Undermining

The Example

“Daddy,” my four-year-old asks from her secure perch in his arms. “Can I have one chocolate?” Her pigtails swing and she opens her eyes wide. “Please?”
“Uh, sure,” he says, and she flings her arms around his neck. Then she casts a triumphant, sidelong glance at me.
What Daddy doesn’t know is that she already asked me for chocolate, and I said no. No, you just brushed your teeth, no, you’ve had enough sugar for today, no, you’ll get it all over your face right before bed, no.
Ah, undermining.

The Definition: Undermine

“To subvert or weaken secretly. “ http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/undermine.


The Etymology: Undermine

In the middle ages, forces attacking castles would mine under the outer castle walls, shoring up their tunnels with wooden beams. Then they would set the beams on fire, run like crazy, and wait for the tunnel to collapse once the supports no longer held it up. The portion of the castle wall over the tunnel would collapse too, and behold! A breach to the inner fortress.


The Book: The World of Castles and Forts, by Malcolm Day

This is a fun, do-able survey of castles and forts from China to England, from Roman to modern times. Each castle or fort appears in a two-page spread well-balanced with illustrations and text. I read it with my nine-year-old son, and the format made the book easy to pick up and put down.

Watch for the illustration of undermining!