A Way With Words

Sometimes we say what we don’t mean. It can be in the form of a simile like, cute as a button, or an idiom – chip off the ol’ block – or just a simple spelling error like one of my students made when she wrote about the Prince of Whales. Did she really mean Moby Dick?

Sometimes we don’t mean what we say. Hyperbole is a great example, as in “My feet are killing me.” Are they really? How about that ton of homework your child lugged home today? Did he have any difficulty dragging it across the threshold?

However, we often try very hard to say exactly what we mean, and when we bump up against a language barrier, it can be not only frustrating, but also embarrassing. Just last week an English language-learner wrote on her History test the only thing she could think of for the upper, ruling class of ancient Greece: Aristotle craps.

She was reaching for “Aristocrats” of course, and since I could see the connection, I gave her credit for her rather colorful attempt.

This week in an extra-credit report on Alexander the Great, another student told me the young conqueror died from astronomical diary.

I wonder: did he choke on his own words?

Last winter, just before Christmas break, I wrote a note to a substitute instructing Jesus to sit with Miss Angel at the back table. It sounded OK in my head, because I internally heard the Hispanic pronunciation of “hay-soos.” But seeing it on paper the next day made me wonder if the sub was a little nervous about who would be attending class.

Though it’s often frustrating to communicate exactly what we mean, there are a few phrases that somehow never fail to carry their message:

I understand.
It’s OK.
We’ll get through this together.
I love you.
I’m sorry.
You were right.
You’re amazing.

Pick one to share with your child each day this week. I’m sure that opportunities will present themselves.