Big Words, Little Sayings
Some sayings get dressed up in their fanciest, longest words, so long you can hardly tell what they mean. Can you decode them? Then try making your own saying ridiculously complicated!
In Simple Terms
A proverb is a short, famous saying that gives advice, like “Look before you leap.” Here, we’ve taken well-known proverbs and rewritten them with the biggest words we could find. Your job is to figure out the everyday saying hiding inside.
There’s even a word for using lots of long words: sesquipedalian (ses-kwih-peh-DAY-lee-an). It comes from Latin and means “a foot and a half long,” as in words so long they’re a foot and a half long!
Game 1: Guess the Saying
Read the fancy version, then guess the everyday saying. Easy gives you three choices. Hard lets you think it through, then reveal the answer.
Game 2: Make My Saying Fancy
Type a saying or a short everyday sentence, then press the button. Try “The dog ate my homework” or “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.”
Why plain words matter
Big words are fun in a game, but when something is important, plain words win. Imagine a weather warning that said:
“Significant convective precipitation accompanied by electrical discharges is anticipated.”
That means: “Heavy rain and thunderstorms are coming.” Which one would you understand fast enough to get inside? That’s why weather forecasters, firefighters and doctors try to say important things in plain language.
Challenge: pick a fancy saying from Game 1 and explain it to someone in your family in your own plain words.