TagThe Lord of the Rings

The Language of Tolkien

A sixth-grade teacher from San Antonio, Texas, says he and his students are reading The Lord of the Rings. They’re curious about the words attercop, which means “spider” (and a relative of the word cobweb) and Tomnoddy, which means “fool.”  Grant...

X, Y, and Zed

Some teachers are using a controversial tactic to get young students reading: They let their pupils choose which books to read for class. Does it work? Also, should that line at the grocery store checkout read 15 items or less or fewer? And is the...

Students Choosing Books

Some teachers are using a controversial tactic to get young students reading: They let their pupils choose which books to read for class. Does it work? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Students Choosing Books” You’re listening to A...

Hey, That’s Mine! (minicast)

When you were a child and wanted to lay claim to something, what did you say? Did you call “dibs”? Or “hosey” it? A caller is curious about another verb used in such situations: “finnie.” Grant explains this word’s meaning and origin. Transcript of...