Fun Words for Objects

Here’s a fun way to get your students interested in the meanings of words. Each of the following words is an object whose names your students probably don’t know:

1. Tang
2. MacGuffin
3. Worsted
4. Burgee
5. Fascinator

For each word, we have provided a humorous incorrect meaning followed by the correct meaning. Introduce each word with the incorrect meaning and then have your students use reference materials to locate the correct meaning of the word as an object.

1. A tang is a tasty orange flavored drink that’s great to drink on the way to the moon. (The tang is the part of the knife blade that extends into the handle. It’s often fitted into a slot in the handle.)
2. A MacGuffin is the latest food item you can find at McDonald’s. (A MacGuffin is the object in a movie that sets the plot and keeps the plot in motion. For example, the briefcase in “Pulp Fiction” whose contents are never known.)
3. Worsted is the lousiest score you ever got on a test. (Worsted is a type of closely woven fabric made from wool.)
4. A burgee is a small hamburger that goes great with a MacGuffin. (A burgee is the little triangular flag that flutters at the top of the main mast of a sailboat.)
5. A fascinator is what a hypnotist swings back and forth in front of a person’s face to put that person in a trance. (A fascinator is a decorative headpiece attached to the hair with a comb, clip, or headband.)