Antigrams: Definition and Examples

Antigrams are antonymous anagrams. Anagrams are words or phrases created by rearranging the letters of another word or phrase. An anagram becomes an antigram when it is opposite in meaning to the original word or phrase. Making antigrams can be a funny exercise for ESL learners. In the strange world of antigrams evangelists become evil’s

Anagrams of Famous Names

Making anagrams of famous names can be a very funny exercise for learners of English. Celebrity names often become really amusing when the letters are rearranged to give them a new meaning. Anagrams of celebrity names become all the more interesting when the newly coined term reflect the funny side of the personality involved. It is

Homophone Riddles

Homophone Riddles make use of words that sound alike for creating a funny effect. They are a great way to learn new vocabulary. Solving a homophone riddle requires a knowledge of homophones in English. Using homophone riddles in the classroom can increase student engagement. Some riddles will also spark laughter in the classroom and develop the

Spoonerisms: Funny Slips of the Tongue

Spoonerisms are funny expressions created by a transposition of the first letters or sounds of two words. They can occur unintentionally by a slip of tongue or by deliberately turning words somersault for a funny effect. Spoonerism is also known by the name metathesis. Origin of the word Spoonerism: The originator of this play with

Give a Man a Fish: Funny Adaptations of the Proverb

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime,” says the old Chinese proverb. It is often used by educators to condemn ‘spoon-feeding’ in education. In the modern times this proverb has been modified and adapted to suit several life situations.

ESL Stories: Who is an alien?

Who is an alien?, an ESL story for the teaching of vocabulary: The word ‘alien’ is derived from the Latin alienus, which means stranger, foreign, etc. It is often used in social and political contexts. It refers to a person in a country who is not a citizen of that country. We also speak about alien creatures, i.e.  extraterrestrial

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