Vocabulary - Wacky Wonderful Stories

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2 5 Wa ck y & Wo n d e r fu l
Stories T hat
Boost Vocabulary
25 Wacky & Wonderful Stories That Boost Vocabulary © Dan Greenberg, Scholastic Teaching Resources
by Dan Greenberg
S C H O L A S T I C
PROFESSIONALBOOKS
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l l
Dedication
To my parents, Ruven and Julie,
who appreciate my efforts more than anyone.
Scholastic Inc. grants teachers permission to photocopy the reproducible pages from this book for classroom use. No
other part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in
any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission
of the publisher. For information regarding permission, write to Scholastic Inc., 555 Broadway, New York, NY 10012.
Cover design by Kelli Thompson

Interior design by Kelli Thompson
Cover and interior illustrations by Mike Moran
ISBN: 0-439-15586-X
Copyright © 2001 by Dan Greenberg
All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.
TAB L E OF CONTE N TS
_______________________
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Planning Skills Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Part 1: Just Prefixes

Rowena and Squirmy in “Bicycle Power” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Bill Klepper, Fat-Cat Wheeler-Dealer Billionaire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Bill Klepper, Fat-Head Wheeler-Dealer Billionaire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Part 2: Just Suffixes

Sufferin’ Suffixes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Part 3: Affixes (Both Prefixes and Suffixes)

The Word Machine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Professor Sylvia’s Word Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Ancient Latin Quizmo!!! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
The Cutting Edge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Nanette’s Word Salon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Police Squad: MAU (Missing Affix Unit) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
TAB L E OF CONTE N TS
_______________________
Part 4: Build Your Vocabulary
Police Squad: SVU (Special Vocabulary Unit) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Emily Taproot’s Poetry Workshop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Eddie Snively: World’s Biggest Liar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Bingo Hackles, Sports Reporter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

The Four Vocabularians: Dr. Dialect’s Dictionary of Deception . . . . . . . . . . 42
Laverne Weaselford, U.S. Senator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Marla Murgatroid, Romance Novelist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Emily Taproot, Vocabulary Poet: The Language of Love . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
The Four Vocabularians: The National Word Day Speech . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
The Wordies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Buck Bickley’s Big Braggin’ Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Buck Bickley’s Dog’s Braggin’ Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Julie Kablooie’s Hollywood Gossip Column . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Do You Have What It Takes to Become a Freelance Know-It-All Reviewer? . . . 57
Journey to a World Without Words . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Answers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
_________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
Introduction
hile most students have an innate fondness for learning and appreciating new
W words, this affinity often suffers when they are confronted with long, dry
lists of isolated vocabulary words. 25 Wacky & Wonderful Stories That Boost
Vocabulary aims to remedy this unfortunate situation by putting vocabulary words into
stories that are fun, friendly, and hilariously humorous.
In this book, your students will meet such characters as Bill Klepper, the prefix-buying
billionaire, Aunt Aggie, who owns Aunt Aggie’s Word Farm,The Four Vocabularians,
Vocabulary Super-Heroes, and Buck Bickley, a world-class braggart and inventor of the
famous Word Machine.They will also learn to associate learning new words as an
opportunity for fun rather than an exercise in drudgery.
Special attention in the book is placed on the construction of words from simpler
components. Prefixes and suffixes are attached to root words not only to show students
how words are derived, but also to give students a strategy of how to break down unfamiliar
words that they come across: look at the prefixes and suffixes, find the root, compare
it to other roots, and so on. A handy Planning Chart is provided on page 6 to help
organize word skills. Answers to the exercises are also given on pages 61–64.
Using The Book

The book is organized into four sections: Prefixes, Suffixes,Affixes (both prefixes and
suffixes), and a Build Your Vocabulary section.Teachers who are especially interested in
exposing students to word break-down strategies should complete the first three sections
of the book first.Teachers who are less concerned with strategy may pick and choose
lessons from any part of the book.
Guarantee
If you and your students don’t get a chuckle out of these
stories, the author, at no additional cost, will dip into his own
personal collection of laughs, giggles, and chortles and
supply you with a genuine chuckle that you are free to keep.
Now there’s an offer you can’t refuse!
Aunt
Aggie’s
Word
Farm
_________________________
Planning Chart
Use this chart to select reproducible pages that will fit the individual
needs of each student in your class.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Topic Pages Topic Pages
________________________________________________________
Number prefixes: 8, 9 Where prefixes: 8, 9, 12, 13, 20, 21,
mono-, uni-, bi-, di-, a-, ac- ad-, ab-, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26,
du-, tri-, quad-, be-, circum-, con-, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32
tetra-, quint-, hex-, contro-, de-, dia-, di-,
sept-, oct-, non-, en-, em-, epi-, ex-,
dec-, deci-, cent-, extra-, extro-, hyper-,
centi-, kilo-, milli-, im-, in-, inter-, intro-,
mega-, poly-, multi- ob-, over-, para-, per-,
pro-, sub-, super-,
tele-, trans-
________________________________________________________
Not prefixes: 10, 11, 20, 21, Together prefixes: 10, 11, 27, 28, 29, 30
a-, dis-, ig-, il-, un-, 22, 27, 28 co-, con-, cor-,
im-, in-, ir-, mis- syn-, sym-
________________________________________________________
When prefixes: 1 2, 13, 20, 21, 22, Miscellaneous prefixes: 31, 32

pre-, post-, re- 27, 28, 29, 30 geo-
________________________________________________________
Adjective suffixes: 16, 17, 20, 21, 22, 25, Noun suffixes: 16, 17, 20, 21, 22, 23,
24, 25, 26, 27, 28,
-al, -ant, -ate, -ful, - 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 -able, -ability,
29, 30, 31, 32
ial, -less, -ous, -ian, - -age, -ation, -ator,
ible, -ic, -ile, -ive , -y -er, -ier, -ition,
-ion, -logue,
-ment, -ology, -or,
-ory, -ty, -ize, -ure
________________________________________________________
Root words: 51, 52 Context clues 34, 35, 36, 37, 38,
39, 42, 43, 44, 45,
neo, nov, ann, enn
46, 52, 53, 54, 57,
58, 59, 60
________________________________________________________
40, 41, 45, 46, 47, 48,
Antonyms 45, 46 Synonyms
49, 50, 55, 56, 59, 60
______________
l
PART 1
Just l
Prefixes
__–____________
_______________
______________
_________________________
Rowena & Squirmy
__________________________________
__________________________________
Name ____________________________________ Date ______________
Rowena and Squirmy in "Bicycle Power"

Knock, knock. Weirdo who?
Who’s there? Weirdo.

Weirdo you think Beats me. Number Prefixes: Some prefixes stand for numbers
you’re going on that
shiny new bicycle? • A bicycle has two wheels.
• A tricycle has three wheels.
How often would biweekly be?
How many outs do you make in a triple play?

The prefix bi- is a number word that tells you
how many wheels a bicycle has.What do you think How many centuries are in a bicentennial?
bi- means?
Here are some other prefixes that define numbers, amounts, or ideas.
Prefixes: Numbers, Amounts, and Ideas
__________________________________________________________________________
Prefix
______ Meaning of Prefix
________________ Prefix
______ Meaning of Prefix
________________
mono-, uni- one non- nine
bi-, di-, du- two dec-, deci- ten, tenth
tri- three cent-, centi- hundred, hundredth
quad-, tetra- four kilo-, milli- thousand, thousandth
quint- five mega- million, large
hex- six poly-, multi- many
sept- seven hyper-, over-, extra-, super- above, beyond, more, greater
oct- eight
Circle the definition for each boldfaced word.

1. Rowena rode a unicycle to town to see the Woovis Comedy Show.
a. bike without wheels b. one-wheeled bike c. a single circle
2. As a biannual event, the Comedy Show was returning to the Bow-Wow Theater
for the first time in two years.
a. once every two years b. once a year c. twice a year
_________________________
8
_________________________
Rowena & Squirmy
__________________________________
__________________________________
Name ____________________________________ Date _______________
3. Squirmy set up his camera on a tripod to take pictures of the show.
a. three-legged camera stand b. four-lens camera c. three-legged camera
4. Woovis has been perfecting his comedy routine for an entire decade.
a. ten dollars b. five-year period c. ten-year period
5. Woovis performed his comedy monologue alone on stage.
a. one-person speech b. two-person show c. group speech
Complete each sentence.

6. If a decagon is a ten-sided figure, a hexagon is a ___________________________.

7. If a biped is a two-legged organism, a quadruped is a __________________________.
8. A kilobyte has ____________________ units of computer memory called “bytes.”
9. A megabyte has a ____________________ units of computer memory called “bytes.”
10. A polytechnic school offers studies in ____________________ technical fields.
Who’s there?
Noah who?
Knock, knock.
Noah.
Noah good name for the 6-

wheeled bicycle I’m riding?
Not really.
Going Beyond
Can you think of a good name for a six-wheeled cycle? Make up a word. Then use the prefixes on this page to make
up the words below. Note that the words you make up may or may not actually exist.
1. a bicycle that has five wheels __________________ 2. a thousand-pound hamster ________________
3. a three-point basket in a basketball game _____________ 4. a car that costs one-million dollars ___________
_________________________
9
_________________________
Bill Klepper, Fat-Cat
__________________________________
__________________________________
Name ____________________________________ Date ________________
my name is sasha dash. so you

think your boss is atypical? you seem to
misinterpret everything he or she says? then
try working for . . .

Wheeler-Dealer Billionaire
At 9:00 sharp I walked into the office.“Good morning,” I said.
Bill Klepper didn’t answer. I tried again.“Good morning!”
“Dash,” he said,“I’ve decided to do away with good morning “Not” Prefixes
in this office. It wastes time and money. Do you realize that in ______________
the space of a single ‘good morning’ I could’ve earned over a- im-
32 thousand dollars?!” dis- in-
“Amazing,” I said. ig- ir-
“You’re absolutely right it’s amazing,” he said.“Now let’s get to il- mis-
work. I want you to buy PREFIXES today.” un-
“Prefixes?” I asked.“Aren’t those the little things that come at
Root Words
____________
the front of words?”
“That’s right,” he said.“And we’re going to buy them up until noble
there’s a huge imbalance in the market.That way, every time balance
someone uses a prefix—they’ll need to pay ME a royalty.” popular
I couldn’t disagree with the basic idea. It might be ignoble, typical
but it was clever. Devilishly clever. exact
I made a list of NOT prefixes (prefixes that mean “no” or “not”). agree
In theory, you should be able to combine prefixes and root
interpret
words to make new words. But would it work?
literate
To find out, complete the exercises. And keep in mind that
Bill Klepper owns these prefixes. Every time you use one, he gets responsible
a big fat KICKBACK.
________________________
10 __
__________________________________ _________________________
__________________________________
Name ____________________________________ Date _______________
Use the root words from page 10 and the definitions in parentheses to make each word.
1. a- + root = __________________________ (not average)
2. dis- + root = _________________________ (not share the same opinion)
3. ig- + root = __________________________ (not respectable)
4. il- + root = __________________________ (not able to read)
5. im- + root = _________________________ (not the same on both sides)
6. in- + root = __________________________ (not precise)
7. ir- + root = __________________________ (not dependable)

8. mis- + root = _________________________ (fail to understand)
“Together”
9. un- + root = _________________________ (not well liked)
Prefixes
____________
co- cor-
We started simple, with just a few prefixes.
con- sym-
Then we kept buying more and more of them.You can use syn-
these prefixes with the root words shown to make new words.
But keep in mind: if a word has a prefix, then Bill Klepper will
someday own it!
More
Root Words
____________
metric
Use the root words on this page and the definitions in
parentheses to write each word. exist
10 co- + root = _________________________ (be alive together) thesis
11. con- + root = _________________________ (go down together descend
respond
to a lower level)
12. cor- + root = _________________________ (answer one another
by writing)
13. sym- + root = _________________________ (balanced on both sides by measurement)
14. syn- + root = _________________________ (the combining of different things or ideas)
According to my calculations, we’ll make millions on this, perhaps even billions. In fact,
don’t be surprised if in a few years BILL KLEPPER HAS ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD!
It could happen. Stay tuned.
Going Beyond
Using the new vocabulary words from this activity, write a letter to Mr. Klepper telling what you think of his scheme.
_________________________
11
_________________________
Bill Klepper, Fat Head
__________________________________
__________________________________
Name ____________________________________ Date _______________
i’m sasha dash. do financial transactions

turn you on? if so, you’ve come to the
right place. because, you see, i don’t
work for just anybody. i work for . . .
Head
>
Wheeler-Dealer Billionaire
One Tuesday morning Mr. Klepper called me into his office.

“Dash, take a look at my head,” he said.“Does it look abnormal? It feels like I’m wearing a
beach ball on top of my neck!”
Bill Klepper’s been doing so much wheeling and dealing lately that his head’s starting to swell.
“Looks okay to me,” I lied.
“Good," he said.“Let’s get to work. I want you to buy more prefixes today.”
“More prefixes?” I asked.“We just bought dozens of prefixes yesterday.Why are you so
preoccupied with prefixes?”
“I just like to adjoin one word to another,” he explained.“Today I want you to get me all of
the WHERE and WHEN prefixes.”
“No problem,” I sighed.
In my subconscious I know that this will be no simple task. Look at how many WHERE and
WHEN prefixes there are—too many! Notice that some of the same prefixes appear both
here and on pages 10 and 11. But the prefixes have DIFFERENT meanings! This could imperil
our ability to tell one word from another.
But Klepper says “no problem.” As long as we use the prefix chart below, we should be
able to make all the words we need.
____________________________
____________________________
Where Prefixes
_____________ Meaning of Prefix
________________ Where Prefixes
________________
a-, ac-, ad- on, toward, to im-, en-, em- into, cause to be
ab- off, away para-, trans- along, beside, beyond
be- over, around sub- under
circum- around dia-, di- through, across
ex- out inter- between
When Prefixes
________________ When Prefixes
________________
pre- before re- again, back
post- after
_________________________
12
_________________________
Bill Klepper, Fat Head
__________________________________
__________________________________
Name ____________________________________ Date _______________
Circle the meaning of the boldfaced word. Use the prefix meanings in the chart to help you.
1. Trouble is afoot whenever Bill Klepper gets one of his BIG ideas. (a- + foot)
a. off your foot b. oncoming c. on your foot
2. Klepper’s latest BIG idea is to adjoin prefixes to other words. (ad- + join)
a. attach to b. become a member c. not attach
3. Klepper’s enemies think his ideas are abnormal. (ab- + normal)
a. very average b. away from typical c. ordinary
4. Klepper would just as soon exterminate his enemies. (ex- + terminate)

a. tease b. help c. get rid of
5. As for myself—I have endeared myself to Klepper. (en- + dear)
a. made available b. caused to be a deer c. caused to be loved
6. We have become interdependent — Klepper needs me, and I need him. (inter- + dependent)
a. separate b. not dependent c. depend on each other
7. Klepper depends on me to make his financial transactions. (trans- + action)
a. big gains b. not active c. events between people
8. I do so many things for Klepper that it is almost impossible to circumscribe the duties
of my job. (circum- + scribe)
a. run in circles b. draw a line around c. expand
9. But every time that I ask Klepper for a raise, I feel that I am imperiling my job. (im- + peril)
a. putting in danger b. understanding c. making fun of
10. Klepper claims to have paranormal abilities when it comes to making money. (para- + normal)
a. beyond ordinary b. funny c. poor
11. Even Klepper’s subconscious mind is filled with schemes to make money. (sub- + conscious)
a. asleep b. underground c. just below thinking
12. On the phone, Klepper gave me a preview of his money philosophy. (pre + view)
a. a look before b. a look after c. a long look
13. “Money regenerates the spirit,” Klepper explained. (re- + generates)
a. replaces b. gives birth to again c. runs down
14. “Money also becalms me,” said Klepper (be- + calms)
a. surround by calm b. surround c. make nervous
Going Beyond
Now, Klepper has a new task. Find the prefixes in the chart that we didn’t use in the exercises above. Then look up
a word in the dictionary for each one. Are you up to it? Go ahead and give it a try.
_________________________
13
______________
l
PART 2
Just l
Suffixes
__–____________
_______________
______________
_________________________
Sufferin’ Suffixes
__________________________________
__________________________________
Name ____________________________________ Date _______________
Greetings from America’s Heartland! This is Aunt Aggie, reporting to
you from Aunt Aggie’s Down Home Word Farm ! My Word Farm is just
like any other farm. ‘Cept for one thing—instead of cows and chickens, I
raise WORDS .
That’s right, on Aunt Aggie’s Farm we raise 100 percent grain-fed
Government Inspected and Approved Words. Why, over on the south

forty, I’ve got a crop of adjectives and prepositions comin’ up right now.
Aunt Cute little sprouts, they are.
Aggie’s
Word Then, on the north forty we’ve got your homonyms and
Farm
synonyms. Hard to tell ‘em apart sometimes.
And down by the river we’ve got your passwords, watchwords, and
catchwords, bordered by some nifty rows of stuff and nonsense.
But stuff and nonsense ain’t what I’m here to tell ya about today.
Nope, I’m here to tell ya about my Sufferin’ Suffixes.
Turns out, no matter what you do with these things, no matter how carefully you plant ‘em, water ‘em,
and tend ‘em, they still end up comin’ AFTE R all the other words. Here’s a whole list of ‘em.
______________________________________
______________________________________
Suffix
______ Meaning of Suffix
________________ Suffix
______ Meaning of Suffix
________________
-able, -ability capable of -ful, -ous full of
___________________________________________________________________________
-age, -ty action, state of, -ian person who is, does
collection _____________________________________________
______________________________
-al of, relating to, -ic, -ory characterized by
resembling
___________________________________________________________________________
-ant something or -ize to make or become
someone that is this way
___________________________________________________________________________
-ate having the quality of -less without
___________________________________________________________________________
-ation, -ition, -ion result of action
the act of, result of -ment
or process
___________________________________________________________________________
-er, -ier, -or something or
someone that does
Each suffix always comes after other words (or parts of words). And there’s nothin’ you can do
about it.
_________________________
16
_________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
Name ____________________________________ Date _______________
Add a suffix from the box to each boldfaced root to make a word that matches the
definition. Use a dictionary to check each word.
1. Capable of being received or accepted ______________________
2. The act of adjusting or adapting to something ______________________

3. Without heeding, or without being mindful of ______________________
4. A doctor who works in a clinic ______________________
5. In court, someone who is accused, and must defend him or herself __________________
6. Full of wonder ______________________
7. Full of scorn, or disdain ______________________
8. Resembling false visions, or delusions ______________________
9. Result of having a right to something, or entitled ______________________
10. Connected by the state of being married ______________________
11. Characterized by poetry ______________________
12. To affirm the legality of, or validity ______________________
13. To use digital information to make ______________________
14. Something that holds back, or inhibits ______________________
Going Beyond
Some words, like he l ple s sn e ss or c hil di shn e ss , have two suffixes. Can you think of another word that has
two suffixes?
_________________________
17
______________
l
PART 3
Affixes
and Suffixes)
(Both Prefixes
l
__–____________
_______________
______________
_________________________
The Word Machine
__________________________________
__________________________________
Name ____________________________________ Date _______________
An Interview With Buck Bickley, Inventor of

The Word Machine
by Laverne "Sparky" LaVeque
Sparky: I’m Laverne “Sparky” LaVeque, reporter for The Daily Blab.Today I’m interviewing
Buck Bickley, the Inventor of the Word Machine.Tell us about yourself, Buck.
Buck: I’m Buck Bickley, the Smartest Guy on Earth. I’m also the inventor of the Word Machine.
Sparky: Wow, the Smartest Guy on Earth, that’s impressive.
Buck: Absolutely! Go ahead and ask me something.Anything.
Sparky: Okay.What’s the capital of Oklahoma?
Buck: That would be . . . Denver.
Sparky: No.
Buck: Kansas City? No, wait—I’ve got it. Sacramento. Sacramento is the capital of Oklahoma.
Sparky: Actually, it’s Oklahoma City.
Buck: Dad-blast it! I’m so mad I could...
Sparky: Let’s get back to the Word Machine. How does it work?
_________________________
20
_________________________
The Word Machine
__________________________________
__________________________________
Name ____________________________________ Date _______________
Buck: This I know about.You put prefixes in here. Suffixes here.And roots here.And
voila! Out comes a brand-spanking-new word, suitable for writing, speaking, or even
storing in the freezer like a frozen peanut-butter sandwich. For example, right now
we have the root SPECT loaded in the Word Machine. SPECT means “to look.”
Sparky: So what happens?
Buck: A prefix like re-, ex-, or in- is put on the front.Then, a suffix like -able or –ful is
added in the back.Then, step back, out comes the word! Respectful. It means to be
full of respect or appreciation for something or someone.
Sparky: Wow, that looks like fun! May I try it?

Buck: Sure.
The Word Machine

Use the prefixes or suffixes given below to form the defined words.
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
Definition
_________ Prefix
______ Root
____ Suffix
______
____________________________________________________________________________
1. To look inward closely SPECT
____________________________________________________________________________
2. To look outward for the possibility that
something will happen (S)PECT
____________________________________________________________________________
3. Someone who looks at an event SPECT
____________________________________________________________________________
4. Being careful by looking all around SPECT
____________________________________________________________________________
5. Something that one looks forward to
____________________________________________________________________________
SPECT
6. A thorough view, most likely
____________________________________________________________________________
SPECT
7. People give this when they “look again” at SPECT
someone and show their appreciation
____________________________________________________________________________
8. Someone who does not “look again” or RESPECT
show appreciation is full of this
_________________________________________________________
Prefixes
_________
circum- = around dis- = not ex- = out in- = in
pro- = forward re- = again per- = thorough, through
____________________________________________________________________________
Suffixes
_________
-ful = full of -ive = likely to be -ator, -or = one who does
_________________________
21
_________________________
The Word Machine
__________________________________
__________________________________
Name ____________________________________ Date _______________
Sparky: Wow, this is super fun! Can we use the Word Machine to make more words?
Buck: Sure, you can make oodles of different words.
Add both prefixes and suffixes from page 21 to the root spect to make words for these
definitions.
9. The act of looking closely at something _______________________
10. Someone who looks closely and carefully at something ______________________
Going Beyond
Use the Word Machine to make up your own word. Write a dictionary entry for your new word.
_________________________
22
_________________________
Professor Sylvia
__________________________________
__________________________________
Name ____________________________________ Date _______________
Professor Sylvia’s Word Values
d Collectors,
Dear Fellow Wor
ur life.
e, words are yo
If you’re like m l over your
scattered al
You’ve got them how
always wondering
house, and you’re Well,
uch the darn th ings are worth.

m bulous
Thanks to my fa
wonder no more! ftw are, I
ic computer so
new Word-O-Mat ANY
market value of
can now find the nd me
h language. So se
word in the Englis
your words!
Sincerely yours,
Palabra
Professor Sylvia
Use the prefixes, suffixes, and definitions in the box to complete each letter.
______________________
______________________
" “Port” Words (to carry) Prefixes Suffixes
_______
__________________ _______
deportment: manner in which one carries oneself de-: out of -able: capable of
importer: person who ships goods from other im-: into -age: action
countries trans-: across -er: one who does
portage: to carry over land -ment: process
portable: able to be carried easily
transport: to move from place to place
Letter #1
Dear Professor Sylvia, Dear Rum:

While rummaging through the back alley behind Nice find! The word you made is (1) ________.
my house, I stumbled across the root port. What It means ________________________.
a find! I added a prefix that means “across” to The value of your word? Well, it’s a fabulous word,
jazz it up a little. What word did I end up with? don’t get me wrong. But even in top condition it’s
What does it mean and how much is it worth? not worth much more than 34 cents.
Better luck next time,
Signed, Back Alley Rummager Professor Sylvia
_________________________
23
_________________________
Professor Sylvia
__________________________________
__________________________________
Name ____________________________________ Date _______________
Letter #2
Dear Professor Sylvia, Dear Curious: The word you received is

I was at a mall, buying French words, when (2) ____________. It means __________
the seller threw this word in as a freebie. It _________________________________.
uses the root port but I lost both the prefix In perfect condition, with the original prefix,
and the suffix. It describes someone who sends this word might be worth over 12 thousand
things from France to the U.S.A. What is this dollars! However, as is, the word is valued only
word and how much is it worth? at about 34 cents.
Signed, Curious and Greedy Too bad!

Professor Sylvia
Letter #3
Dear Sylvia, Dear Scoot: The word you received is

My Aunt Charlene gave me the root word port (3)_____________. It means __________
for my twelfth birthday. I wanted a scooter. ________________________________.
It’s got a prefix and a suffix and it describes This word fetched prices of over $50,000
how you carry yourself. How much can I get before it got popular. Then it started popping up
for it? I need to sell it for enough money to everywhere and its value dropped. Unfortunately,
buy a scooter. its current value is no more than 34 cents.
Looks like you’ll be walking,
Signed, Scooterless
Professor Sylvia
Letter #4
Dear Professor Sylvia, Dear Sue:

I found the root word port on my pillow in The word you received does have a meaning that
Room 306 of a Yesterday Inn in Sioux City, is similar to "carry around easily." It is the
Iowa. Someone told me that it’s valuable word (4) ___________________. It means
and it means something like you can carry ________________________________.
me around. Can you help me? In Japan, this word goes for the astronomical
price of 60 billion yen. However, since you got it
Signed, Sioux City Sue
in Iowa, its value drops down to a little less
than 34 cents.
Hey, what can you do, Sue?
Professor Sylvia
Going Beyond
Make a new word by adding a prefix pro- and a suffix -ion to port. Now add the prefix dis- to your new word to form a second
word. Finally, add the suffix –able to the second word to form a third word. Use a dictionary to define the three words and then
use them in sentences.
_________________________
24
_________________________
Ancient Latin Quizmo
__________________________________
__________________________________
Name ____________________________________ Date _______________
hey, gang, put on your togas and get ready, because it’s time to play . . .
Ancient Latin Quizmo!!!

Ject Script, Scribe
Murray: I’m your host, Murray Titus Andronicus, also known as
“Murray the T.”And now it’s time to meet our fabulous
(to throw) (to write)
contestants. First, say “hello” to Emily Taproot! This little
powerhouse of a classical poet has had three smash hit
$C $C poems and two hot-selling dirges over the last six cen-
($ 100) ($ 100) turies alone. [applause]

Emily: It’s great to be here, Murray. In fact, you could sort of say,
$CC $CC it’s classic.
($ 200) ($ 200)
Murray: And now let me introduce, from the good old USA, ace
reporter Laverne “Sparky” La Veque. [applause]
$CCC $CCC Sparky: Thank you, Murray.Thank you. It’s always great to be here.
($ 300) ($ 300)
Murray: And finally, he’s known as the World’s Smartest Guy, none
other than the inventor of the Word Machine himself, Mr.
$LD $LD
($ 400) ($ 400) Buck Bickley. [applause]
Buck: Go ahead and ask me something, Murray. Anything.
Go ahead.
$D $D
($ 500) ($ 500) Murray: Okay, Buck. From what ancient culture do we get the
Latin roots for the words in today’s game?
Buck: That would be Baltimore, Murray. Baltimore, Maryland.
Murray: No, we get our Latin roots from the ancient culture of Rome. Rome, Italy. Rome and
Baltimore are over 8,000 miles apart. Now, let’s play Quizmo! Buck, what category
would you like?
Buck: I’ll take JECT for 100 dollars, Murray.
Murray: This word means “to throw out.” It uses the root ject and a prefix that means “out.”
What is it?
Buck: Uh, is it the singer Michael Jection, Murray?
Murray: No, Buck.That would be wrong.
Emily: I’ll take a chance here. Is it eject, Murray? [DING DING DING!]
Murray: Correctimundo, Emily [applause]. Select again.
Emily: JECT for $200.
Sparky: Let’s give our home audience a chance to play the game.
Murray: That’s a great idea, Sparky. In fact, here are more of the clues from today’s game.
_________________________
25
_________________________
Ancient Latin Quizmo
__________________________________
__________________________________
Name ____________________________________ Date _______________
Use the prefixes and suffixes in the box to answer each question.
Prefixes and Suffixes
______________________________________________________________
Prefix
_______ Meaning
________ Suffix
_______ Meaning
________
de- out; take out of -ile of, relating to, capable of
ob- against, toward -able able to
in- in, into -ure condition of
sub- under -ive likely to be
con- with -ion state or quality of

circum- around
1. JECT FOR $200: Attach an “in” prefix and a suffix that means “the state of” to ject
and get something that the doctor sticks in your arm.What is it? ___________________
2. JECT FOR $300: Start with the root ject.Attach a prefix that means “against,” and a suffix
that means “likely to be.”The word means to be “fair, unbiased, and to see without a slant.”
What is it? _____________________________
3. JECT FOR $400: Attach a prefix that means “under” to ject and the same suffix as in word
number 2 to get a word that means “not affected by the outer world.”What is the word?
__________________________________
4. JECT FOR $500: Stick a “forward” prefix and a “relating to” suffix onto the root ject to get a
word that describes something that zooms through the air like a missile.Wow! What is it?
___________________________________
5. SCRIB FOR $100: Attach an “in” prefix to scribe to get a word that means “to write or carve
in an official way.”What is it? ______________________________
6. SCRIPT FOR $200: Attach a “with” prefix to script and get “someone who is forced to serve.”
Who is it? __________________________________
7. SCRIB FOR $300: Attach two prefixes—the first “in;” the second “out”—to scrib, then attach
a “capable of” suffix and get a word that is impossible to tell about.What is it?
______________________________________
8. FINAL QUIZMO: JECT FOR $1000: This word is just a “guess.” It has a “with” prefix and a “condition
of” suffix. Can you “guess” what it is and what it means? ___________________________
Going Beyond
Choose two words that you wrote above and use them to write two Quizmo questions on any subject. Exchange papers with
a partner and answer the questions.
_________________________
26
_________________________
The Cutting Edge
__________________________________
__________________________________
Name ____________________________________ Date _______________
X The Cutting Edge

__________________________________________________________________________
___________________
___________________
______________
Prefix or Suffix
______________ Meaning
________ Prefix or Suffix
____________ ___ Meaning
________
pre- before ex- away from
con- together inter- to each other
de- reduce -ion result of
dis- remove -or something that does
in- into -ive inclined to
The prefixes and suffixes above were added to the roots cis and sect to make the
Cutting Edge Words below.
Cutting Edge Words

_____________________________________________________________
____________________
" cis: to cut or kill

_______________ sect: to cut
_________
concise: clear and short in words dissect: to cut up a body for studying
decisive: draws strong conclusions intersect: to cross; when two things
incisive: clear, sharp, full of insight (roads) cross each other
precision: accuracy cross-section: a sample of a population
incision: a cut made by a doctor sector: part or division
Fill in each blank with the Cutting Edge words below.

My name is Laverne “Sparky” LaVeque.You probably know me by my pen name, Dr. Sparky.
No, I’m not that kind of doctor. I don’t make (1) [surgical cuts] ___________________ or do
medical operations.
Instead, you could call me a “doctor of words.” I write a column for the Daily Blab. Hey, I might
as well say it, I’m good. I’m also tough, thoughtful, and (2) [insightful] ____________________.
Each day, I (3) [cut apart] __________________ every (4) [region] ______________________of
the news with great care and (5) [exactness] ______________________________.
_________________________
27
_________________________
The Cutting Edge
__________________________________
__________________________________
Name ____________________________________ Date _______________
To make a long story more (6) [to the point] _________________________, until yesterday
everything was going great. Readers seemed to love me. So did my editor. Hey, even my cat
loved me, and he doesn’t even know how to read!
In fact, the only person around here who didn’t seem to be on my side was George Barrett
Gaspar III, the publisher of this paper. (We call him “Gasbags.”) Here’s the memo that Gasbags
wrote to my editor:
“I want to (7) [cut] _________________________ Dr. X from the paper. She doesn’t
reach a (8) [variety of people] ________________________of our audience.
She’s not (9) [conclusive] ___________________________. Her interests do not
(10) [cross each other] ___________________________ with those of the typical reader.
She’s just not enough on the ‘cutting edge.’
In order to save my job, please help me correct my Cutting Edge problems by answering the
following questions.
11. What are the prefixes for the words excise and incisive? What does each word have
to do with cutting? ________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
12. The word bisect means “to cut in two.”What does the word trisect mean?
________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
13. An incisor is a kind of tooth.What kind of tooth do you suppose an incisor is—
sharp? Dull? What animals have incisor teeth?
________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Thanks! Look for my column in tomorrow’s issue of the Daily Blab.
Signed — Dr.Sparky
Going Beyond
Choose any of the words on this page. Write a story that explains how the word came to have its meaning.
_________________________
28
_________________________
Nanette’s Word Salon
__________________________________
__________________________________
Name ____________________________________ Date _______________
Nanette: Hello, and welcome to Nanette’s

Word Salon. I’m Nanette, your
host. How can I help you today?

Customer: Do you carry words that use the vert or vers root?
Nanette: We certainly do. In fact, we’re running a special sale on vert and vers words today:
buy one, get one free. Incidentally, the roots vert and vers mean “to turn.”
Customer: Excellent. Let me explain what I need. I’m going to make some changes in my
life. So I was thinking of a vert word that means “to change.”
Nanette: Did you have any special prefix or suffix in mind?
Customer: A prefix, perhaps. Something simple. No suffixes.They make the word too long.
It gives me a headache sometimes.
Nanette: I think I’ve got the perfect word for you. It’s called convert. It means “to change”
and it has a simple prefix and no suffix.
Customer: Do you think it will fit me?
Nanette: Go ahead and try it out.There’s no extra charge.
Customer: The bank will convert Italian money into American dollars.Why, yes! Oh, I love
it. How much will that be?
Nanette: Aren’t you forgetting something—the two-for-one sale?
Customer: But I really don’t need any other words.
Nanette: Look, why don’t you just try one out? I know you don’t like suffixes, but—
Customer: What do you have in mind?
Nanette: Perhaps attaching a simple “-ible” to convert to give you the word convertible.
What do you think?
Customer: [gushing] Oh my goodness! That’s so clever. I can’t believe it was that easy. Can
you really do that?
Nanette: Why not? Go ahead and try it out.
Customer: A convertible car can change its roof. I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed a word
with a suffix so much. How can I ever thank you?
Nanette: You can help me assemble some of these other vert and vers words.
_________________________
29
_________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
Name ____________________________________ Date _______________

_______________________________________________________________________
Prefix or Suffix
______________ Meaning
________ Prefix or Suffix
____________ ___ Meaning
________
in- into extro- outward
re- again, back contro- capable of
con- with -ial relating to
sub- under -y against
intro- inward -ible condition of
-ion, -ation act of, result of
Write the word to answer each question. Use the prefixes and suffixes in the box to help you.
1. Like to be upside down? Attach an “into” prefix to verse and get an upside-down word.
What word do you get? ___________________________
2. Perhaps you’re tired of being upside down. Go back to what you were by attaching an
“again” prefix to verse.What word do you get? _________________________
3. Attach a “result of” suffix to the words you wrote for questions 1–2 and get two words
that mean “the result of” those words.What are they? (Note: take off the “e” at the end of
each word before adding the suffix.) _________________________________________
4. This is a nasty word that digs underneath something and causes damage. Get it by
attaching an “under” prefix to vert.What is it? _________________________
5. Knock off the “t” at the end of the word you wrote for question 4 and replace it with an
“s.”Attach a “result of” suffix to describe a treacherous act.What is it? _________________
6. Here’s a shy word.You need to coax it to come forward by attaching a prefix that means
“inward” to vert. What is the word? _____________________________
7. This word is the opposite of shy. It’s friendly and outgoing.You get it by attaching a prefix
that means “outward” to vert.What is it? _________________________
8. This word is liable to cause an argument.You get it by attaching an “against” prefix and a
“condition of” suffix to vers. Don’t argue. Just write what it is. _______________________
9. Replace the suffix at the end of the word you wrote for question 8 with a “relating to”
suffix. Now you have a word that describes issues that start arguments.What is the word?
_______________________________________
Going Beyond
Write a definition for each word you made on this page. Then look up the words in the dictionary. How do your
definitions compare?
_________________________
30
_________________________
Police Squad: MAU
__________________________________
__________________________________
Name ____________________________________ Date _______________
my name is ralph edge.

i’m a police officer. but
not just any cop. i’m a
member of . . .
Police Squad: MAU (Missing Affix Unit)

In the Missing Affix Unit we hunt down missing prefixes and suffixes. These are real cases. Here are
some actual calls we got just today. Match one of the affixes below to each caller.
n ot e : i f o n e of y ou r pr e f i x e s or s u f f i x e s i s m i s s i n g c a l l 55 5- m is s
Possible Missing Prefixes & Suffixes

_____________________________________________________________
geo- tele- trans- -ation -logue -ology
Help Ralph Edge find Steve Ranger’s missing prefix for the numbered blanks. Then use the
prefix to complete all of the numbered words.
call 1: 8:54 a.m., tuesday
caller’s name: steve ranger, big-shot tv producer
transcript of the call: This is Steve Ranger, big-shot TV producer.About an hour ago something
strange happened. I was in the middle of filming a TV show when suddenly we lost our pre-
fix.At first, all I noticed was that the (1) __________phones weren’t ringing.Then I turned
on the (2) ___________vision. Nothing was working. I was supposed to (3) ___________vise
a (4) _____________________play that I wrote. Everything was set up, including the
(5) _______________communications equipment and the (6) _____________photo cameras.
If I don’t find this prefix, the entire (7) _______________cast will be ruined! Can you help me?
_________________________
31
_________________________
Police Squad: MAU
__________________________________
__________________________________
Name ____________________________________ Date _______________
Help Ralph Edge find Suzie Chuckles’ missing suffix for the numbered blanks. Then use
the suffix to complete all of the numbered words.
call 2: 12:45 p.m., tuesday

caller’s name: suzie chuckles, comedian
transcript of the call: My name is Suzie Chuckles and I need your help. I’m a comedian,
but this isn’t funny. I was working on my (8) mono_________________when I lost my
suffix. Hey, I can’t just look in a (9) cata_______________ and order jokes. I have this
continuing (10) dia__________________ with my agent about suffixes. He says suffixes
don’t matter. I say suffixes do matter. Now look what’s happened! Without this suffix my
act is ruined. Can you help me?
Help Ralph Edge find Louie Blozzáy’s missing prefix for the numbered blanks. Then use
the prefix to complete all of the numbered words.
call 3: 4:06 p.m., tuesday

caller’s name: louie blozzáy, scientist
transcript of the call: This is Professor Louie Blozzáy, calling from somewhere out-
side Inner Mongomia. Or perhaps I’m inside Outer Mongomia. Let me explain. I am a
(11)___________physicist and I study the physical processes of Earth. I’ve been looking
for (12)___________logical clues about Earth’s past. I was hot on the trail of sparkling
(13)________________odes inside a steamy (14)__________________thermic volcano
when I made a few mistakes in (15)____________graphy and suddenly realized that I was
lost and I had lost a prefix. Can you help me (a) figure out where I am, and (b) find the
missing prefix? Thank you very much.
Going Beyond
Check out the definition of each of your words in a dictionary. Then, write a definition for each prefix and
suffix you used.
_________________________
32
______________ l
Your
PART 4
Build l
Vocabulary
__–____________
_______________
______________
_________________________
Police Squad: SVU
__________________________________
__________________________________
Name ____________________________________ Date _______________
my name is betty stokes.

i’m a police officer. but
not just any cop. i’m a
member of...
Police Squad: SVU (Special Vocabulary Unit)

In the SVU, we solve cases that involve words. If you’re a word, you’d better know who I am.
Because if you start trouble, you’ll see me. I’ll be your worst nightmare. I’ll be in your face
faster than a freshly laundered pillowcase at bedtime.
8:46 P.M., Saturday We got a call over on 13th Street.There was a big fight. We hauled in five
suspects.They all said, "It wasn’t me." But that’s what they always say. One of them wasn’t telling
the truth. So we put them in a lineup. Here are their stories:
Each suspect is a word from the Word List. Write the word that fits into each blank space.
Word List
_____________________________________________________________
________________
affront: to insult intentionally felony: a serious crime such as murder,

assault, or rape
altercation: a bitter argument fracas: a noisy, disorderly brawl
animosity: open hatred skirmish: a small, early battle
confrontation: a face-off trespass: to go into forbidden territory
Suspect Word #1: Look at me. Do I look like a fight? I’m not a fight. I may be the attitude
that starts fights. But I’m not the fight itself. So I’m not your word.
(1)___________________________
Suspect Word #2: All right, I’ll admit. I am a kind of a fight. But not the big fight you’re looking
for. I’m more of a small fight, just the beginning battle in a larger war. So I’m
not the one you’re looking for. (2) ____________________________________
_________________________
34
_________________________
Police Squad: SVU
__________________________________
__________________________________
Name ____________________________________ Date _______________
Suspect Word #3: This is all I’ll say: I’m big. I’m noisy and disorderly. Some people call me a
brawl. But I wasn’t anywhere near 13th Street. So it couldn’t have been
me. (3) _____________________________________
Suspect Word #4: When you boil it all down, I’m nothing more than an argument. An
argument is not really a fight. So it isn’t me. (4) ___________________
Suspect Word #5: I could be sort of a fight. But really, I’m more of a face-to-face meeting
that could lead to a fight. So it isn’t me. (5) ____________________
Which one did Betty think was the big fight? Explain why you chose that suspect.
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
11:54 P.M., Saturday: No sooner did we get that cleaned up, than we got a call from Avenue G.
It appeared that a serious crime had been committed.We rounded up the usual assortment
of suspects and took down their stories. Only one of them is really a serious crime.
Suspect Word #1: I’m nothing more than walking in the wrong place at the wrong time. So
you must want somebody else. (6) ________________________________
Suspect Word #2:You think you’re so smart? Okay, if I’m a crime, then which one am I?
I could be a number of very serious offenses. It’s not me.
(7) _______________________________
Suspect Word #3: I’m not a crime, although I may feel like one to some people. I’m simply
an insult, a slap in the face. (8) _________________________________
Which one did Betty think was the serious crime? Explain why you chose that suspect.
__________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Going Beyond
Use each of the words on the list in a sentence. Make a story out of your sentences.
_________________________
35
_________________________
Emily Taproot
__________________________________
__________________________________
Name ____________________________________ Date _______________
Emily Taproot’s Poetry

hink tha
It t I
shall never see Workshop
oem lo Welcome to Poetry Workshop. I’m Emily Taproot, a
A p vely as a tree. board-certified, licensed poet with a Master’s Degree
in Rhythm, Rhyme, and Clever Wordplay.Today, we will

—Joyce Kilmer work with Joyce Kilmer’s well-known verse.
By changing different words, we can change
the meaning of the poem.
Complete each verse of the poem below using words from the
Word List. Use the definitions in the box to help you.
Word List
_____________________________________________________________
________________________________
chum: friend microscopic: so small that it can only

composed: made of be seen under magnification
conviction: strongly held belief mobile: able to move
devoid: totally lacking rumor: unpleasant and often untrue
dignified: worthy of respect story that is passed on
discern: to see or recognize stout: bold, strong, and thick
engage: to become involved with surmise: to make a guess
entity: a thing taciturn: not talkative
eschew: to avoid ultimately: in the end
indifferent: not caring what happens virtues: good and notable traits
1. I think that I shall never see

An (a)___________________ (a) a thing that exists
as (b) ___________________ as a tree. (b) unconcerned, uninterested
2. Though stately and quite (c) ________________ (c) noble

Trees often lack a (d)_____________________ side. (d) capable of moving
_________________________
36
_________________________
Emily Taproot
__________________________________
__________________________________
Name ____________________________________ Date _______________
3. Here’s one thing that I cannot (e) _________________: (e) recognize

Just why are trees so (f) _______________________? (f) quiet; without words
4. Trees are painfully shy—that’s the (g) _______________ (g) story that is spread
And totally (h) __________________ of a sense of humor. (h) without
5. (i) _____________________ a tree on any topic (i) to become involved with

Their level of interest is (j) ______________________! (j) very small
6. I (k) ________________ that trees are incapable of seeing (k) to guess

The (l) ____________________ of a human being. (l) good qualities
7. It is my (m) _______________________ that in the end (m) strongly held belief

A tree just cannot be your friend.
8. Trees are tall, strong, (n) ___________________, and (n) thick and strong
good
But (o) ________________________, they’re (o) lastly
(p) _______________________ of wood! (p) made of
9. So if you seek a loyal (q) __________________________ (q) small amount

(r) ____________________ the tree—they’re just no fun! (r) keep away from
Going Beyond
Write three rhyming couplets about your favorite plant. Include words from the Word List in your poem.
_________________________
37
_________________________
Eddie Snively
__________________________________
__________________________________
Name ____________________________________ Date _______________
Eddie Snively: World’s Biggest Liar

hello, i’m penny knuckles. today i’ll be interviewing
eddie snively, who was recently crowned “liar of
the year” at the liars’ international association
rally (l.i.a.r.) in las vegas.
Write a word from the Word List below to complete each sentence in the interview.
Word List
_____________________________________________________________
________________________________
allege: claim to be true duplicity: trickery; untruth
appellation: name embossed: carved or stamped
assert: to state clearly galaxy: a large group of stars
categorically: absolutely incidentally: by the way
characterize: to describe outrage: a disgraceful act
commend: to praise prevaricating: lying
conceive: to understand refute: to deny
convocation: a meeting relentless: unstopping
coronation: crowning triumph: victory
decorative: for purposes of decoration unaware: not knowing about
Penny: First of all, I’d like to (1) ________________ you on winning your award.You did a
wonderful job! How does it feel to be Liar of the Year?
Eddie: I cannot (2) ________________ of what you’re talking about.What award?
Penny: Why, the Liar of the Year award.Your (3) ___________________ was just this afternoon.
Right here in Las Vegas.
Eddie: Hey, what (4) __________________ are you from? Did your spaceship just land? I didn’t
get any award today. I was home. In bed.Yeah, that’s where I was, in bed.
Penny: Do you mean to (5) ___________________ the idea that you won the Liar of the Year
Award right here in front of 50,000 people?
Eddie: I (6) ____________________ reject the idea.There is no way I attended the L.I.A.R. convention!
_________________________
38
_________________________
Eddie Snively
__________________________________
__________________________________
Name ____________________________________ Date _______________
Penny: But there were witnesses to your (7) ________________________. Fifty thousand peo-
ple saw you hold the trophy over your head. Could they all be wrong?
Eddie: Sure. It was a liars’ (8) _______________, wasn’t it? So it’s obvious: they were all liars.
Penny: How can I be sure that you’re not (9) _____________________ right now yourself?
Eddie: Because I’m not a liar. Do you (10) )___________________________ that I am?
Penny: Well, let me put it this way: why do I see a trophy (11) ____________________ with
the words EDDIE SNIVELY: LIAR OF THE YEAR on it? And here is a photograph of you
accepting the trophy.
Eddie: What trophy? What photo? I’m (12) _________________ of what you are talking about.
Penny: This trophy right here! And this photograph! How else would you (13) __________________
these two things?
Eddie: I’d call this so-called trophy a paperweight. And this thing over here is not a
photograph of me. I have never worn my hair like that.And (14) __________________,
I’ve never laid eyes on either one of these things before in my life.
Penny: Now let me get this straight. In this photo, you (15) ____________________ that this is
not you, Eddie Snively, receiving the trophy.
Eddie: Who’s Eddie Snively? Who said my (16) ________________________ was Eddie Snively?
Penny: Then who are you? This (17) ______________________ award says EDDIE SNIVELY in
beautiful script on it, doesn’t it?
Eddie: Well, who says this is my award? How do we know that someone isn’t engaging in a bit
of (18) ___________________________ by planting this here?
Penny: I can see how you won this award.You’re completely (19) ________________________.
You never tell the truth, do you?
Eddie: Who, me? Are you calling me a liar? This is an (20) ___________________________! I’ve
never been so insulted in my entire life.This interview is over!
Going Beyond
Write an interview between Penny and the winner of the WORLD’S MOST HONEST PERSON award. Use as
many words as you can from the Word List.
_________________________
39
_________________________
Bingo Hackles
__________________________________
__________________________________
Name ____________________________________ Date _______________
Bingo Hackles, Sports Reporter

my name is bingo hackles. i’m a sports reporter for the
daily sports fiend. recently, my boss at the fiend told me that
my articles needed more impor ta nt-soundi ng words in them.
well, i need help!
please help me edit this poem about a basketball game
between the mudville mudhens and the bay city red birds.
Replace each boldfaced word with a word from the Word List below.
Word List
_____________________________________________________________
__________________________________
ascended: went up proficiency: competence

braced: readied oneself for an event propelled: pushed forward
carom: a bounce off at an angle radiates: sends out rays
wavered: hesitated reckoning: act of counting
descended: went down resumed: to start over
eliminated: got rid of thunderstruck: astonished
fleet: fast on his or her feet transferred: sent from one person
fortunately: with luck to another
initiated: started undoubtedly: without any dispute
locale: a place or location unquestionably: beyond questioning
plucked: pulled off abruptly
_________________________
40
_________________________
Bingo Hackles
__________________________________
__________________________________
Name ____________________________________ Date _______________
1. The score stood 44 to 43 against the Mudville Five that day. ________________________
2. Fouls knocked out Parker so Coach put Tracy in to play. _________________________
3. Now Tracy wasn’t swift and she also wasn’t tall. _____________________________
4. In fact, she had little, if any, playing skill at all. _____________________________
5. So when the game started again, we had our fingers crossed. _______________________
6. But out there on the court,Tracy seemed completely lost. __________________________
7. Suddenly the Red Birds missed, and the rebound came to Miles. ________________________
8. She grabbed it off the rim as the Mudville fans went wild. _________________________
9. Then passed it up to Barkney who was running toward the stands. _______________________
10. Barkney flipped the ball to Austin, but it dropped in Tracy’s hands. _____________________
11. Now Tracy tried to shoot but she launched a feeble missile. _________________________
12. Luckily for Tracy came the tweet of the referee’s whistle. ___________________________
13. “Two foul shots!” barked the ref, as the fans waited for the worst. _____________________
14. And Tracy, looking surprised, went and promptly missed the first. ____________________
15. A quiet Tracy paused with two seconds on the clock. ____________________________
16. And shot the final free throw as the stands began to rock. ________________________
17. And as the ball arose the gym got deadly quiet. _____________________________
18. If Tracy missed the shot, there would surely be a riot. _________________________
19. Oh, somewhere the sun shines, life is good; good guys win. _______________________
20. But that somewhere isn’t Mudville, because Tracy’s shot _________________________
... did NOT
... go in!
Going Beyond
Choose five words from the Word List and list their synonyms. You may use a thesaurus or dictionary to help you.
_________________________
41
_________________________
Four Vocabularians
__________________________________
__________________________________
Name ____________________________________ Date _______________
The Four Vocabularians

Today’s Episode: Dr. Dialect’s Dictionary of Deception

The sun shone brightly over Rochelle Park, home of the Four Vocabularians.At the club-
house, Murph burnished his Quizmo game board with lemon oil and a rag while Nina
solved crossword puzzles. Pinky read her thesaurus while Bongo composed original songs
on the Vocab-O-Computer.
Suddenly, Dr. Dialect’s repulsive face materialized on the Vocab-O-Computer screen.
Bongo covered his eyes in horror. He peeked through his fingers and read:
greetings 4 vocabularians! i hope you are having a fine day, because if you don’t
give me $1 billion i will obliterate ten words in the english language forever!
“Look at this!” called Bongo.The Four Vocabularians gathered around the Vocab-O-
Computer screen.
“Do away with a ten words?” Murph cried.“How can he do that?”
“Easy,” Dr. Dialect’s voice on the screen said.“I’ll just list the words in my Dr. Dialect’s
Dictionary of Deception.”
“Dictionary of Deception?” Pinky asked.“How can a dictionary trick people?”
“It’s a confounding dictionary in which all of the definitions are wrong,” Dr. Dialect said.
“The idea is—if people use words sloppily and incorrectly the words eventually lose their
meaning.”
“What an ingenious plan,” Bongo said.“This may be your best idea yet.Too bad you’ll never
get away with it, Dr. Dialect.”
“You don’t think so?” Dr. Dialect said. He cackled with a laugh that made Nina cover her
ears.“Well, take a look at t-t-thisss-s-s!”
And with that, Dr. Dialect’s face faded from the screen, leaving the list of the 16 endangered
words with their incorrect definitions.
Murph said,“These are great words.We can’t afford to let them lose their meaning.”
“What do we do?” asked Pinky.
“VOCABULARIANS—to ACTION!” cried Nina, raising her arm.
_________________________
42
_________________________
Four Vocabularians
__________________________________
__________________________________
Name ____________________________________ Date _______________
Take time out from the story to write the letter of the correct definition next to each
word. To find your answers, use the context clues given in the story
__________________________________
_______ 1. burnished A. put at risk
_______ 2. cackled B. laughed shrilly
_______ 3. composed C. confusing
_______ 4. deception D. appeared suddenly
_______ 5. endangered E. wrote or created something,

_______ 6. ingenious especially music or poetry
_______ 7. materialized F. misleading; false trickery
_______ 8. obliterate G. brilliant, clever, smartly done
_______ 9. confounding H. ugliness that drives one away
_______ 10. repulsive I. destroyed completely
J. made smooth by polishing
One Hour Later

Dr. Dialect appeared on the screen.“Well,Vocabularians," he said,“looks like I’ve out-
smarted you this time." Then he gaped at the words on the screen in horror.“No!" he
cried.“It can’t be!"
“It is!" said Pinky.“We CHANGED all of your wrong definitions, Dialect! Instead of the
wrong definitions, your words now have the correct definitions."
“No no, N-N-N-N-N-NO-O-O-O-O-OOOOO!" cried Dr. Dialect, as his face slowly faded away
on the screen.
“Well, I guess that takes care of that," said Murph.“How about a game of Quizmo, fellow
Vocabularians?"
“Good idea," said Nina.“Right after we finish this crossword puzzle together."
“What about playing a thesaurus game?" asked Pinky.
“Right," said Bongo,“as soon as we finish singing this song I just wrote."
They all laughed.
“Gee," said Bongo,“I guess there’s only one thing we all agree on: when you play fast and
loose with words—they start to lose their meaning."
“You can say that again," said Murph.
Going Beyond
Dr. Dialect’s next deed is to remove endings from words. Help Dr. D by choosing four words from the Word
List and writing them without their word endings.
_________________________
43
_________________________
Laverne Weaselford
__________________________________
__________________________________
Name ____________________________________ Date _______________
Laverne Weaselford, U.S. Senator

Senator Weaselford likes to write her own speeches rather than
employ a speechwriter. But the senator’s vocabulary is weak.
Fill in the missing vocabulary of her speech using the words in the Word List.
Word List
_____________________________________________________________________
_______________________
amend: to make a formal, legal change prohibiting: forbidding or preventing
candidate: person running for elected office reform: to improve or correct social or
critical: very important; crucial, decisive economic conditions
defame: to damage someone’s name righteous: fair and just
federal: relating to the national government statute: law made by an elected body
incarceration: a stay in jail submit: to offer for consideration
nominate: to name a person to run for office violators: those who break a law
My fellow Americans, my name is Laverne Weaselford. I am the U.S. Senator from this
(1)_________________________ state that has always treated a Weaselford fairly. I stand
before you tonight to present bills that I plan to (2) __________________________ on your
behalf to the Senate.These bills address the most (3) ____________________________ issues
that face our country today: family and election reform.
The first bill is the Weaselford Family Protection Bill. It would make it a (4) ____________
crime for anyone in any way to harm a Weaselford. For it would be a national issue to even
tease a Weaselford or (5) __________________ a Weaselford by calling any one of us
“Weasel,”“Goofball,” or “Smeaselford.” (6) ____________________who break this law would
be subject to (7) _______________________ in prison for 50 years.
I would also like to (8) __________________the Weaselford Election Reform Bill to have a new
focus.This bill would clean up the election process by (9) _________________ citizens from
voting for (10) __________________ who are born with last names other than Weaselford. If
the people running for office are named “Jones” or “Waistband,” you can’t vote for them.
I expect your full support on these issues, or my name isn’t Queen Weaselford—I mean,
Senator Weaselford!
Going Beyond
Make up a political speech about the laws you are introducing to Congress. Use at least five of the words from
the Vocabulary List above.
_________________________
44
_________________________
Marla Murgatroid
__________________________________
__________________________________
Name ____________________________________ Date _______________
Marla Murgatroid, Romance Novelist
it’s hard to believe, but even i, marla murgatroid,

the world’s greatest romance novelist, sometimes
makes mistakes. my editor, edwina “ed” tedson, sent
me a list of corrections for the manuscript of my
latest book, utterly totally absolutely. perhaps you

can help me.
Replace each boldfaced word with a word from the Word List below. Use the editor’s clues
provided by Edwina “Ed” Tedson.
Word List
____________________________________________________________________
__________________________
cherish: hold dear prevailing: winning

dearest: someone who is greatly loved radiant: giving off light
gorgeous: very beautiful sonorous: deep and pleasant in sound
lithe: strong, flexible, graceful stammered: stuttered
lounged: lay comfortably sultry: humid, sweltering, lush
lustrous: shiny and beautful throb: to beat rapidly
marvelous: remarkable unmistakable: obvious
pounding: striking repeatedly with great force
1. It was a hot and gooey day at the beach club. ________________________________

Ed: Change “gooey” into something hot and lush.
2. Dominique D’Amour slumped by the water’s edge. ____________________________
Ed: Not “slumped.” Something more relaxed.
3. Her raven-colored hair gave off a foggy sheen in the bright sunlight. __________________
Ed:“Foggy” hair is crummy. Make her hair healthy and beautiful.
4. Dominique was okay-looking beyond all compare. _____________________________
Ed: She’s more than just “okay -looking.” Come on!
_________________________
45
_________________________
Marla Murgatroid
__________________________________
__________________________________
Name ____________________________________ Date _______________
5. On a nearby tennis court, Hoover LeDue was grunting in a match against Skippy
Barksdale. ______________________________
Ed: Instead of “grunting,” have LeDue ahead in the match.
6. “Lucky shot, LeDue!” shouted Skippy Barksdale. __________________________
Ed: Have Skippy compliment LeDue on a great shot.
7. Suddenly, the image of Dominique flashed through LeDue’s mind.“She needs me,” LeDue
uttered in his whiny voice. _____________________________________
Ed: Give LeDue a deep rather than a “whiny” voice.

8. Taking long, bumbling strides, LeDue raced over to the beach. ______________________
Ed: Not “bumbling;” flexible and graceful.
9. Dominique’s crooked face was nowhere to be seen. ________________________
Ed: Dominique’s face should seem to give off light.
10. Had she vanished in the snoring surf? _______________________________
Ed: Surf doesn’t “snore.” Make it come in hard and fast.
11. LeDue’s heart suddenly began to yodel in his chest. __________________________
Ed:Why would his heart “yodel”? A heart beats.
12. Suddenly, LeDue heard Dominique’s tedious voice. ____________________________
Ed: It’s a voice that he would never fail to recognize.
13. “Over here, buster,” Dominique cooed, walking towards the beach with two lemonades.
__________________________________
Ed: Call him something more loving than “buster.”
14. “D-Dominique!” he barked.“Y-you’re still here!” ______________________________
Ed: He’s not a dog. He’s having trouble getting his words out.
15. “I’ll always ignore you, as long as I live,” Hoover LeDue said. _____________________
Ed: He doesn’t want to ignore her. He wants to love her! Remember, you are writing a
romance novel!
Going Beyond
What will happen next? Will Dominique and Hoover’s romance survive? Write a paragraph telling what will
happen next in the story. Use as many of the words from the Word List as you can.
_________________________
46
_________________________
Emily Taproot
__________________________________
__________________________________
Name ____________________________________ Date _______________
Emily Taproot, Vocabulary Poet: The Language of Love
this is emily taproot, poet of the heart. today i

am going to share my new poem with you,
"how do i love thee." it is actually based on an
old poem, but i have changed the words.
Word List
___________________________________________________________________
____________________________________
aloft: high in the air grizzled: old, streaked with gray

contorting: twisting, wrenching, or bending hurtling: moving with great speed
out of place inconspicuous: not obvious; hidden
debase: to lower in quality interface: surface at which contact
discretion: carefulness, responsible takes place
efface: to erase ludicrous: ridiculous
embrace: to hold or hug phase: a distinct stage in a series
expeditiously: with speed and efficiency persistently: not stopping
flawless: perfect, without defects relinquish: to give up
flitting: darting nimbly and rapidly tenacious: the quality of holding on tightly
fragrance: pleasant aroma pungent: sharp, biting smell or taste
Complete the poem with words from the Word List. Hint: Every line rhymes.
How Do I Love Thee
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways:
1. My love is like the moon above, no matter what its ________________________________.
2. My love is like a ballerina, ________________________ with style and grace.
_________________________
47
_________________________
Emily Taproot
__________________________________
__________________________________
Name ____________________________________ Date _______________
3. My love is a monarch butterfly, ______________________ from place to place.
4. My love is a teacher’s pet, ______________________ seeking praise.
5. My love is a delightful ______________________, whose odor lingers for days.
6. My love is written in indelible ink, impossible to ______________________.
7. My love is as old as a ______________________ fisherman, fishing for manta rays.

8. My love is a speedy racehorse, ______________________ winning every race.
9. My love is a newborn pup, smothered in it’s mother’s ______________________.
10. My love uses the utmost ______________________, never proceeding in haste.
11. My love is a ______________________ barnacle, impossible to displace.
12. My love can be ______________________, hiding in another place.
13. My love is a piece of chewing gum, with a ______________________ peppermint taste.
14. My love is like a computer, with a high-tech ______________________.
15. My love is a high-flying astronaut, ______________________ through outer space.
16. My love is ever the hunter, it will never ______________________ the chase.
17. My love is the highest quality, impossible to ______________________.
18. My love can seem quite ______________________, but it never ceases to amaze.
19. My love’s a professional wrestler, ______________________ your neck out of place.
20. My love is ever the poet, in search of the ______________________ phrase.
Going Beyond
Use words from the Word List to help Emily complete the following poem.
How Does My Hair Flow?
How does my hair flow? Let me count the ways:
My hair is . . .
_________________________
48
_________________________
Four Vocabularians
__________________________________
__________________________________
Name ____________________________________ Date _______________
The Four Vocabularians
Today’s Episode: The National Word Day Speech

It wasn’t just any day in Rochelle Park. It was National Word Day, and the Four Vocabularians
were gathered around the TV in their clubhouse, awaiting the annual speech from the
President of the United States.
“My fellow . . .“ the president began.“Wha—uh—uh. Um.”
“What’s going on?” asked Murph, as the president continued to stutter and mumble.
Suddenly an evil face appeared on the screen.
Dr. Dialect!
“Hello,America,” the evil genius crowed.“I, Dr. Dialect, have STOLEN the President’s speech!
I replaced key words in the speech with slang expressions.”
“The president sounds like a fool!” Pinky cried.
“We’ve got to do something,” said Nina.“Bongo, get on the Vocab-O-Computer and see if you
can get a transcript of the president’s speech.”
“I think I’ve got it,” said Bongo, fiddling with computer keys.
Take time out from the story to replace each slang expression from the president’s speech
with one of the words from the Word List.
Word List
___________________________________________________________________
______________________________
budget: an organized plan for money jeopardy: state of danger, risk, or peril
citizens: people who live in a place penalize: to punish for breaking a rule
conclude: to come to an end or close pledge: a promise
entreat: to make a strong request; beg predicament: a troublesome situation
redundant: a repetition of what you
festivities: joyous celebration already have
generate: to bring into being regret: to feel sorry that something occurs
grave: extremely serious revenue: incoming money
illegitimate: not legal salvage: to save
inessential: not necessary sufficient: enough
_________________________
49
_________________________
Four Vocabularians
__________________________________
__________________________________
Name ____________________________________ Date _______________
Transcript of the President’s Speech on National Word Day

1. My fellow American dudes and dudettes, I stand before you today to speak about our
nation’s like, you know, money and stuff. ____________________ ____________________
2. The green stuff we collected for National Word Day is not A-okay for our needs.
____________________ ____________________
3. This puts our nation into a like, totally serious bad scene. ___________________
_____________________
4. I feel completely bummed out to announce that National Word Day is now in like
trouble-city, if you know what I mean. ___________________ _______________________
5. Each year,Americans use millions of unneeded type words in a variety of totally bogus
ways. ____________________ ____________________
6. I hereby make a double-pinkie promise to like totally save our celebration using what I
call the National Unnecessary Word Tax, or NUWT. __________________ __________________
7. The NUWT tax will turn the screws on words that are unnecessary or like, reruns of
themselves. ____________________ ____________________
8. This tax should be able to whip up billions of dollars for our National Word Day wing-ding.
____________________ ____________________
9. Before I bug out, ladies and gentlemen, I am on my hands and knees for you to support
NUWT.Thank you and good night. ____________________ ____________________
1 5 Minutes Later . . .
“The president’s speech is ruined!” bragged Dr. Dialect.“He sounds like a fool.Your precious
National Word Day is ruined,Vocabularians!”
“Not so fast, Dialect,” said Bongo.“Take a look at this!”With several swift keystrokes Bongo
emailed Dr. Dialect the CORRECTED copy of the president’s speech.
“What’s this?” Dr. Dialect cried.“Oh no! It can’t be! I’m ruined. Ruined! RUINED!”With that
Dr. Dialect faded from the screen.
“Well, what now?” Bongo asked
“Let’s have an old-fashioned National Word Day celebration!” Pinky cried.
So that’s what they did.And everyone had a great time!
Going Beyond
You have been selected to be the fifth Vocabularian. Find synonyms for five words in the Word List. Record
them for the Vocabularians to use in the future.
_________________________
50
_________________________
The Wordies
__________________________________
__________________________________
Name ____________________________________ Date _______________
Welcome to the 58th Annual National Word Awards . . .
The Wordies
Weeza: I’m your host,Weeza Dangles.
Dirk: And I’m your cohost, Dirk Zero. Hey, it’s been a great year
for words,Weeza. Did you know that something like eight
hundred million ka-jillion words were spoken, written,
whispered, or uttered last year?
Weeza: Wow, that’s a lot of blabbing, Dirk. Is that really true?

Dirk: How would I know? I just read what’s on the cards. Let’s begin tonight’s show with the
nominations for Best New Word.You’ll notice that all of the nominated words use the
roots nov or neo—both of which mean “new.”
Weeza: Hey, that’s “news” to me, Dirk! [audience explodes with laughter].Why don’t you go
ahead and sing us your nomination song?
Dirk: Use the clues in my song to define each boldface nominated word. [launches into a
musical song]:
i’m a neophyte singer. i’m a neophyte dancer.
if you think i am experienced, you do not have the answer.
e e
my act is not a novelty, but it’s full of innovation.
i think it can be fixed with just a touch of renovation.
Match each word to its definition.

Best “New” Word
___________________________________________________
1. neophyte A. new and unusual thing
2. neologism B. new way of doing something
3. novelty C. beginner
4. innovation D. make new by fixing
5. renovation E. new word
Dirk: [opens the envelope]: . . .And the Wordie goes to neologism. Accepting on behalf of
neologism is myself, Mr. Dirk Zero. [thunderous applause]
Dirk: Thank you very much.Thank you.Thank you. I just can’t describe how great I feel right
now. I wish there were a word for it . . .
Weeza: And now, to present the awards for Best Comedy Word, superstar comedienne Suzy
Chuckles. [Suzy walks across the stage.]
Suzy: Hi, I’m superstar comedienne Suzy Chuckles. I’m so goofy and funny that I crack myself
up.That’s why I’m here to present the nominees for Best Comedy Word.
_________________________
51
_________________________
The Wordies
__________________________________
__________________________________
Name ____________________________________ Date _______________
Write a definition for each Comedy Word. Use context clues to help you.
Best Comedy Word

______________________________________________________________________
6. I really try to crack people up with my facetious remarks. And I’m not being facetious
when I say this. Facetious means ______________________________
7. I use irony to say the opposite of what I mean. Or mean the opposite of what I say. In any
event, this tends to crack people up. Irony means ___________________________
8. Sometimes I use sarcasm to make fun of people in a mean way. I feel bad about this,
but it still cracks people up. Sarcasm means ______________________________
9. I’m so darn funny that I can even crack people up making faces and burping noises. It
may be silly or asinine but I do it anyway. Asinine means _________________________
10. I’m known for whimsical jokes that are light-hearted and gentle. Do these jokes crack
people up? What do you think? Whimsical means ______________________________
Suzy [opens the envelope]:And the Wordie goes to asinine. [titanic applause] Accepting on
behalf of asinine is me, Ms. Suzy Chuckles.Thank you Suzy, thank you very much.You
know, I’d like to say that this is really an asinine award.Thank you very much.
Weeza: And now, the moment we’ve all been waiting for—The Word of the Year. I’ll sing this
nomination song myself.You’ll notice that each boldfaced word has the root ann or enn,
which means “year.”
happy anniversary (once again) — it’s my annual complaint.
another year without an award, i’m so desperate i could faint
e e
before i become superannuated, i’d like to win one wordie
i’ve face perennial disappointment, every year since i was thirty!
Weeza: And the Wordie goes to Match each word to its definition.
perennial. Oh, I’m so happy!
Word of The “Year”
___________________________________________
How can I ever thank you?
I’ll be perennially grateful. I 11. anniversary A. old in years
really will.
12. perennial B. yearly celebration
Dirk: Goodnight, everyone!
13. superannuated C. yearly
[Applause.Applause.Applause.] 14. annual D. every year forever
Going Beyond
Use the three "award-winning" words in a short paragraph.
_________________________
52
_________________________
Buck Bickley
__________________________________
__________________________________
Name ____________________________________ Date _______________
Buck Bickley’s Big Braggin’ Book

howdy, i’m buck bickley. welcome to my big braggin’
book. if you like braggin’, this is the place to come. in
this book you’ll hear me braggin’ about
z how doggone smart i am
z what a doggone great guy i am

z how much doggone stuff i have
z how doggone smart my doggone dog is
so pull up a chair and settle down to some good old
fashioned braggin’, the buck bickley way.
Word List
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________
affluent: wealthy keen: sharp and quick with the five senses
candid: frank, honest modest: humble, not boastful
denomination: name of a group of things penetrating: passing through by piercing
with a particular value
disperse: scatter perilous: dangerous
distinct: clear, easily recalled polyglot: speaking many languages
droll: amusing in a strange way resplendently: in a dazzling, brightly shining way
elite: members of the finest group violation: a breaking of a law or rule
expansive: grand in size and scale
Buck left some words out of his book. Complete the sentences with words from the
Word List above.
1. I’m so smart they’re thinkin’ of puttin’ my face on the twenty-dollar bill. Except with me
on it, the _______________________ would go up to twenty-one dollars!
2. My dog is so smart he’s got a diploma from Harvard,Yale, and other _________________
universities even though he never graduated from high school. He only finished grades
K-9. (Get it: canine?)
_________________________
53
_________________________
Buck Bickley
__________________________________
__________________________________
Name ____________________________________ Date _______________
3. I’m so good-looking that it’s sometimes ________________________ for me to go out
in public.That’s why on the street outside my house there’s a sign that says DANGER:
HANDSOME MAN ZONE.
4. I’m so _________________________ that I never toot my own horn. In fact, when I
drive my car, the horn toots itself!

5. I’m so ________________________ brilliant that light bulbs often look dull next to me.
6. My memory is so ________________________ that I often remember things that
haven’t even occurred yet.
7. My eyesight is so ________________________ that I can often see things that aren’t
even there.
8. My _____________________ dog is so smart that he barks in three different languages.
9. Some of my thoughts are so ______________________ that I often get holes in my hat.
10. I’m so _______________________ that when I play Monopoly I use real money.
11. My house is so __________________ that I need to hail a cab to get from the kitchen
to the bedroom.
12. I’m such a talented gardener that I can ______________________ toothpicks in the soil
in the spring that will come up as fence posts in the fall.
13. I’m so _______________________ that even when I try to fib it comes out truthful.
14. My jokes are so ____________________ that people laugh at them even when they’re
not funny.
15. My car is so fast that I once received a speeding _____________________ when it was
still parked.
Going Beyond
Can you outbrag Buck Bickley? Write three brags using as many words from the Word Box as you can.
_________________________
54
_________________________
Buck Bickley’s Dog
__________________________________
__________________________________
Name ____________________________________ Date _______________
Buck Bickley's Dog's Big Braggin’ Book

i’m buck bickley's dog “flash.” if you like books where dogs do a lot of
braggin’, then this is the big, braggin’ book for you. in this book i’ll be
braggin’ about:
z how doggone clever i am
z what a doggone great dog i am
z how much doggone great s t u f f i have
so let the braggin’ begin!
Word List
__________________________________________________________
_________________
amiable: friendly prosperous: successful
compassionate: deep feelings for others pursue: to follow
frequently: happening very often retrieve: to get back
ideal: a model of excellence secluded: in a remote, hidden place
peerless: without equal; the best shrewd: sly
Write a word from the list to replace each underlined word.

1. For a dog, I’m rich. How well-off am I? When it’s time to fetch the newspaper, I hire
someone else to do it. _________________________ _________________________
2. For a dog, I’m a fast runner. In fact, when I chase my tail I often catch up with it. I often
even pass it by.This, I find, is a good way of making ends meet.______________________
____________________________________
3. I’m so smart, I’ve been known to outfox a fox.And I’m much wiser and caring than your
average owl. Despite their reputations, I find that most owls really don’t give a hoot.
_________________________ _____________________
4. I’m so popular that cats even like me. My luxurious 40-room doghouse is so private that it
doesn’t have pests like ants—they can’t find out where it is! ______________________
______________________
5. Hey, what can I say? I’m a special dog. In the dictionary under the word “extraordinary” it
shows a picture of me! You know I’m the perfect pet. Just ask Buck Bickley, because he
never stretches the truth. ______________________ ______________________
Going Beyond
Have you heard Buck Bickley’s hamster? She can outbrag both Buck and the dog! Write a dialogue between Buck,
his dog, and his hamster. Use at least five words from the Word List.
_________________________
55
_________________________
Julie Kablooie
__________________________________
__________________________________
Name ____________________________________ Date _______________
Julie Kablooie’s Hollywood Gossip Column

it’s julie kablooie—
your number one hollywood snoop
with the inside scoop, the duchess of
dish, the regent of rumor, the czarina
of chatter, and the superintendent of
the skinny.
Circle the correct synonym for each boldfaced word.

item 1: peaches loses it on the set!
______________________
Peaches Mung, popular child star of “Peaches,”“Hi, I’m Peaches,” and “Peaches Is Back!”,
reportedly blew her cool on the set of the new movie,“Hi, I’m Peaches II.” Peaches harangued
the cast in a 45-minute speech about being “serious” on the set, after which she vanished for
two hours for an “important ice cream break.” The cast, which includes heartthrob Dirk Delbart,
was livid. But Peaches wasn’t fazed. She told Director Boz Boggly that if he tried to reprove
her in any way she would walk off the movie,“and then what would they title it?”
1. harangued (a) ranted (b) exercised (c) snoozed (d) sang

2. livid (a) alive (b) not alive (c) very angry (d) happy
3. fazed (a) late (b) troubled (c) heavy (d) alone
4. reprove (a) hug (b) scold (c) smell (d) improve
item 2: will boz and betti tie the knot?

__________________________
Betti Fetching is a Hollywood legend. Betti’s extraordinary career has had more block-
buster hits than most stars have toes on their feet. Betti is an actor’s actor, a star among stars,
a luminary among the lesser lights. So what is she doing with Director Boz Boggly? I mean,
really! Boz is a good director and everything (currently filming “Hi, I’m Peaches II,” with Peaches
Mung). But that scraggly beard? Come on, Boz, either shave it or grow it! Those rumpled
dungarees? No one has worn that look since the 20th Century! Get a new stylist, would
you, Boz? Then you can come back and talk marriage with our beloved Betti.
5. extraordinary (a) average (b) too much (c) remarkable (d) typical
6. luminary (a) beginner (b) failure (c) bright light (d) square
7. scraggly (a) flowing (b) long (c) messy (d) shaved
8. dungarees (a) jeans (b) shoes (c) words (d) noodles
Going Beyond
Select four vocabulary words. Write an antonym (a word with the opposite meaning) for each.
_________________________
56
_________________________
Freelance Know-It All
__________________________________
__________________________________
Name ____________________________________ Date _______________
Do You Have What It Takes to Become

a Freelance Know-It-All Reviewer?
have you ever seen a movie or book review and thought to yourself,
“i could write a better review than that ”? well, here’s your chance.
try writing reviews of the book the big hiccup by victor kneeport.
first write a positive review of the book. then write another review
of the same book, only this time make it a negative review.
Use words from the word list to complete a

positive review. Then use different words
to complete a negative review.
Word List for The Big Hiccup
________________________________________________________
_____________________________
abject: low and miserable lucid: totally clear

banal: commonplace and predictable profound: deep and meaningful
clichés: overused expressions relished: keenly enjoyed
detested: disliked intensely shoddy: sloppy
edified: instructed in a positive way trite: unoriginal, flat, weak
extraordinary: excellent; beyond normal triumph: a victory
fiasco: complete failure unqualified: absolute
insipid: dull witticisms: clever remarks
inspired: stimulated and aroused
The Big Hiccup, a book by Victor Kneepot

A Positive Review by _____________________________ (your name here)
This book was an (1) ____________________ (2) ____________________.The premise was
(3) _________________—a young boy gets himself in trouble when he gets the hiccups at
the wrong time. How (4) ________________! The writing style was (5) ________________
and full of (6) ____________________. I found myself to be truly (7) ____________________
by the book.To summarize, I (8) ________________________________ every word of this
(9) _________________ book.
The Big Hiccup, a book by Victor Kneepot
A Negative Review by ____________________ (your name here)
This book was an (10) ____________________ (11) ____________________.The premise
_________________________
57
_________________________
Freelance Know-It All
__________________________________
__________________________________
Name ____________________________________ Date _______________
was (12) ____________________—a young boy gets himself in trouble when he gets the
hiccups at the wrong time. How (13) _________________________! The writing style was
(14) _______________________________ and full of (15) ________________________.To
summarize, I (16) __________________ every word of this (17) __________________ book.
Word List for My Little Sister, The Train

___________________________________________________________
_______________________
bungling: clumsy intrigue: to fascinate
convincing: able to persuade mediocre: ordinary or worse

excels: does something with great skill poignant: moving, touching, meaningful
exceptional: better than all others pointless: without purpose
falters: is unsteady tedium: something that is boring
farfetched: not believable vacuous: empty
fascinating: very interesting winsome: charming
My Little Sister, the Train: a film starring Bonnie Bilge and Cindy Snarkus
A Positive Review by ____________________
The movie begins with a (18) __________________ premise: what if your seven-year-old sis-
ter were transformed into a 200-ton locomotive? The (19) __________________ begins as
Cindy the Train tries to do ordinary things, like go to school and eat an ice cream cone. Bonnie
Bilge is (20) _________________ as the older sister. Cindy Snarkus (21) __________________
as the (22) __________________ seven-year -old who is turned into a train. I couldn’t help
but cry during the many (23) ________________ moments in this (24) _______________ film.
My Little Sister, the Train: a film starring Bonnie Bilge and Cindy Snarkus
A Negative Review by __________________
The movie begins with a (25) __________________ premise: what if your seven-year-old sis-
ter were transformed into a 200-ton locomotive? The (26) __________________ begins as
Cindy the Train tries to do ordinary things, like go to school and eat an ice cream cone. Bonnie
Bilge is (27) _________________ as the older sister. Cindy Snarkus (28) __________________
as the (29) __________________ seven-year-old who is turned into a train. I couldn’t help but
cry during the many (30) _________________ moments in this (31) ________________ film.
Going Beyond
Think about the last movie you saw. Would you give it a positive or a negative review? Write a short review of the
movie, using either the positive or the negative vocabulary words.
_________________________
58
_________________________
World Without Words
__________________________________
__________________________________
Name ____________________________________ Date _______________
Journey to a World Without Words

stardate 74.14.04 captain’s log: arrived on planet lingulon-5 this morning. it’s inhabited by a
strange group of horse-like beings called linguloids. the linguloids are a lot like earthlings—
except they have poor vocabularies. to see how poor they are, read the entries below.
Replace each underlined phrase with a single word from the list below.
accomplishments: successful irrational: doesn’t make sense

completion oppose: be in disagreement
akin: similar philosophy: view of the meaning of life
aspiration: goal or aim
principles: truths upon which rules
contemplate: think carefully about are based
creed: system of beliefs that
technology: the industrial arts
guide people
intellectual clear-thinking whim: sudden wish
1. A sign on the landing pad read: LINGULON-5 WELCOMES YOU. LINGULON-5 IS A

NO-SMOKING PLANET THAT FEATURES BALMY BREEZES, SCENIC GOLF COURSES,
AND GREAT SHOPPING. OUR ONLY GOAL _________________ IS TO SATISFY
YOUR EVERY SUDDEN DESIRE ______________________________.
_________________________
59
_________________________
World Without Words
__________________________________
__________________________________
Name ____________________________________ Date _______________
2. “Greetings, Earthlings,” said Lingo-12.“You’ll find that we Linguloids are similar

______________________ to you Earthlings—except for three things: (1) we have
horse-like faces; (2) we eat peanut butter and hay sandwiches; and (3) our thought-
processes are not based on reason or logic ______________________ And oh yes,
a fourth thing—we wear diaper-like garments on top of our heads.”
3. “Why do you wear diaper-like garments on top of your heads?” we asked. Lingo-12
replied,“We cannot answer that question because we are not thoughtful beings.We do
not possess great thinking ______________________ skills. However, we do boast of
many successful efforts _____________________ in the fields of golf and shopping.”
4. Lingo-12 continued,“We invite you to visit our planet’s scenic golf courses. Beings
from as far as Romula come to play golf on Lingulon-5.Though we may argue with
__________________________ the Romulans in our view of life and wisdom
______________________, we do agree about one thing: Never use a 3-iron in a sand trap.
5. “Because we only think deeply about ______________________ golf and shopping, our
science and industrial knowledge ______________________ are underdeveloped.We
have, for example, invented the wheel. But we put it to use only on golf carts,” Lingo-12
explained.
6. Lingo-12 said,“Our system of beliefs ______________________ is simple. It is based on

basic, true ideas ______________________. If something is good for golf or shop-
ping, we believe in it. If it isn’t good for golf or shopping, we don’t believe in it.”
Going Beyond
Write a final entry into the Captain’s Log. Include a word that the Linguloids might not have. Then trade logs with a
classmate. Define each other’s new word.
_________________________
60
_________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
Answer Key
Rowena and Squirmy in “Bicycle Power” 5. defendant
(page 8) 6. wondrous
1. b 7. disdainful
2. a 8. delusional
3. a 9. entitlement
4. c 10. marriage
5. a 11. poetic
6. six-sided figure 12. validate
7. four-legged organism 13. digitize
8. thousand 14. inhibitor
9. million
10. many The Word Machine (page 20)

1. inspect
Bill Klepper, Fat-Cat Wheeler-Dealer 2. expect
Billionaire (page 10) 3. spectator
1. atypical 4. circumspect
2. disagree 5. prospect
3. ignoble 6. perspective
4. illiterate 7. respect
5. imbalance 8. disrespectful
6. inexact 9. inspection
7. irresponsible 10. inspector
8. misinterpret
9. unpopular Professor Sylvia’s Word Values (page 23)
10. coexist 1. transport, to carry from one place to another
11. condescend 2. importer, someone who sends items from one
12. correspond country to another
13. symmetric 3. deportment, how you carry yourself
14. synthesis 4. portable, able to carry easily
Bill Klepper, Fat-Head Wheeler-Dealer Ancient Latin Quizmo!!! (page 25)

Billionaire (page 12) 1. injection
1. c 2. objective
2. a 3. subjective
3. b 4. projectile
4. c 5. inscribe
5. c 6. conscript
6. c 7. indescribable
7. c 8. conjecture, it means “a guess”
8. b
9. a The Cutting Edge (page 27)
10. a 1. incisions
11. c 2. incisive
12. a 3. dissect
13. b 4. sector
14. a 5. precision
6. concise
Sufferin’ Suffixes (page 16) 7. excise
1. acceptable 8. cross-section
2. adaptation 9. decisive
3. heedless 10. intersect
4. clinician
_________________________
61
_________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
11. The prefixes are ex and in. Excise means to Emily Taproot’s Poetry Workshop (page 36)
“cut away from.” Incisive means “cut clearly 1. a. entity, b. indifferent
and sharply.” 2. c. dignified, d. mobile
12. Trisect means to “cut into three pieces.” 3. e. discern, f. taciturn
13. An incisor would be sharp because it means 4. g. rumor, h. devoid
“to cut into.” Possible animals: lion, tiger, dog, 5. i. Engage, j. microscopic
shark. Carnivores. 6. k. surmise, l. virtues
7. m. conviction
Nanette’s Word Salon (page 29) 8. n. stout, o. ultimately, p. composed
1. inverse 9. q. chum, r. Eschew
2. reverse
3. inversion, reversion Eddie Snively: World’s Biggest Liar
4. subvert (page 38)
5. subversion 1. commend
6. introvert 2. conceive
7. extrovert 3. coronation
8. controversy 4. galaxy
9. controversial 5. refute
6. categorically
Police Squad: MAU (Missing Affix Unit) 7. triumph
(page 31) 8. convocation
1. telephones 9. prevaricating
2. television 10. allege
3. televise 11. embossed
4. teleplay 12. unaware
5. telecommunications 13. characterize
6. telephoto 14. incidentally
7. telecast 15. assert
8. monologue 16. appellation
9. catalogue 17. decorative
10. dialogue 18. duplicity
11. geophysicist 19. relentless
12. geological 20. outrage
13. geodes
14. geothermic Bingo Hackles, Sports Reporter (page 40)
15. geography 1. reckoning
2. eliminated
Police Squad: SVU (Special Vocabulary Unit) 3. fleet
(page 34) 4. proficiency
1. animosity 5. resumed
2. skirmish 6. unquestionably
3. fracas 7. carom
4. altercation 8. plucked
5. confrontation 9. transferred
6. trespass 10. descended
7. felony 11. initiated
8. affront 12. Fortunately
13. braced
14. thunderstruck
15. wavered
16. propelled
17. ascended
18. undoubtedly
19. radiates
20. locale
_________________________
62
_________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
The Four Vocabularians: Dr. Dialect’s 9. embrace
Dictionary of Deception (page 42) 10. discretion
1. J 11. tenacious
2. B 12. inconspicuous
3. E 13. pungent
4. F 14. interface
5. A 15. hurtling
6. G 16. relinquish
7. D 17. debase
8. I 18. ludicrous
9. C 19. contorting
10. H 20. flawless
Laverne Weaselford, U.S. Senator (page 44) The Four Vocabularians: The National Word
1. righteous Day Speech (page 49)
2. submit 1. citizens, budget
3. critical 2. revenue, sufficient
4. federal 3. grave, predicament
5. defame 4. regret, jeopardy
6. Violators 5. inessential, illegitimate
7. incarceration 6. pledge, salvage
8. amend 7. penalize, redundant
9. prohibiting 8. generate, festivities
10. candidates 9. conclude, entreat
Marla Murgatroid, Romance Novelist The Wordies (page 51)

(page 45) 1. C
1. sultry 2. E
2. lounged 3. A
3. lustrous 4. B
4. gorgeous 5. D
5. prevailing 6. trying to be funny, often at the wrong time
6. marvelous 7. being funny by saying the opposite of what
7. sonorous one means
8. lithe 8. making fun of others in a mean way
9. radiant 9. stupid, silly, or foolish
10. pounding 10. light-hearted and gentle humor
11. throb 11. B
12. unmistakable 12. D
13. dearest 13. A
14. stammered 14. C
15. cherish
Buck Bickley’s Big Braggin’ Book (page 53)
Emily Taproot, Vocabulary Poet: The 1. denomination
Language of Love (page 47) 2. elite
1. phase 3. perilous
2. aloft 4. modest
3. flitting 5. resplendently
4. persistently 6. distinct
5. fragrance 7. keen
6. efface 8. polygot
7. grizzled 9. penetrating
8. expeditiously 10. affluent
_________________________
63
_________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
11. expansive
12. disperse
13. candid
14. droll
15. violation
Buck Bickley’s Dog’s Big Braggin’ Book

(page 55)
1. prosperous, retrieve
2. pursue, frequently
3. shrewd, compassionate
4. amiable, secluded
5. peerless, ideal
Julie Kablooie’s Hollywood Gossip Column

(page 56)
1. a
2. c
3. b
4. b
5. c
6. c
7. c
8. a
Do You Have What it Takes to Become a

Freelance Know-It-All Reviewer? (page 57)
Answers will vary
Journey to a World Without Words

(page 59)
1. aspiration, whim
2. akin, irrational
3. intellectual, accomplishments
4. oppose, philosophy
5. contemplate, technology
6. creed, principles
_________________________
64

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Part 1: Just Prefixes

Rowena and Squirmy in “Bicycle Power” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Part 2: Just Suffixes

Part 3: Affixes (Both Prefixes and Suffixes)

Bingo Hackles, Sports Reporter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Using The Book

When prefixes: 1 2, 13, 20, 21, 22, Miscellaneous prefixes: 31, 32

Rowena and Squirmy in "Bicycle Power"

Who’s there? Weirdo.

• A tricycle has three wheels.

How often would biweekly be?

How many outs do you make in a triple play?

Circle the definition for each boldfaced word.

Complete each sentence.

6. If a decagon is a ten-sided figure, a hexagon is a ___________________________.

Noah good name for the 6-

my name is sasha dash. so you

Bill Klepper, Fat-Cat

7. ir- + root = __________________________ (not dependable)

i’m sasha dash. do financial transactions

One Tuesday morning Mr. Klepper called me into his office.

4. Klepper would just as soon exterminate his enemies. (ex- + terminate)

Government Inspected and Approved Words. Why, over on the south

1. Capable of being received or accepted ______________________

2. The act of adjusting or adapting to something ______________________

3. Without heeding, or without being mindful of ______________________

4. A doctor who works in a clinic ______________________

6. Full of wonder ______________________

7. Full of scorn, or disdain ______________________

8. Resembling false visions, or delusions ______________________

9. Result of having a right to something, or entitled ______________________

10. Connected by the state of being married ______________________

11. Characterized by poetry ______________________

12. To affirm the legality of, or validity ______________________

13. To use digital information to make ______________________

14. Something that holds back, or inhibits ______________________

An Interview With Buck Bickley, Inventor of

Sparky: Wow, that looks like fun! May I try it?

The Word Machine

Professor Sylvia’s Word Values

uch the darn th ings are worth.

Dear Professor Sylvia, Dear Rum:

Dear Professor Sylvia, Dear Curious: The word you received is

Signed, Curious and Greedy Too bad!

Dear Sylvia, Dear Scoot: The word you received is

Dear Professor Sylvia, Dear Sue:

Ancient Latin Quizmo!!!

($ 100) ($ 100) turies alone. [applause]

con- with -ion state or quality of

Prefixes and Suffixes

Cutting Edge Words

" cis: to cut or kill

Fill in each blank with the Cutting Edge words below.

Thanks! Look for my column in tomorrow’s issue of the Daily Blab.

Nanette’s Word Salon

Nanette: Hello, and welcome to Nanette’s