find that word

As a kid, I remember getting out the dictionary and looking up all sorts of miscellaneous words just for the fun of it.  So, as mother and teacher I couldn't understand why the kids disliked dictionary work so much.  By dictionary work I mean that I would give them a word and they'd have to look it up in the dictionary.  At first it was challenging for them and I received a lot of attitude and tears when I told them it was time to play 'find that word'.  But, after they began to fully grasp alphabetical order and the progression it takes to find a particular word, I thought the lessons would become a lot more fun.  I was wrong.  So, I dropped it.

Imagine my surprise and delight when the kids asked where the dictionary was this morning.  They wanted to look up the word idiot (ok, admittedly not the most delightful word) because a friend told them what the definition was and they wanted to verify the facts.  What ensued was a half hour game of find that word.  They wanted to see what the first and last words were in the dictionary.  I heard the names Amelia Earhart and Edward R. Murrow.  They looked up planet, mobster, riot gun, dunce and butt.

I'm grinning at the last word because they couldn't find what they anticipated the definition to be until I came to help.  There are a lot of definitions for the word butt, some of which I learned for the first time today too.  However, the one that the boys were looking for elicited giggles from all of us.  In the interest of full disclosure we were directed to the word buttocks.  The definition from the Webster's New World College Dictionary is: either of the two fleshy, rounded parts at the back of the hips; either half of the rump.  That gave the kids a new meaning for rump roast.  I'm sure that meal is one for the history books now.