Synonyms

Today's lesson in synonyms.  Madeleine was quick to grasp the concept.

MADELEINE: Can I have an apple with cinnamon with my lunch?
ME: Sure.
JULIA: (to Auntie Shannon) You wanna know a word that kids in my class have trouble pronouncing?  "Synonym."
MADELEINE: Cinnamon?
JULIA: No, synonym.
MADELEINE: What's "synonym?"
AUNTIE SHANNON: So, a synonym means a similar word.  A word that has the same meaning.
ME: For instance, a synonym for the word "big" is "large."
AUNTIE SHANNON: Right.  So a synonym for "little" would be-
MADELEINE: Is it like, this one is big and this one is medium and this one is littler and this one is littlest?
AUNTIE SHANNON: No.  Nothing like that.  A synonym is a word that has the same meaning as another word.  So Madeleine.  What is a synonym for "cold?"
MADELEINE: Hot?
AUNTIE SHANNON: No, that would be an antonym.  That has the opposite meaning.  Think of a word that has the same meaning.  What is a synonym for "cold?"
MADELEINE: Bold??
AUNTIE SHANNON: No, that's a rhyming word.  Okay.  If you wanted to tell me that it's cold out, but someone was gonna PUNCH YOU IN THE FACE if you used the word "cold," what's a different word you could use?
MADELEINE: (baffled silence)
ME: I'll give you a synonym.  Chilly.
AUNTIE SHANNON: So what's a synonym for "hot?"
MADELEINE: Um...warm?
EVERYONE: Yes!  Hooray!  You got it!

A few minutes later, Madeleine turned the tables and began testing Auntie Shannon on synonyms.

MADELEINE: Okay.  What's a synonym for "falling leaves?"

I can tell she totally gets it.