Neither a Borrower nor a Speller Bee

Neither a Borrower nor a Speller Bee
Season:	2
Episode:	12 (season) 38 (series)
Production Code:	209
Originally Aired:	April 14, 2006
Previous: "Twins at the Tipton" Next: "Bowling"

"Neither a Borrower nor a Speller Bee" is the 12th episode of the second season of The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. Cody attempts to win the district spelling bee, while Zack owes a debt to the semifinalist who is against Cody. Meanwhile, London is earning all the credit for charity work that Maddie, Mary-Margaret, and Corrie are doing.

Story

The episode starts off as Cody practicing for the Spelling Bee, Carey is helping him practice. When Cody spells the word right, Carey tells him that she could have won first place if it wasn't for misspelling the word "politics". Zack comes in and asks for money from Carey, but Carey doesn't give him any.

Mr. Moseby is getting everything ready for the Spelling Bee that is going to be in the Tipton. Out in the lobby, Maddie tells London if she is going to wear that to the volunteer work, but London doesn't remember that. Maddie just takes her to the bus to go do the volunteer. In the game room, Zack is playing, but loses in the game. So he borrows money from a guy named Maynard. He just says that it is just one dollar, but at the end he borrowed 30 dollars. As a result, Zack has to figure out a way to pay off the debt.

In a hotel, Maddie and her friends are doing all the work. London is just painting her nails; someone calls on her phone and talks to her. But Maddie takes the phone and tells her that she is busy working. But the teacher comes and catches Maddie on the phone, and Maddie gets in trouble and tells her why she can't work like London. Later Maddie gets on the ladder to fix a chandelier, but London takes a newspaper from the bottom and makes the ladder fall. This causes Maddie's overalls strap to get caught on the chandelier, and the teacher comes and see her hanging by her overalls strap and it looks like she is playing around. Maddie makes her friends get paint on them, so Maddie and her friends have to work until lunch, while London takes a break.

In the Spelling Bee, Barbara spells a word wrong and makes Cody and Maynard the finalists. Maynard tells him that Zack can pay off the bet by making Cody lose. When Zack tells Cody this, he says "no", and then Zack goes to the Lobby and tries to borrow money from Maddie, Mr. Moseby and other people, but they also tell him "no". When London gives him money, Maddie and the rest grab the money that Zack owes them.

Later, in the Spelling Bee, Zack tells Cody that he can win, and Cody spells "pneumatic" right.

In the lobby, the family from the apartment has baked Maddie a cake for leaving the toys. London sees this, and asks Maddie why they didn't bake a cake for her, and Maddie tells her that it's because she didn't do anything for them. London replies that she made publicity; Maddie says that was for London herself.

Right then, Cody comes chanting that he won. Maynard comes in, and Cody heads off to "get the first aid kit". However, after Zack asks what his big "or else" was, Maynard reveals that he wasn't going to beat up Zack; he was going to tell his mom about what he did. Zack tells Maynard off by saying that he is "the worst bully in the history of bullies", and confidently tells Maynard that he is not afraid of his mom. Carey replies with "You should be!"

Maynard explains to Carey that Zack had borrowed $30 from him and won't pay him back. Carey gives Maynard the $30 Zack owed him and Zack gets in trouble for what he did. Zack argues, "At least I didn't let Cody throw the spelling bee like Maynard tried to make me do", which Maynard's parents overhear. Maynard gets in trouble with his parents for what he did. Zack also tries to reason that what he did is minor compared to what Maynard did, but he still gets in trouble for what he did.

Arriving at the apartment, London brings toys for the family while wearing a mask. She takes off the mask and gives the bag to the family. The mother asks what she can do to thank her, and she says "Bake a cake and take it to the Tipton and ask for London", and she leaves but comes back and says "By the way, she is not me". The episode ends on that.

Quotes

Zack: Come on, Mom. Think of all those coins just sitting in your purse doing nothing. They could be in the game room having fun right now.

Carey: Forget it. "Neither a Borrower Nor a Lender Be." William Shakespeare.

Zack: "I just need a couple of bucks." Zack Martin.

Carey: Oh, don't worry. He knows his word. Oh, Zack, your brother will finally stop thinking of himself as a loser.

Zack: Who calls him a loser?

Carey: You do.

Cody: Zack, this spelling bee is important to me. It's a chance for people to stop calling me a loser!

Zack: Who calls you a loser?

Cody: You do!

Zack: If you're going to beat me up, can we do this in the park? That way, at least when I fall, it'll be on grass.

Maynard: Beat you up? Why does everyone assume that I'm violent?

Zack: You're a building with feet.

Maynard: Are you trying to make me violent?

Mary Margaret (to London): Hey princess!

London: It's heiress.

Mary Margaret: Whatever, heiress. The rest of us are busting our hips painting.

London: I am painting!

Maddie: Fingers don't count!

London: You're right! I'll do my toes!

London: I am so proud of myself! I helped those people in the apartment!

Maddie: Do you honestly think that you helped those people?

London: Yes, I bet a picture of their apartment where never in the newspaper! Now they can envy it to all their pathetic neighbors!

Mother: Excuse me, we're looking for Maddie Fitzpatrick.

Maddie: That's me! How can I help you?

Mother: We live in the apartment you and your friends fixed up. We just wanted to thank you for all your hard work.

London: (looks up) It was my pleasure!

Mother: Anyway, Maddie. We just wanted to thank you for the toys you left for the children.

Maddie: You're welcome. But how did you know it was me? They were supposed to be anonymous.

Mother: We noticed the toy oven had "Chef Maddie" written on it. So, we baked you a cake.

Maddie: So you baked a cake in an oven that uses a lightbulb?

Mother: No, our real oven.

Maddie: Thanks, you guys want a piece? (the mother starts cutting cake)

London: Why didn't they bake me a cake?

Maddie: Because you really didn't give them anything.

London: I gave them publicity!

Maddie: That was for you!

Trivia

• The title of the episode, "Neither a Borrower nor a Speller Bee", is an allusion to William Shakespeare's play, Hamlet, where Polonius says, "Neither a borrower nor a lender be". The line itself is referenced by Carey.

Goofs

• At the conclusion of the spelling bee, Cody spells the other contestant's word right and he wins; this scenario is not representative of the real rules in a spelling bee. If there are two contestants left and one of them spells a word wrong, the other contestant has to spell that word right, as well as another word.