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In each issue, our Vocab Lab celebrates the weird, wild, and wonderful world of words.
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The Adventures of The Word Nerd
Tyler Maxwell used to be a typical boy. But one day, a 10-pound dictionary fell on his head. Luckily, he survived. But now Tyler can use only the biggest, hardest words there are. His friends don’t understand him. Can you help?
Lance Lekander
"I laboriously hastened through the vast Sahara."
Courtesy of family
MJ Daily
Edgewood Elementary School
Yardley, Pennsylvania
Real-Life Word Nerd
MJ wrote this issue’s Word Nerd!
Word Nerd Contest!
Write your own Word Nerd sentence. If we choose yours, you will be featured as a Real-Life Word Nerd. Send your entry to “Word Nerd Contest.” See our Contest Page for details.
The Idiomizer
Meet The Idiomizer —the superhero who turns simple words into powerful idioms. These phrases unite words, like a team, to take on a whole new meaning.
Jordy Can Get It Done!
Jordy: My science project is going to be a flop, Callie. I don’t think I can do it.
Callie: Of course you can, Jordy! Just remember, you . . .
This is a job for The Idiomizer!
The Idiomizer: Sure you can! You have the magic touch. You’ve got all the right stuff. It’ll be duck soup for you.
Jordy: OK, I’m more confident now. Thanks, Idiomizer!
Use Your Idiom Power! What’s something you do well? Describe it in a paragraph using at least two of these idioms.
This article was originally published in the December 2020 / January 2021 issue.