Words second-graders don’t know

Today’s list of the day is “words second-graders don’t know,” by user jennarenn, who gives these instructions:

“1. Tell your second-graders to get ready for their weekly spelling test.

“2. Tell them that the first word is serendipitous.

“3. Watch twenty-five pairs of eyes pop.”

We bet many college sophomores don’t know them, either.

2 thoughts on “Words second-graders don’t know

  1. Wonder if I can add two words to your list, sir:

    snailpapers, for print newspapers that arrive in the morning at our doorsteps with news that is 12 hours old already, but the term is a term of endearment I want to emphasize, not a perjorative word. singular is of course : snailpaper, the snailpaper.

    2.
    “screening” for reading on a screening, since screen-reading is vastly different both emotionally and intellectually from reading on texts on a paper surface. again, not a perjorative word, just a new word for a new human mode of reading, See Anne Mangen on this, as well as Maryanne Wolf’s work.

    3. Bonus word: “polar cities” – a new word for climate refuges that will house climate refugees in the far distant future, GOOGLE it.

  2. screening = reading on a screen, computer screen, iPhone screen, etc….Kindle, nook, yes

    YES, screening already has many multiple earlier previous meaning but so what, many words have multiple meanings, and now screening has a new meaning, google it to see the new way it is being used by a few people, mostly me, but lots of word experts are behind me all the way, but afraid to come out say it publicly. Ask Kevin Kelly of Wired or Paul Saffo, they know.

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