Connections,

Vocabulary,
a Poem,
and
Answer Keys
by Margaret Whisnant

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Copyright © 2010 Margaret Whisnant
 May Connections
Memorial Day, The Kentucky Derby, Mother’s Day, May Day,
The Indianapolis 500, Cinco de Mayo, Spring

Identify ONE WORD that can be connected to all three items in the
lists below so that each one forms a familiar word or phrase. The
mystery words, all connected to one of the May events listed above,
can be placed before or after the clues. Write your answers in the
blanks to the left.

_____________________1. May Mother’s Memorial

_____________________2. New City Gulf of

_____________________3. of May Avenue amendment

_____________________4. classical folk box

_____________________5. feud tradition extended

_____________________6. soccer and pop single

_____________________7. sick work base

_____________________8. puppy true letter

_____________________9. birthday Christmas phone

____________________10. certificate wrapped horse

____________________11. flower fly pole

____________________12. floor River tap

____________________13. class cousin lady

____________________14. bee Elizabeth drama

____________________15. Colts Indiana 500

____________________16. race stock street

____________________17. steam fire internal-combustion

____________________18. way limit bump

____________________19. shake weed evaporated

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Copyright © 2010 Margaret Whisnant
May Connections—continued

____________________20. Guthrie Jackson Reno

____________________21. Kentucky demolition roller

____________________22. rocking race sea

____________________23. Churchill break touch

____________________24. bud bush Bowl

____________________25. toy foot unknown

____________________26. roll maid of Your

____________________27. mail room self

____________________28. pole ship stone

____________________29. march rank academy

____________________30. Texas Virginia National Cemetery

____________________31. American eye bald

____________________32. Sam Remus say

____________________33. Korean Vietnam Civil

____________________34. fever cleaning main

____________________35. mat wagon You’re

____________________36. vegetable herb flower

____________________37. go-lucky slap camper

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Copyright © 2010 Margaret Whisnant
 Be That As It May. . .
The blanks to the left are to be filled with words containing
either the letters m-a-y or the sound mā. Use the definitions and
clues to identify the words. The two beginning or ending letters
are given as extra information. Spelling counts. Use a dictionary!

__________________ly 1. An insect having delicate

membranous wings with the
front pair much larger than the
rear and existing in an aquatic larval
stage and a terrestrial adult stage usually lasting less than two days.
em___________________ 2.Being abnormally lean or thin as a result of starvation.

___________________le 3. Any of numerous trees or shrubs grown for shade, ornamentals,

timber, or sap.
___________________se 4. A thick dressing of egg yolks, vinegar or lemon juice, oil, and
seasonings, used for salads, sandwiches, vegetable dishes, etc.
pr___________________ 5. A mammal of the order that includes humans, great apes, gibbons,
monkeys, and lemurs, characterized by fine development of the hands
and feet, a shortened snout, and a large brain.
__________________ag 6. The company that claims to employ lonely repairmen.

__________________or 7. The chief executive official, usually elected, of a city, town, or village.

ex__________________ 8. An act of crying out or speaking suddenly and vehemently, as in

surprise, strong emotion, or protest.
__________________ay 9. The international distress signal, used by ships and aircraft.
Ja__________________ 10. An island in the West Indies, south of Cuba.

to__________________ 11. Any of several plants of the nightshade family, native to Mexico and
Central and South America, bearing a mildly acid, pulpy, usually red
fruit eaten raw or cooked as a vegetable.
__________________ix 12. Something that constitutes the place or point from which something
else originates, takes form, or develops.
__________________id 13. A female servant.

_________________y’s 14. A chain of American department stores with its flagship store in Herald
Square in New York City.
Da_________________ 15. A breed of dog noted for its white coat and either black or liver spots.

in__________________ 16. Knowledge communicated or received concerning a particular fact or

circumstance; news; factual data.
__________________er 17. American media company Metro-Goldyn-_________, involved
primarily in the production and distribution of movies and television
programs.
__________________ze 18. An intricate, usually confusing network of interconnecting pathways,
as in a garden; something made up of many confusing or conflicting
elements.

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Copyright © 2010 Margaret Whisnant
_________________ze 19. Another name for corn; a light yellow to moderate orange yellow.

an_________________ 20. The act, process, or result of imparting life, interest, spirit, motion, or
activity; drawings, usually cartoons, done in such a way so that
objects or characters appear to be alive.
_________________on 21. A married woman or a widow, especially one of dignity, mature age,
and established social position; a woman who acts as a supervisor or
monitor in a public institution such as a prison.
di_________________ 22. To dishearten or break down the courage of, as by sudden danger
or trouble; to surprise in such a manner as to disillusion.
________________ d’ 23. The person in charge of assigning customers to tables in a suitably
staffed restaurant and dividing the dining facilities into areas of
responsibility for the servers on duty. In some localities, the post is
known as headwaiter or captain. (two word answer)
________________em 24. Random or deliberate violence or damage; a state of rowdy disorder;
Law: The offense of willfully maiming or crippling a person.
_________________le 25. A tall pole decorated with flowers and ribbons, around which people
dance or engage in sports during May Day celebrations.
pl_________________ 26. A companion, especially a child, in play or recreation.

es_________________ 27. To calculate approximately, as in amount, extent, magnitude, value, or

size of something; to form an opinion about; evaluate.
________________on 28. A person whose trade is building with various natural or artificial
mineral products, such as stones, bricks, cinder blocks, or tiles,
usually with the use of mortar or cement as a bonding agent.
_________________ne 29. A top-selling brand of make-up, sold world-wide and owned by
L’Oréal.
Ka______________ha 30. On June 11, Hawaiians celebrate a public holiday in honor of this
monarch, who established the unified kingdom of Hawaii in 1810.
_________________ed 31. To be overwhelmed with surprise or sudden wonder; astonished
greatly; flabbergasted.
in_________________ 32. A localized protective reaction of tissue to irritation, injury, or infection,
characterized by pain, redness, swelling, and sometimes loss of
function.
_________________or 33. A commissioned military officer ranking next below a lieutenant
colonel and next above a captain; great, as in rank or importance.
_________________er 34. The ship in which the Pilgrims sailed from England to the New World
in 1620.
____________ Clinic 35. An internationally renowned medical practice based in Rochester,
Minnesota. It also runs additional hospitals and physician practices in
Jacksonville, Florida, and Scottsdale, Arizona, with other smaller
facilities in Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin
_________________on 36. A city in central Georgia southeast of Atlanta.

la__________________ 37. An ornamental fabric in which metallic threads, as of gold or silver, are
woven into silk, wool, rayon, or cotton.
_________________er 38. Oscar ________ has a way with b-o-l-o-g-n-a.

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Copyright © 2010 Margaret Whisnant
 A May Poem
Use the following ideas to write a rhyming, three-verse poem about the month of May.
• Make a list of words that rhyme with May. Here is a substantial collection to get you started.
play stay display say day filet Bombay array OK
stray sleigh way spray away bouquet cliché delay buffet
essay tray convey pay café obey today toupee clay
• Write four lines about May weather. Enter some ideas in the space below.

•
• Create four lines about special days in May. Don’t forget your school schedule! Make notes below.

• Compose four lines that express your feelings about the month of May. Gather your thoughts here.

• Give your poem a title: _____________________________________________________

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Copyright © 2010 Margaret Whisnant
 Keys
Note: Connections answers are capitalized when
all three words/phrases are capitalized or
when the connecting word is always capitalized.

Connections Be That As It May. . .

1. Day 1. Mayfly
2. Mexico 2. emaciated
3. fifth 3. maple
4. music 4. mayonnaise
5. family 5. primate
6. mom 6. Maytag
7. home 7. mayor
8. love 8. exclamation
9. card 9. Mayday
10. gift 10. Jamaica
11. may 11. tomato
12. dance 12. matrix
13. first 13. maid
14. queen 14. Macy’s
15. Indianapolis 15. Dalmatian
16. car 16. information
17. engine 17. Mayer
18. speed 18. maze
19. milk 19. maize
20. Janet 20. animation
21. derby 21. matron
22. horse 22. dismay
23. downs 23. maître d’
24. rose 24. mayhem
25. soldier 25. Maypole
26. honor 26. playmate
27. service 27. estimate
28. flag 28. mason
29. military 29. Maybelline
30. Arlington 30. Kamehameha
31. eagle 31. amazed
32. uncle 32. inflammation
33. War 33. major
34. spring 34. Mayflower
35. welcome 35. Mayo
36. garden 36. Macon
37. happy 37. lamé
38. Mayer

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Copyright © 2010 Margaret Whisnant