Philippine Daily Inquirer

Words from mother

- By Normandy A. Dela Paz

HAVE you noticed that if you form words (minimum of three letters) from the word “mother” these words can be associated with our mother? Take a look at some of these words:

Hem- a slight clearing of the throat, used to attract attention. Example: When Mom sees our mess, a “hem” from her means “Better clean this or I’ll clean your clock.”

Her - the objective case of she. Example: For us, there is no other woman than her when it comes to being a great mom.

Herm - a monument consisting of a foursided shaft and bearing a head or bust. Example: Kids can be hell-raisers; Momshould have a herm in her honor for raising us.

Hero - a person who has performed a heroic act. Example: Ever the vigilant hero, Supermom makes sure that the house is free from the evil clutches of dust and junk.

Hoe - a long-handled implement having a thin, flat blade used to destroy weeds etc. Example: Mom discipline­s us when we are naughty like a hoe hacks weeds.

Home - the place in which one’s domestic affections are centered. Example: Mom’s kingdom is the home where she is the master and servant at the same time.

Homer - to hit a home run. Example: Mom says she felt like she hit a homer when we were born; though sometimes Mom feels she struck out whenwemake a mess.

Hot - having or communicat­ing heat. Example: After doing some mischief, we feel a hot sensation on our butt caused by Mom’s slippers.

Met - past tense of meet. Example: The word “met” when put between the words “mom” and “dad”, is the reason why we are here today.

Metro - a learned borrowing from Greek meaning “uterus”. Example: The word metro means “uterus”, a place where Mom swears she’ll put us back if we don’t behave.

More - something of greater importance. Example: Mom always says “Less gripe, more wipe” when she makes us clean the milk we spilled.

Mot - a witty remark. Example: Mom always gives a mot like “Yeah right!” when we ask permission for something we wouldn’t be allowed to see, hear or do.

Mote - a particle or speck, especially of dust. Example: Mom likes to see things clean; not even a mote will escape her sight.

Moth - a chiefly nocturnal insect related to the butterfly. Example: Momstresse­s the value of education because she doesn’t want us to have a moth growing in our brain.

Ore - a metal-bearing mineral or rock. Example: For others, they see Mom’s kids as brats that are dumb as a bunch of rocks, but for Mom we are like precious ore.

Other - some person or thing else. Example: That significan­t “other” for Dad will be Mom, because if it wasn’t her, Dad will be a member of “The Others”.

Roe - the mass of eggs, or spawn within the ovarian membrane of the female fish. Example: If Mom is a fish, then we are all roe and she’s always right.

Rot - mold, putrefy, spoil. Example: Mom doesn’t like it when we choose to rot in our room during the weekend instead of helping out around the house.

Rote - routine; a fixed, habitual or mechanical course of procedure. Example: We can learn by rote the lessons Mom tells us or we can learn by rod.

Them - the objective case of they. Example: Ask Mom who are always on her mind, and she will answer “them”; that means us her family, if you are still clueless.

Toe - one of the terminal digits of the foot. Example: It will not cost us an arm and a leg to treat Mom’s toes with some massage after she is finished working.

Tome - any book, especially a very heavy, large one. Example: When we don’t want to hit the books, Mom uses a tome to hit our head so that we’ll start studying.

Tore - past tense of tear. Example: If we tore our pants Momcan sew it; if someone tore our heart in two, Mom is ready to saw that person in half.

Tor - a rocky pinnacle; a peak of a bare or rocky mountain or hill. Example: The true queen of the hill, Momis at the tor.

 ?? ILLUSTRATI­ON BY NORMANDY A. DELA PAZ ??
ILLUSTRATI­ON BY NORMANDY A. DELA PAZ

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