I spend a lot of time and vocabulary defending the Memphis City School system, both here and in my column. But last night, S came running into the room and asked us if "stinky" is a word. It went like this:
S: Is stinky a word?
Us: Stinky?
S: Steeenky.
Us: Stinky?
S: Steeeenky.
Finally, C came in to help us out.
C: She thinks it's "stanky."
And she did, too. We set her straight. One of those lessons better learned at home, I suppose.