(Based on the Devils Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce and some of its new versions.

s.) ACTIVITY 1 Try to complete the following ironic definitions using who, which or where and find out which word they refer to. Every definition is connected to one picture below: can you match them?? Have fun!!
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. A________ is a person ______ puts metal into your mouth and pulls coins out of your pocket. A ________ is a place______ horses, ponies and elephants are permitted to see men, women and children acting the fool. A _______________ is a teenager _______ must behave like an adult so that the adults ______ are out can behave like teenagers A __________ is a person ______ is early when you are late and late when you are early. A ______________ is an invention of the devil ______ abrogates some of the advantages of making a disagreeable person keep his distance. An ___________ is a person ______ has stopped growing at both ends and is now growing in the middle. A __________ is a flying ship ____________ is considered by most studies to be the safest mode of transportation, at least while it remains aloft An ____________ is a place ______ you can relax and surf the internet after your strenuous home life. A ___________ is a device ______ has a relation to the eye similar to that of the telephone to the ear, and ______ enables distant objects to plague us with a multitude of needless details. A __________ is a reptile ______ has edible legs. A ______________ is a small mechanical device ______ wakes up people without children A ___________ is an adult schoolchild ______ refused to leave school. A _____________ is a place _______ will lend you money if you can prove you don't need it.

C____________

B____________

F______

B __________

C___________

T___________

A___________

P________________

T____________

B_____________

O____________

T_____________

D____________

(Activity cards: matching pairs) ACTIVITY 2

Dentist: A person whose job is to take care of peoples teeth.

Circus: A group of entertainers, sometimes with trained animals, who perform skilful or amusing acts in a show Baby-sitter: A person who takes care of babies or children while their parents are away from home and is usually paid to do this. Boss: A person who is in charge of other people at work and tells them what to do. Telephone: A system for talking to somebody else over long distances, using wires or radio. Adult: A fully grown person who is legally responsible for their actions.

Plane: A flying vehicle with wings and one or more engines.

Office: A room, set of rooms or building where people work, usually sitting at desks. Telescope: A piece of equipment shaped
like a tube, containing lenses, that you look through to make objects that are far away appear larger and nearer.

Frog: A small animal with smooth skin, very long legs for jumping, and no tail, that lives both on land and in water. Clock: An instrument for measuring and showing time, in a room or on the wall of a building.

Teacher: A person whose job is teaching, especially in a school. Bank: An organization that provides various financial services, for example keeping or lending money.

ACTIVITY 3 Now its your turn!!! Here are some more pictures with the definitions from the Oxford Dictionary. Can you try to make up some funny, ironic ones for them? Have a try!! CAT Oxford: A small animal with soft fur which people often keep as a pet. You:

ARCHITECT Oxford: A person whose designing buildings, etc. You:

job

is

CABBAGE Oxford: A round vegetable with large green, purplish-red or white leaves which can be eaten raw or cooked. You:

ACCOUNTANT Oxford: A person whose job is to keep or check financial accounts. You:

ACTIVITY 1

This is an activity to practice the use of the relatives : who, which, where. Its based on the Devils Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce and on some of its new versions. The Devils Dictionary is a dictionary in which the definitions are funny and quite ironic. Students enjoy them!!
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. A DENTIS is a person WHO puts metal into your mouth and pulls coins out of your pocket. A CIRCUS is a place WHERE horses, ponies and elephants are permitted to see men, women and children acting the fool. A BABY-SITTER is a teenager WHO must behave like an adult so that the adults WHO are out can behave like teenagers A BOSS is a person WHO is early when you are late and late when you are early. A TELEPHONE is an invention of the devil WHICH abrogates some of the advantages of making a disagreeable person keep his distance. An ADULT is a person WHO has stopped growing at both ends and is now growing in the middle. A PLANE is a flying ship WHICH is considered by most studies to be the safest mode of transportation, at least while it remains aloft An OFFICE is a place WHERE you can relax and surf the internet after your strenuous home life. A TELESCOPE is a device WHICH has a relation to the eye similar to that of the telephone to the ear, and WHICH enables distant objects to plague us with a multitude of needless details. A FROG is a reptile WHICH has edible legs. A CLOCK is a small mechanical device WHICH wakes up people without children A TEACHER is an adult schoolchild WHO refused to leave school. A BANK is a place WHICH will lend you money if you can prove you don't need it.

ACTIVITY 2
This is a group activity: the students work with the real definitions of the words in activity 1. Cut out the cards pictures and definitions separately; you can laminate them so as to make them last in time. Divide your students in two groups: give the definitions to one group and the pictures to the other. Explain that the ones with the pictures must think of a definition for their picture and then move around telling it to the students in the definition-group till they find their pictures match. Fix a time so as not to make the activity last for too long. In the end make students read their definitions and show the pictures to the whole class.

ACTIVITY 3
In pairs or small groups, the students try to make up their own funny, ironic definitions of the pictures given in the activity. You can also allow them to invent definitions for any other object, person, profession or place they can think of. Its up to y ou! Here are the funny definitions of the pictures in activity 3, in case you want to tell your students after their tries: CAT: A soft, indestructible automaton which has been provided by nature to be kicked when things go wrong in the domestic circle ARCHITECT: A person who drafts a plan of your house, and plans a draft of your money CABBAGE: A familiar kitchen-garden vegetable which is about as large and wise as a man's head. ACCOUNTANT: One who tells you approximately how much you are worth and exactly what you owe them.