\nIn elementary school, my sister had more friends than I. Importantly, she attracted a greater variety<\/em> of friends. With some of them she shared interests to which no-one else in our family could relate. They also introduced her to words.<\/p>\n \nOne time, my sister (she might have been about seven) said someone’s ruler was “busted,” meaning broken. No-one else in our family used the word “busted:” the term must’ve come from one of her friends. My mother, being somewhat of a language policeman, said,<\/p>\n “You can’t have a busted ruler. Bust is slang for burst. So a balloon can bust, but not a ruler.”<\/p>\n My sister, for reasons I can’t divine, asked an inspired question:<\/p>\n “Well what about the thing that busts the balloon, then? What do you call it?”<\/p>\n “A balloon buster,” my mother announced.<\/p>\n My sister and I both pitched forward – I think I ended up rolling on the floor with laughter.<\/p>\n “What’s so funny?” my mother asked, half-laughing at the reaction her announcement had caused.<\/p>\n “Who heard of a balloon buster?” I asked. “Is that some kind of machine, just for bursting balloons?” Even then, “bust” just didn’t sound right to me; rather, “burst” sounded correct.<\/p>\n The conversation descended into hilarity. My mother, sister, and I — we had some good times together. That day was one of them. I still laugh, thinking about it.<\/p>\n Source:<\/p>\n Mish, Frederick C (editor). Merriam-Webster Dictionary.<\/em> Springfield: Merriam-Webster, 2004.<\/p>\nJack of Oracle Tutoring by Jack and Diane,<\/a> Campbell River, BC.\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Tutoring English, you’re bound to encounter hilarities connected with vocabulary. The tutor recalls one from his childhood. In elementary school, my sister had more friends than I. Importantly, she attracted a greater variety of friends. With some of them she …<\/p>\n