February 27, 2008



  •
    Do you remember back when you were a child and your mother and/or father told you, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me?"

    Well, last Sunday night I was trying to finish the New York Times crossword puzzle in The Kansas City Star while The Professor and I watched the Oscars on TV.  I was using our American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language as a lap desk (and convenient reference).  Eventually I needed to stand up, the heavy dictionary fell out of my grasp, and it landed hard on my foot.  I can attest that this was an event where words did hurt me!  (My foot is fine now.)

    Thus, the childhood "truism" is obviously false.