“Just Following Up: Lots of Additions” Part One.

VIVA
VOCABULARY!
Each edition of “Viva Vocabulary!” focuses on
different word genres. The goal is to help students
(re)discover the joy of language and the expressive
power of vocabulary.
Practical Ways to
Promote Word
Consciousness
Lois Huffman is an adjunct faculty member at NC State
University and a consultant with the Center for Applied
Linguistics. She enjoys facilitating professional learning
on language and literacy-related topics for schools and
local councils. Contact her at loishuffman@gmail.com.
by Lois E. Huffman
Just Following Up: Lots of Additions
Part One of Three
“Great teachers are earnest learners.” – Rebecca Alber
Both teacher and learner―that’s what every professional educator should be. One
of the things that I love learning is words―new ones and new-to-me ones.
In this multi-part series, I will follow up on Viva Vocabulary! articles by sharing
additional things I’ve learned about Synonyms, Antonyms, Homonyms, Clipped
Words, Portmanteau Words, Euphemisms, and English in the Digital Age. I also have
more teaching ideas that you can use to enhance students’ knowledge of these
fascinating linguistic tools (toys?).
This first post in the series will focus on the Big-Three –Nyms: Synonyms,
Antonyms, and Homonyms. (Many thanks to the members of the Moore County
Reading Association, Raleigh-Wake County Reading Council, and Robeson County
Reading Council who inspired me to continue exploring these word genres.)
Synonyms
In the Viva Vocabulary! post titled Synonym Power, I stated that synonym has no
synonyms. Even though this is a common belief, synonym actually has a synonym:
poecilonym (wordnik.com). I also recently read that Charles John Smith referred to
synonyms as “kindred words.”
You may be wondering which words in general (non-technical) use truly have no
synonyms. Challenge your students to investigate this. Also have fun exploring
synonyms further via the following activities.
Teaching Ideas:
1. Reinforce that synonyms have similar, but not identical meanings by
presenting this blog post from Seth Godin about the synonyms, tenacity and
persistance:
”Tenacity is not the same as persistence. Persistence is doing something again and
again until it works. It sounds like 'pestering' for a reason. Tenacity is using new data
to make new decisions to find new pathways to achieve a goal when the old ways
didn't work. Telemarketers are persistent, Nike is tenacious.” (Italics added)
Using Godin’s observations as a model, ask students to examine the differences
between other synonyms that cannot be used interchangeably: bum, tramp, and
hobo; enjoyment and fun; fighter and pugilist*; grateful and appreciative; helpless,
powerless; important, imperative; joy, happiness, and pleasure; thief, burglar, and
robber; mistake, error, and miscue; polite, courteous, and deferential; regret,
remorse, and repentance; woods, forest, and jungle. If desired, have students
generate a list of synonyms that sometimes are perceived as identical in
meaning, when in reality they are not. Make sure students provide examples to
clarify the subtle differences between the synonyms.
*Students might also be interested in Godin’s post about Pugilists.
Pose reflective discussion questions such as: How do fighters and
pugilists differ? Which one are you? Which one describes various
people in your life? (Avoid names to protect people’s identities.)
How would you classify certain well-known celebrities and public figures?
2. Share the Feelings Vocabulary Wheel at Lifehacker.com. To “use the wheel
diagram, have students start out with a basic emotion (sad, happy, anger, fear,
disgust, or surprise) and then move outward until they have the best synonym
for the job.” Students should check the definition of the various synonyms online
to ensure they select the most appropriate one.
3. Talk about the importance of synonyms for providing verbal variety and
conveying a particular tone (e.g., seriousness vs. playfulness, formality vs.
informality). If desired, share grade-appropriate examples from The Thinker’s
Thesaurus: Sophisticated Alternatives to Common Words by Peter Meltzer (W. W.
Norton, 2010). Then, as a class, silently brainstorm synonyms for words that are
used frequently in everyday speech (e.g., yes, no, girl, guy, me, you, hello, friend).
To do this, write one word at the top of a piece of
chart paper. Post the charts around the classroom
and then invite students to write synonyms on
the charts (see example at right). Follow up by
discussing any unfamiliar synonyms listed on the
charts. Also ensure that students are aware of the
appropriate context of use by providing sentences
to illustrate correct usage. If needed, consult an
online or print thesaurus for additional synonyms.
At the conclusion of the activity, take photos of the
charts and post them on the class website.
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maybe
possibly
it’s conceivable (that)
perhaps
it’s possible (that)
perchance
for all we know
rumor has it
it depends
When examining alternative ways to say yes and no, share this excerpt from The
New Yorker:
“No language [can] have . . . too many ways to simply say yes. Saying yes as often as
possible is, famously, the first rule of improv, vital to maintaining energy, imagination,
and humor. It is also, I have long thought, a sure sign that you’re falling in love, not to
mention crucial to sustaining that love over the long haul. And, while sometimes
impractical, dangerous, or just plain dumb, saying yes to as much stuff as possible is,
over all, a pretty good strategy for getting through life.” - Kathryn Schulz
Ask students if they agree or disagree with the author. Have students share examples
of times they and others said yes - and the consequences of answering in the
affirmative. Also have students list situations in which it is wise to say no. How might
knowing a lot of synonyms for no also be useful?
4. Have students look into the number of synonyms for other everyday concepts.
To illustrate, share the lists of 44 synonyms for truth and 43 synonyms for lie
found on thesaurus.com/. Ask students to consider what might contribute to the
plethora of labels for certain concepts.
5. Play “How Many Ways Can You Say . . .?” to review and reinforce useful
synonyms. Divide the class into teams of four or five. After you present the name
of a concept that is part of your students’ worlds (e.g., the noun clothes), each
team should write down as many synonyms as possible in the
time you give them (e.g., apparel, attire, clothing, costume, dress,
duds, garb, garments, outfit, threads, ready-to-wear). (Students
may NOT consult digital or print resources or anyone
outside their team.)
When time is called, teams share their lists, marking off any incorrect words.
Examples of appropriate usage of any unfamiliar synonyms should also be
provided. The team with the most synonyms is awarded five points for the
round. Any team with synonyms that are not on any other team’s list gets a point
for each correct word. During the next round, focus on another concept that is
relevant to students’ worlds (e.g., to gather, the noun group, to help).
To conclude the game, each team could create Semantic Feature Analysis Charts
(see the model below) to explore differences among synonyms that were
generated. Have each group focus on a different concept and its synonyms.
Students should determine the attributes to analyze in relation to the terms and
complete the chart to show the similarities and differences among the synonyms.
CONCEPT &
SYNONYMS
gather
collect
Done w/
People
Done to
Things
Formal
Deliberate
Work
+
-
+
+
?
?
+
+
?
+
3
harvest
accumulate
assemble
congregate
+
+
+
+
+
-
+
+
+
-/+
+
-/+
+
-/+
+
-/+
+
-
(Adapted from Blachowicz and Fisher, 2011)
After each group presents its chart of decisions about the synonyms, raise
questions that will encourage class members to look more closely at the
information and think more about appropriate use of the terms. Here are
possible questions for the chart above:
Which word best describes how . . .
 people gather for a wedding?
 our legislators gather in our state capital?
 a farmer gathers a crop?
 you gather signatures on a petition?
6. Further explore connotative differences between synonyms. Share newspaper
columnist, Sydney Harris’s observation with the class: “There are very few true
synonyms in the language, no matter what the dictionary may insist.” If desired,
show the video on “Word Choice: Denotation and Connotation” at
Flocabulary.com (Subscription required).
Reinforce that many synonyms have the same dictionary definition (denotation), but
differ in connotation (e.g., porch vs. portico vs. stoop). Certain synonyms cast a
negative light (e.g., jalopy, beater), while others make something
appear more appealing (e.g., hot rod, roadster). Still others
present a concept in a neutral manner (e.g., automobile, car).
Have students categorize synonyms as FAVORABLE, UNFAVORABLE, or NEUTRAL.
Students should research the differences among the words and supply usage
examples to support their classifications. Synonyms to possibly use in this
activity:






gaunt, lanky, scrawny, skinny, slender, slim, svelte, thin
brat, child, juvenile, kid, little one, minor, small fry, urchin, young person,
youngster
insignificant, meager, microscopic, miniature, petite, slight, small, tiny, trifling
bull-headed, headstrong, obstinate, strong-willed, stubborn, uncompromising
brainy, brilliant, bright, clever, cunning, egghead, intelligent, shrewd, smart
aggressive, assertive, determined, domineering, forceful, pushy
Ask older students to work with a partner to rewrite the neutral sentences in the
Instructions section of grammar.about.com/od/words/a/connotations.htm.
Students must “write two new versions of each [sentence]: first, using synonyms
with positive connotations to show the subject in an attractive light; second,
using words with negative connotations to describe the same subject in a less
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favorable way.” There are guidelines following each passage to help focus the
revisions. Students should also consult print and online references.
7. Remind the class that euphemisms are often created through the use of neutral
synonyms or ones with a more positive connotation. Refer to the Viva
Vocabulary! article on euphemisms in the October 2011 NCRA Newsletter for
more information and ideas for learning about euphemisms. (Look for more on
euphemisms in the third part of this series.)
8. As a class, investigate words that are mistakenly thought of or used as
synonyms, but actually have quite different meanings. For example, repentance
and penance are related but not synonymous terms. “Repentance is the activity of
reviewing one's actions and feeling contrition or regret for past wrongs. It
generally involves a commitment to personal change and resolving to live a more
responsible and humane life.” (en.wikipedia.org/) Typically, this
correcting of what’s wrong is healing. In contrast, penance involves
punishment that is imposed by the individual who has committed the
wrongdoing or an authority who is charged with determining proper
compensation for the offense (e.g., parent, teacher, judge).
In Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austin also points out: “Vanity and pride are different
things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud
without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what
we would have others think of us.” Some other words that are erroneously
considered synonyms: angry and perturbed; confident and arrogant; fear and
danger; humble and timid; introverted and shy; infinite and indefinite; ironic and
coincidental; mysterious and vague; secret and obscure; and treat and reward.
Encourage students to investigate these “often misunderstood words.”
9. Present this list of Top 10 Synonyms that Sound Like Opposites (e.g., press and
depress; genius and ingenious; bone and debone) and invite students to discuss
their experiences (and confusions) surrounding these words. Also challenge able
learners to nominate other synonym pairs for the list.
10. Challenge students to search for synonyms that are extremely nym-ble―that is,
they are not only synonyms, but also other kinds of -nyms (e.g., eponyms,
miranyms, tautonyms). Revisit Parts One, Two, and Three of the Viva
Vocabulary! series “Jack and Jill Can Be Even More Nym-ble” for information on
other –nyms. Share some of these examples to get students started:
Word or Phrase
amyotrophic lateral
sclerosis (ALS acronym)
delicious
good night
Synonym
Alternative Name Is Also a/n . . .
Lou Gehrig’s
Disease
eponym (word that is derived from the name of a
person)
yum-yum
night-night
tautonym (word that has two identical syllables)
tautonym
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repair (using
everyday items)
freestanding open
shelves
(tap) dancer
MacGyver
eponym
étagère
paronym (word borrowed from another language
or word with the same etymological root)
metonym (name used as a substitute for
something else with which it is closely associated)
hoofer
11. Bring up the notion of pet words, that is, terms and expressions an individual
frequently uses or even overuses. Several examples from people I know (who
shall remain nameless): touch base with, sad to say, make no mistake about it,
long story short, deliverables. Most people, even the best writers and speakers
have pet words. Shakespeare, for instance, was fond of the word sweet. Sweet or
some variant of it appears almost 1000 times in his writing (newyorker.com/
online/ blogs/books/2013/09/writers-favorite-words-reflect-their-worldview.html).
Broadcasters, politicians, pundits, and other groups of people also latch onto a
particular word and use it repeatedly for a time (libertywordwanderings.
blogspot.com/2013/12/pet-peeves-words-mean-things.html#ixzz2qsFE0E3E).
Vet (vetted), which means “to investigate,” is one such word. As op-ed columnist
Robert Novak pointed out in the Washington Post, “vetted” has been used by
many people since Hillary Clinton uttered it in the 2008 U.S. presidential election
primary season.
Have each student make a list of words she or he is “a little too fond of.” Let the
class know that most of us are not aware of our frequent use of certain terms.
Thus, if listing pet words proves difficult, students should ask friends and family
members to observe their speech for several days. Students might also paste
random samples of their writing in a word cloud tool such as Wordle or
WordSift. Words that appear most frequently in their writing will be the largest
words in the resulting graphic cloud.
A few of the overused words among today’s young people are
awesome, epic, and totally. Invite students to respond to
comedian Jill Shargaa’s TED Talk: “Please. Please, People. Let’s
Put the ‘Awe’ Back in Awesome.” Have students also consider
Mark Kennedy’s observations in “Let’s Retire Awesome.”
TED
Once lists of pet (peeve) words are compiled, students should decide which ones
are in dire need of synonyms. To find appropriate substitutes, consult print or
online thesauruses and sites such as Synonyms for the 96 Most Commonly Used
Words in English and 45 Ways to Avoid Using the Word “Very.” Encourage
students to also monitor their writing by using the “Find” option in MS Word to
locate and possibly replace overused terms.
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Antonyms
Learning about antonyms holds much appeal for many young people. Fortunately,
there is no shortage of antonyms. Antonyms are also being coined for existing
words. For example, absenteeism now has an opposite – presenteeism. According to
the TribeHR blog, presenteeism is “when employees are physically present, but due
to a physical or emotional issue, are distracted to the point of reduced productivity. .
. . [E]vidence suggests that presenteeism could be even more costly to businesses
than absenteeism.” (Do any of your students exhibit presenteeism!?!)
Teaching Ideas:
1. Assign a pair of interesting antonyms (see below) to a small group of students.
After researching the meanings and determining appropriate context(s) of use,
each group should use Educlipper or Pinterest to present facts and information
about the antonym pairs.
adversary and ally
apogee and perigee
appreciable and negligible
benefactor and malefactor
conventional and unorthodox
dysphemism and euphemism
horizontal and vertical, landscape and
portrait
hyperdocumentation and ephemeral sharing
implode and explode
input and output (Related term: throughput)
intensify and assuage
internet and outernet
invest and divest
hibernation and aestivation
jamais vu and déjà vu
mecurial and steadfast
minimalist and maximalist
misogyny and misandry
online and in-person or face-to-face
port and starboard
prequel and sequel
primary and adult (baby and permanent)
recruitment and decruitment
rise and demise
sender and receiver
she shed and man cave
showrooming and webrooming
soft skills and hard skills
talkative and taciturn
yin and yang
After viewing their peers’ presentations, students might take part in a
kinesthetic matching activity such as Floor Concentration (Each term is written
on a piece of cardstock or thick paper so the word does not show through the
back. The cards are arranged with the writing side down in rows in an open area
of the room. Find the rules for Concentration / Memory at: boardgames.about.
com/od/cardgames/a/concentration.htm.) Students take turns turning over two
cards a time. When they uncover a pair of antonyms, they must correctly use the
words in a sentence or two in order to claim the cards.
2. Have students look for antonym pairs related to a particular entity,
phenomenon, or activity (e.g., space, human body, art). Here are
examples for sailing: aft and fore; bow and stern; forward and astern;
port and starboard; windward and leeward. Encourage students to
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illustrate the pairs to help their classmates understand the differences between
the antonymic terms.
Students who wish to explore music-related antonyms (e.g., crescendo and
decrescendo, harmonious and dissonant, pianissimo / pp and fortissimo / ff) might
be interested in the post, “'The Opposite of A Cappella Is Ska' and Other Musical
Intrigues” which offers an extensive list of musical genres that are the opposite
of each other.
3. Invite class members to collect modern-day antonyms. To inspire students,
share examples from the table below. Also ask students what these recently
coined opposites suggest about contemporary American culture.
overload
FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)
multi-tasking
upsize
de-load
JOMO (Joy of Missing Out)
single tasking or zero-tasking
downsize
4. Hold an “Opposites Half-Hour” (or 15 minutes) in your classroom.
Let the class know that for a specified amount of time you will say
the opposite of what you mean. Challenge students to decipher
your directions and do the opposite of what you say. If an activity
involves interacting with peers, students must use antonyms to communicate.
Peers will need to “translate” the message by thinking of appropriate opposites.
(WARNING: This activity is lot of fun but is cognitively demanding. To ensure
there is sufficient think time, provide written directions. Also encourage
students to write what they want to say before speaking.)
5. Present the following quotation to the class: “Success and failure. We think of
them as opposites, but they’re really not. They’re companions―the hero and the
sidekick.” - Laurence Shames, writer. Ask students to tell whether they agree or
disagree and give situations to illustrate their perspective.
Then challenge students to think more deeply about other common antonym
pairs by reading and discussing Seth Godin’s post, Opposition. Use these
additional quotations to extend the discussion.
 “The opposite of depression is not happiness, but vitality….” - Andrew Solomon,
writer (ted.com/talks/andrew_solomon_depression_the_secret_we share?
language=en).
 “The opposite of play is not work; it is depression.” - Brian Sutton-Smith,
professor of psychology (adlerimprov.com/the-power-of-play/)
 “Who says you can’t have common sense and be creative?” - Edna Sackson,
educator (whatedsaid.wordpress.com/2014/05/11 /required-for-innovationcommon-sense/).
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
“The most damaging cancer to invade any relationship is selfishness….
Selfishness [not hate] is the opposite of love.” - Lonnie Jones, counselor (Quoted
in The Seed Principle, 2008) (Italics added in all quotations.)
6. Encourage groups of interested students to investigate male
and female animal antonyms (e.g., ram and ewe, buck and
doe, bull and cow (cattle, elephants), boar and sow, rooster
and hen, tercel and hen (hawk)). Students should present
what they learn via PowToon or another Web 2.0 tool.
7. Share Jon Stewart and The Daily Show writers’ comment: “If con is the opposite
of pro, then isn’t Congress the opposite of progress?” (America (The Book),
2006). Have students consider the accuracy of the statement and check out the
origins and meanings of the words, Congress and progress. Also challenge able
learners to look for other antonymic prefixes that could be used for jokes and
witty observations.
8. Introduce the class to miranyms, words that have a meaning midway between
two extremes. For example, lukewarm, tepid, and room temperature are
miranyms of the antonyms, hot and cold. Linguist Richard Norquist considers a
miranym “the semantic equivalent of the Aristotelian concept of the Golden Mean—
that is, the ideal middle between two extremes.” (grammar.about.com/od/mo/
g/Miranym.htm) Other examples of miranyms:
Miranym
ambivert
flat
gray
level
medial or middle
organization
plateau
purple state
some
translucent
Antonyms
introvert, extrovert
concave, convex
black, white
ascending, descending
beginning, end
chaos, regimentation
acme, nadir
blue state, red state
all, none
opaque, transparent
Homonyms (Homophones)
Homophones are those troublesome words that sound the same, but are spelled
differently. Anu Garg calls them dopplegangers because they are linguistic doubles
(wordsmith.org). Misuse of homophones is common in both print and digital texts.
Here are two examples I recently encountered:
Jury Pull?
I suspect the intended phrase was jury pool. I found the incorrect homophone (pull
instead of pool) when I was searching online for the address of a cousin who lives in
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another state. Her name was on a list of potential jurors, but I doubt she would have
been called to serve since she’s a probation officer in that county.
At first I was a bit surprised by this homophonic spelling error. Then, I remembered
carefully pronouncing P-O-O-L whenever I ask my students to 'pool their knowledge'
in a group activity.
Peak Interest?
Imagine my chagrin when I saw this in a publication from the college I attended as
an undergraduate. I hope enrollment at the school is not waning, but I suspect the
writer was actually discussing efforts to pique interest. Unfortunately, I have seen this
homophonic error too often in my own students’ writing about motivation in literacy
and learning. None of us want interest to peak when students are in our classes!
Teaching Ideas:
1. Invite students to report any homophone usage mistakes they spot. Designate a
high-traffic location in your classroom where students can post such goofs with
the corrected versions and clarifying definitional information in an easy-to-read
chart similar to the following:
GOOF 
SHOULD BE 
to not overdue
whitening
to not overdo
whitening
for piece of mind
for peace of mind
DEFINITIONS
overdo = do something to excess
overdue = not completed by
expected time
peace = freedom from
disturbance; calm
piece = portion of something
SPOTTED WHERE
BY WHOM 
Read it online - Elle
Saw it on
clarkhoward.com - Dom
Include a reminder about the need for careful editing AND looking up words in
print and digital references to prevent or fix homophone mix-ups. Also
emphasize the importance of reading widely (more than text messages and
social media) to increase exposure to correct word usage.
2. Analyze lists of commonly misspelled words (e.g., grammar.yourdictionary.
com/spelling-and-word-lists/misspelled.html, grammar.about.com/od/
words/a/misspelled200.htm). Students will discover that a number of the words
are homophonic pairs (e.g., its / it’s; principle / principal; through / threw).
3. Tell your students about your own challenges with spelling words that sound
alike. For instance, I misused the word compliment in a paper for a college class.
Prior to that time I had never noticed that the word has an “e” (not an “i”) in the
second syllable when referring to “something that enhances or improves
something else.” When I looked up complement in the dictionary, I found out that
it has a different meaning from compliment.
Although I was embarrassed, I was grateful to the professor who pointed out my
error. Mignon Fogarty (a.k.a. Grammar Girl) offers the following trick for
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remembering the difference in spelling between these two words: “Be a nice
person and tell yourself, ‘I like to give compliments.’” (quickanddirtytips.com/
education/grammar/compliment-versus-complement)
4. Present homophonic sentences for the class to analyze. For example, in “Rose
rose to put rose roes on her rows of roses,” from BusinessInsider.com, we find:
 Rose - name of a female;
 rose - verb meaning to get up;
 rose - the color;
 roes - fish eggs (in this case, used as fertilizer);
 rows - lines; and
 roses - the flowers.
More sentences that may be appropriate for such analysis can be found at
businessinsider.com/weird-sentences-2014-1#ixzz2qBzlCIbW and ellerbruch.nmu.
edu/classes/cs255w06/cs255students/monsj/P6/homophonesanswerkey.pdf.
Challenge able learners to write additional homophonic sentences for the class. If
needed, supply homophones to prime the pump (e.g., bread, bred; chili, chilly, Chile:
peal, peel, appeal). Students should check digital and print dictionaries to ensure they
are aware of ALL of the meanings of the homophones.
5. Remind students that “people like homonyms because they can use them in
puns. On the other hand, people don't like homonyms because they can lead to
typos which spellcheckers don't always spot because they're (there, their)
spelled right (rite, write, wright). This can be a real problem if the homonym
is also an antonym.” Then present the following challenge: Name a pair of
common words that are both homonyms and antonyms. (HINT: The words start
with "r".) ANSWER: Raze and raise. The first means to destroy; the second is to build.
(terrycolon.com/ 3features/nym.html) Interested students might enjoy looking
for other words that are both homonyms and antonyms.
6. Talk about careers, such as blogging, editing, and translation, in which
knowledge of homonyms is especially important. To reinforce this, share
statements from firms engaged in this type of work. For example, AgriLingua, a
translation company in the agriculture and food industry, reminds potential
clients that “A sound knowledge of the technical nuances of the agricultural sector is
vital in order to correctly interpret and translate the homonyms.” ProofreadNOW.com,
one of the myriad online editing services, notes that misuse of homonyms is one of the
glaring errors that customers count on them to catch.
7. Revisit mondegreens. (A mondegreen “is the mishearing or misinterpretation of a
song lyric as a result of near-homophony…that results in a new meaning.”
(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mondegreen)) Bring up the well-known example from “The
Star-Spangled Banner,” “José, can you see?” for “O say can you see….” Also tell the
class about the scene in the movie I Give It a Year in which Josh points out to Nat,
his wife, that she messes up lyrics to songs: “I travel the world in generic jeans.”
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(Real lyrics: “I travel the world and the seven seas.” - Annie Lennox of the
Eurythmics); “Hold me close and tie me down sir.” (Real lyrics: “Hold me closer
tiny dancer.” - Elton John); and “Here we are now, in containers.” (Real lyrics:
“Here we are now, entertain us.” - Kurt Cobain and Nirvana).
Ask students if they or any of their friends or family members
ever misunderstand and then incorrectly sing popular songs.
Let them know about the recent examples that can be found
in the article, “'All About That Bass, Snow Shovel': These Are
the best misheard lyrics of 2014.” Encourage students to submit
other misheard lyrics to kissthisguy.com/. (Students can check by artist or lyric to see
if someone else has already posted the mondegreen. WARNING: Not all of the
mondegreens or original lyrics at this site are school appropriate.)
8. Then introduce the class to eggcorns. “An eggcorn is an idiosyncratic substitution
of a word or phrase for a word or words that sound similar or identical in the
speaker's dialect . . . . Eggcorns often involve replacing an unfamiliar, archaic, or
obscure word with a more common or modern word.” (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Eggcorn) Here are several examples:
 cut the mustard instead of cut the muster
 coming down the pipe instead of coming down the pike,
 chomping at the bit instead of champing at the bit
 duck tape instead of duct tape
(quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/spoonerisms-mondegreenseggcorns-and-malapropisms?page=all)
More eggcorns can be found at The Eggcorn Database.
Invite students to gather eggcorns from the speech and writing of their friends and
family and share their finds with the class without giving the names of the speakers or
writers. Ask students to read That Eggcorn Moment and then discuss the
embarrassment that can result from eggcorns, especially in formal writing.
Challenge able learners to compare eggcorns with mondegreens and explain how the
two differ.
9. Check out the additional teaching ideas and information about homophones in
the December 2013 edition of Viva Vocabulary!
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