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Make Your Point, Jr. > Words in ABC Order > mischief

   Study the word MISCHIEF:
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Mischief is silly, playful behavior that makes a bit of a mess or causes a bit of trouble or damage, but it doesn't cause too much harm.

In other words, when you make mischief, get into mischief, or get up to mischief—or when you're being mischievous—you're having a good time and doing stuff that you probably shouldn't! And if something keeps you out of mischief, it keeps you busy with work so that you don't have a chance to make mischief.

Here's the Grinch with a mischievous grin. What mischief do you think he's planning?


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Check out this mischievous cat! She's making a mess and wasting the toilet paper on purpose.


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In the song "Nuttin' For Christmas," the singer makes all kinds of mischief. He hides a frog in his sister's bed and fills the sugar bowl with ants. His parents are so mad at him for his mischief that they give him no presents for Christmas!


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In the Harry Potter stories, Peeves the Poltergeist is a mischievous little ghost. He pelts the students with water balloons, floods the kitchen with soup, bangs on the pots and pans, and hides inside a suit of armor while singing his own rude versions of songs. Whenever you see Peeves, he's always up to mischief.

In Wayside School is Falling Down, the kids make mischief when they have a substitute teacher. They consider putting dead rats in the sub's desk, locking the sub out of the classroom, and dropping their heavy textbooks onto the floor with a colossal thud all at the same time. Mischievous plans, aren't they? But the only mischief they actually get into is that every single kid in the class pretends that their name is Benjamin. So the sub calls everybody Benjamin all day long. That's good mischief! It's silly, and it wastes a little time, but it doesn't hurt anybody.


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Finally, have you noticed how I say "mischievous" and not "mischievious"? This word is 3 syllables long: mis-chiev-ous. It's not 4 syllables long: mis-chie-vi-ous. Accidentally saying it with 4 syllables is a common mistake, because we have so many words that do end in "-vious," like "obvious," "serious," "previous," and "envious." But "mischievous" is different. It ends in "-vous," like the word "nervous." Try to say this word properly: mis-chiev-ous.



  Make a flash card:
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You can write your own definition and choose your own picture, or copy mine.

TermDefinitionPicture
mischief fun, slightly bad actions that trick others or mess with things but don't really hurt anyone




  Write your own sentence!
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You can use either of the two ideas I'll suggest, or you can invent your own. Include as much detail as you can!


(Source)
  Write a sentence with the word MISCHIEF:
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Remember: mischievous things and people are having a good time making a mess, surprising or bothering people, or getting into a little trouble.

Idea 1: "(Someone's) eyes sparkle with mischief as (he or she) (does something silly, messy, and annoying)."

Idea 2: "With a mischievous giggle, I hide (somewhere) so I can surprise (somebody) by (doing something)."


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