Obstreperous....uh...what?

Okay, I graduated from Western Washington University after several wonderful years of study with a BA in Education and endorsements in General Science and a K-12 teaching certificate to add to the AAS I earned at BCC, so at least I know a few things....like lefty loosey righty tighty and how to implode a 50 gallon oil drum with three cups of water and a blow torch. I digress. Getting to the point of this post I will call your attention to my 7th grader's vocab list for last week and this week: brusque, quagmire, melee, billet, crenellated, paragon, sublime, nonchalant, cacophony, apothecary, macabre, alchemy, flotsam, jetsam, florid........Some of my favorite great words for last week....on to this week's list: sultan, caliph, caliphate, Fatima, cornice, roc, scimitar, dervish, Persia, talisman, Saracen, obstreperous, bohomine, and legerdemain. REALLY....REALLY!! There is a theme that goes along with the time period the class is studying but SERIOUSLY!!  These are great words, and I DON'T know a bunch of them. Here is the conversation: Jon- "Dad , can you help me with my vocab words?" College graduate Dad-"Sure, read em off to me and give me definitions." Jon- "I don't know all the definitions, can you help?" Dad- "Sure........(looking at the list).......what do you think the definitions are?" Jon- "I DON'T KNOW!" Teaching certified Dad-"Well let's look them up." a stalling technique that really means, I have no idea. For crying out loud. When I was a 7th grader...oh now I feel old... these words were so far of my radar...well there is no comparison...at all...ever...ever. So Jon and I went through the words and had a great time but he quickly saw through my charade and called me out, "You don't know these words, do you?" Dad- "I'm the dad I don't have to. I have a college degree which means I know where to go to find out the meaning of the words." Seven years of college and I'm still not called Doctor!

Tony