Dept. of Word Lists

The Tawdry Hucksters of Tripe

Bob Greenman, an award-winning writer, educator, and speaker, has written two outstanding guides to vocabulary enrichment: Words That Make a Difference and More Words That Make a Difference, with illustrative passages from the New York Times and the Atlantic Monthly, respectively. We asked Bob to pick some choice words from the second volume (co-authored with his wife, Carol), and he came up with a trio of words exposing the seamy underbelly of Old Hollywood.
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Bob Greenman explains the benefits of teaching vocabulary with rich context.
Bob recommends books that lend a deeper appreciation of English vocabulary.
Debbie Shults has advice for teachers on how to avoid the pitfalls of traditional vocab instruction.