Expressions and their Meanings

We spent some time in and out of waiting rooms over the last couple of weeks. We played "I Spy," scavenger hunts, "Going on A Picnic," and any other game we could think of to pass the time. One day, while waiting, my Sunshine overheard an elderly couple talking. The man made a comment that some car he had seen was "the bee's knees." She started giggling and, for the longest time, could not stop long enough to tell me what she was giggling about.

After about 15 minutes, she was finally able to speak somewhat legibly and ask "I never knew bee's had knees." In her mind, she was picturing a bee with knees just like hers and this was absolutely hilarious to her... and to her brother and sister once they knew what she was thinking about. This led into a discussion about expressions and about how some phrases use words that actually mean different things, just like when Daddy remarked a few years ago about how a bad driver needed to "get his head out of his rear."  I do have to say that it was an interesting day having to explain to a four year old that the man did not actually have his head in his rear.

This led to the creation of a few sets of "expressions and their meanings" cards. This work enabled me to introduce many expressions that my children had never encountered before. It has been one of the more humorous works we have done in the last couple of months! I have a download available for free for anyone who would like to use them with their children or students.