320 Sycamore Studios publishes original kids stories served fresh monthly, plus essays, book recommendations, and news about people living their books life. Everything is 100 percent Jeff-written.
This story came about after some noodling on how the beginnings of words get all the attention and my wondering if I could do something that gave the endings of words some love. It’s best read aloud. Hope you like it.
Abe and Zed were slouching on the veranda that easy summer night just watching the fireflies scribble across the dark.
Word game? says Abe.
Always, says Zed.
Which?
Word ball?
Naw. Did that yesterday. Seven-sentence story?
Naw. Tuesday, remember?
Yeah. Story cubes?
Naw. Fictionary?
Naw.
Hmm.
Hmm.
Hey.
Yeah.
Got a new one.
Yeah?
Yeah.
Nice.
I call it Gimme That Word.
How do you play?
You give me a word that starts with A and ends with B.
Gotcha.
I have to give the definition.
Gotcha.
Then I give you a word that starts with B and ends with C ...
... and I give you the definition?
Exactly. Through the whole alphabet.
Is that possible?
No idea.
Gotcha. Let’s add a twist.
Like?
The second definition has to rhyme with the first.
Whoa, sweet. But …
Yeah?
We should keep changing who goes first.
To be fair.
To be fair.
Yeah.
Ready?
Ready.
Gimme that word!
APLOMB!
To do something smoothly, with style and grace.
BRIC-A-BRAC!
Knick-knacks and treasures that brighten a place.
CAMELOPARD!
An old word for “giraffe” (which kind of makes sense).
DECATHLETE!
A track and field athlete who does 10 events.
ENDLEAF!
A blank page you see when the story’s all done.
FIZGIG!
Firework fizzlers that aren’t that much fun.
GUITARFISH!
A warm-water fish, the “shovelnose ray”.
HAVARTI!
A soft Danish cheese. There’s some on this tray.
INDIAN TAJ!
Like in “Taj Mahal?” It’s a kind of a crown.
JINK!
To make dodging turns, or to just goof around.
KRILL!
A tiny crustacean that whales like to eat.
LEGROOM!
What tall people lack in an airliner seat.
MACARON!
Cookies from Paris. They’re sweet and they’re chewy.
NACHO!
Cheese melted on chips. They’re crunchy and gooey.
OFFRAMP!
The first thing you take if the traffic gets thick.
PUQ!
Puq?
PQ is a tough one!
Yeah.
Yeah.
Hmm ... something you smaq with your hoquey, um, stiq.
QUICKSILVER!
Metal that moves in a liquidy way.
RECESS!
That school time when schoolkids all go out to play.
SACKBUT!
A Renaissance instrument like a trombone.
TIRAMISU!
An Italian dessert. It’s got marscapone.
UV!
Two letters that mean “ultraviolet light”.
VOW!
A promise you make with your hand raised, your right.
WAX!
Gunk you dig out of your ear with a key.
XRAY!
A picture of stuff on the inside of me.
YUTZ!
A nincompoop, dunderhead, idiot, fool.
ZYZZYVA!
A beetle! We did it! We finished! How cool!
Yeah.
Yeah.
What now?
Do it in reverse?
Back to A?
Yeah.
Yeah.
Ready?
Gimme that word!
PS. All the content I write is free, but if you want to support my work, consider a one-dollar tip, max, for the year. That’s it! One buck. Once a year. No AI. No auto-renew. No shenanigans. Thanks, Jeff.
Photo credits: Krill: Bilicube Studio; Macaron, Tiramisu: Hartono Creative Studio; Giraffe: Luisa Roth (all via Unsplash).
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