Snicker

October 5, 2008
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Our vocabulary list last week had several, what we used to call homonyms, but what I guess what they teach them to say now is homophones. Remember, this is middle school. The short o in homonym elicits no snickering. However, as I explain to them the roots of the two words – homo = same, nym = name, phon = sound – I always get the snickering at homo.

It also happens when Tom Sawyer and the boys say gay.

Just today I found my old (1986) Matt Groening cartoon book, School is Hell . It has a beauty cartoon called, “A Teacher’s Guide to Words That Make Kids Snicker.” (Fair Use, right?)

Snicker - Click to Enlarge

2 Responses to Snicker

  1. Betty on October 6, 2008 at 1:57 am

    I know what you mean. As a retired middle school teacher, I have heard a lot of snickers.:)

  2. Holly on October 13, 2008 at 7:39 pm

    More snicker material…

    Our la teachers never teach the conjugation of lie and lay. Or was that on the School is Hell clip? too small to read.

    thanks for everything…you’re great. Just spent an hour of my inservice time perusing your site.

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Mr. Coward has been teaching on the beautiful central coast of California since 1989.

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