin root “octo” (meaning eight) and the Latin root “oculus” (meaning eye), with the suffix “-cular” added for emphasis.

And:

Breviloquence, noun: the art of speaking briefly and concisely. It stands in stark contrast to being loquacious (talkative). As an adjective, it refers to someone who uses few words, embodying precision and clarity.

Man, if only we had taken Latin in high school!

“Aioli” is a cold Mediterranean sauce crafted from an emulsion of garlic and olive oil. If the term “emulsion” eludes you, perhaps the spelling bee—and this tale—isn’t quite your calling.

“In Severance, Mr. Milchik’s character wields language as a potent tool for self-expression,” Adam Harman, senior vice president of content