Are You a Word Nerd? Did you know... Only a human (not an animal or thing) is "able" to do something The five on dice is called cinque "K" for strike-out in baseball comes from the last letter of "struck" To skice is to frisk about like squirrels in spring For word lovers everywhere, Word Nerd is a rich—and fun—compendium of more than 17,000 fascinating facts about words. Bestselling author Barbara Anne Kipfer has spent years compiling little known tidbits about common—and not so common—words in the English language. Filled with interesting information about words, sure to amaze and spark conversation, this incredible collection is perfect for the word nerd in each of us.

Word mastery comes from intimate knowledge of language. In Word Nerds : Teaching All Students to Learn and Love Vocabulary, authors Leslie Montgomery and Margot Holmes Smith take you inside classrooms where they implement creative, flexible vocabulary instruction that improves their students' word knowledge and confidence. With support from literacy specialist Brenda Overturf, the authors developed a five-part plan to teach all students to learn vocabulary: Introducing new words in contextAdding related synonyms and antonymsEngaging in several days of active learningCelebrating new wordsAssessing vocabulary developmentThis easy-to-read reference explains how to plan, teach, and assess based on the latest research in vocabulary instruction and learning. After incorporating the authors' plan, you can be a Word Nerd too!

Why are spectacularly successful movies called blockbusters? Why does "putting your best foot forward" mean you hope to make a good impression? Why is rowdy and prankish behavior called horseplay and what does it have to do with the rarity of horses? Word Nerds Unite! shares 200 fascinating word meanings for fans of Wordle, Scrabble, and other word games. You've probably used words or phrases like these without giving them a second thought. But you'll be surprised and interested to discover the fascinating and sometimes curious origins to these fun sayings! In Word Nerds Unite! you'll find: 200 quirky, interesting words, phrases, and colloquial terms Backstory for these colorful sayings still used today How some of our favorite expressions have evolved through the years You'll discover such fascinating word and phrase origins for: handwriting on the wall play for keeps raining cats and dogs break the ice bull's eye and many more! Word Nerds Unite! is perfect for word lovers, Wordle enthusiasts, homeschoolers, and anyone curious about the illuminating history of 200 words that pepper our everyday dialogue and how they gained contemporary use. Organized by subject, each chapter begins with a quote, an introductory paragraph, and a list of what you'll discover! This fun read is great for sharing with and gift-giving to the Word Nerd in your life--even you!

In this zany, one-of-a-kind memoir, former executive director of the National SCRABBLE Association John D. Williams Jr. brings to life the obsessions, madness, and glory of the SCRABBLE® culture—from living-room players to world champions. Beginning his career on a lark as a freelance contributor to SCRABBLE News, John D. Williams fell down a rabbit hole inhabited by gamers, geeks, and the grammar police. For twenty-five years, as the executive director of the National SCRABBLE Association, Williams served as the official spokesperson for the game, and as the middleman between legions of fanatical word-game fans and the official brand. Now Word Nerd takes readers inside the byzantine, dog-eat-dog world of top tournament players, creating a piquant (seven-letter word, 68 points!) work that is part pop-cultural history, part anthropological study. Indeed, what Christopher Guest did for the world of dog shows in his film Best in Show, Williams does for the world of competitive word games in this funny and perfectly observed memoir. As readers will discover, Word Nerd explores anagrams, palindromes, the highest-scoring SCRABBLE plays of all time, the birth of the World SCRABBLE Championship, as well as many of the more colorful figures that inhabit this subculture. Die-hard word fans will find invaluable tips on how top players see their boards and racks to come up with the best play, how they prepare, and the psychology of tournament competition. Those uninitiated in the mysteries of SCRABBLE mania will find a delightful, madcap memoir about all the fun people have with language and how words shape our lives and culture in unexpected ways. Whether reminiscing about past national champions, detailing the controversy over efforts to purge the Official SCRABBLE Players Dictionary of all offensive words, opining on the number of vowelless words that are allowable (cmw for a Welsh deep-walled basin or nth for the ultimate degree), noting how long it takes a word to get into a dictionary, or explaining why there remain more male than female champions, Williams crafts a loving tribute to words and the games people play with them. Word Nerd will fascinate both amateurs and seasoned experts alike.

Bring the science of reading directly into the classroom! Developed for Grades 6-12, this resource offers teachers meaningful strategies to build students’ reading and writing skills. This book provides easy-to-use methods and lessons to help older learners practice word recognition, reading comprehension and content knowledge, and writing. With these research-based strategies, middle and high school teachers can make reading and writing simple, engaging, and effective! This book meets College and Career Readiness and other state standards.

Effortlessly acquire an SAT vocabulary through hilarious high school essays Every year, 9 million American students expend large amounts of time and energy preparing for proficiency and entrance exams like the SAT, ACT, PSAT, and SSAT with a heap of vocabulary flash cards and a fat volume of repetitive practice tests. Each one of them, along with their parents and teachers, wishes that there was a less painful way to prepare for test day. There is, and this book is the solution: a collection of ten well-written, entertaining essays by recent college-graduates-turned-writers that honestly and amusingly recount wild, traumatizing, and hilarious high-school events, using common SAT words as a study tool. (*gluteus: any of the large muscles of the buttocks; esp: gluteus maximus)

Enlighten Up Already! Monet? Manet? Who can even tell the difference? Well, with the help of the newest mental_floss tome, you can! Want to learn how to tell egg rolls from spring rolls, nuclear bombs from dirty nuclear bombs, or even how to tell an idiot from a moron (there's a real scientific difference)? Piece of cake! Whether you're trying to impress your boss, your mother-in-law, attractive singles, or a pack of fourth graders (you know how they love semantics), mental_floss gives you all the tips and tricks to have you sounding like a genius.

If it goes 'moo' then every child knows it's a cow. If it goes 'Wham! Bam! Crash!' we're in a fast-paced comic. But what goes 'krknout'? Barbara Lasserre takes us on a playful journey through the delightful world of words that mimic sounds. Normally relegated to children's books, cartoons and comedians, she shows how these often ancient words reveal unexpected things about the way we think, speak and act. A book for anyone who loves playing with words. 'When it comes to the crunch, Words That Go Ping is bound to reverberate. Zipping between Norwegian kisses and Japanese silence, my brain is still humming.' - David Astle, writer, crossword maker and general word nerd 'An immensely satisfying book covering a neglected aspect of language with impeccable skill, and written in an open, flowing and humorous style.' - Susan Butler AO, inaugural editor of the Macquarie Dictionary 'Barbara Lasserre has conjured up a magical world of word mimicry. Her wondrous little book will delight all who love language.' - Richard Walsh, author and publisher