Burke has made the subject intriguing. Kid will take it up trying to find the ‘trap,’ because he will suspect Burke is pulling a fast one. And Burke is right. He will ‘discover’ a whole new world of ‘iffy’ phrases.
When I was in grade school we had a common area shelf with dictionaries we could consult as needed. Many of the “interesting” words were often highlighted or adorned with pictures that students had drawn, which made them more like encyclopedic dictionaries…
I’ve often heard that a dullard is someone who can open a dictionary, look up just the word he/she came to look up, and immediately close the dictionary and put it away.
When I was in grade school, one of the punishments they gave out was to keep you in at recess and copy words and definitions out of the dictionary. The teacher would randomly open the dictionary and you would start with the first full word and definition and start writing. It was no punishment for me, but I tried not to let them know I enjoyed it, or they would have me do something else. ;o)
I discovered “polyandrium” (broadly translates as ‘cemetery’) while looking up something else. One of my favorite words: “Callipygian” once turned up in this strip (a word I already knew but was pleased to see)
Back in 1970s, our high school library had an unabridged dictionary with all the curse words in it. One of the upper classmen showed it to me when I was a freshman. I started reading the definitions, laughing uncontrollably. The librarian threw me out for making too much noise.
People who get degrees in something else, and people who don’t get degrees at all, love to make fun of liberal arts degrees and the people who earn them. And people with liberal arts degrees put up with it, and people keep getting liberal arts degrees, and colleges and universities keep offering liberal arts degrees, for the same key reason: The most important thing you can learn is, in fact, how to learn more. Not that there’s anything wrong with training and degrees specific to a relatively narrow field. That’s all good, too.
But let’s make a bad joke, shall we? A science major, a business major and a liberal arts major walk into a cave and discover a genie in a bottle. It is the genie of knowledge. Grateful for his freedom, the genie offers each a wish. The science major asks how to be a respected doctor. The business major asks how to be rich. The liberal arts major asks for unlimited wishes.
Whatever you learn, even dirty words in the dictionary, you’re rubbing the lantern.
The idea of “dirty words” is ridiculous. Words describe or help to describe people, places, feelings etc. You can thank the Normal conquest of 1066 for making that via domination and deciding which words were not to be spoken, English, in favor or Norman French.
lee85736 over 4 years ago
Interesting strategy. It might work.
sandpiper over 4 years ago
Burke has made the subject intriguing. Kid will take it up trying to find the ‘trap,’ because he will suspect Burke is pulling a fast one. And Burke is right. He will ‘discover’ a whole new world of ‘iffy’ phrases.
cervelo over 4 years ago
When I was in grade school we had a common area shelf with dictionaries we could consult as needed. Many of the “interesting” words were often highlighted or adorned with pictures that students had drawn, which made them more like encyclopedic dictionaries…
jel354 over 4 years ago
Seems like the best way kids learn is when they are not trying to learn (like this exercise).
The Brooklyn Accent over 4 years ago
I’ve often heard that a dullard is someone who can open a dictionary, look up just the word he/she came to look up, and immediately close the dictionary and put it away.
contralto2b over 4 years ago
When I was in grade school, one of the punishments they gave out was to keep you in at recess and copy words and definitions out of the dictionary. The teacher would randomly open the dictionary and you would start with the first full word and definition and start writing. It was no punishment for me, but I tried not to let them know I enjoyed it, or they would have me do something else. ;o)
childe_of_pan over 4 years ago
I discovered “polyandrium” (broadly translates as ‘cemetery’) while looking up something else. One of my favorite words: “Callipygian” once turned up in this strip (a word I already knew but was pleased to see)
Joliet Jake over 4 years ago
Back in 1970s, our high school library had an unabridged dictionary with all the curse words in it. One of the upper classmen showed it to me when I was a freshman. I started reading the definitions, laughing uncontrollably. The librarian threw me out for making too much noise.
Night-Gaunt49[Bozo is Boffo] over 4 years ago
Blog PostsFrazz17 hrs ·
People who get degrees in something else, and people who don’t get degrees at all, love to make fun of liberal arts degrees and the people who earn them. And people with liberal arts degrees put up with it, and people keep getting liberal arts degrees, and colleges and universities keep offering liberal arts degrees, for the same key reason: The most important thing you can learn is, in fact, how to learn more. Not that there’s anything wrong with training and degrees specific to a relatively narrow field. That’s all good, too.
But let’s make a bad joke, shall we? A science major, a business major and a liberal arts major walk into a cave and discover a genie in a bottle. It is the genie of knowledge. Grateful for his freedom, the genie offers each a wish. The science major asks how to be a respected doctor. The business major asks how to be rich. The liberal arts major asks for unlimited wishes.
Whatever you learn, even dirty words in the dictionary, you’re rubbing the lantern.
Night-Gaunt49[Bozo is Boffo] over 4 years ago
The idea of “dirty words” is ridiculous. Words describe or help to describe people, places, feelings etc. You can thank the Normal conquest of 1066 for making that via domination and deciding which words were not to be spoken, English, in favor or Norman French.
Ron Bauerle over 4 years ago
Words like fuchsia and shi+take?
asrialfeeple over 4 years ago
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSEXgQ58AoM