--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Kids use words in ways that release…" description: "\"Kids use words in ways that release hidden meanings, revel the history buried in sounds. They haven't forgotten that words can be more than signs, that..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/76b/john-edgar-wideman-7347_abracadabra_kids-use-words-in-ways-that-release-hidd_3139478.jpg" --- # Kids use words in ways that release hidden meanings, revel… ![“Kids use words in ways that release hidden meanings, revel the history buried in sounds. They haven't forgotten that words can be more than signs, that words have magic, the power to be things, to point to themselves and materialize. With their back-formations, archaisms, their tendency to play…” quote by John Edgar Wideman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/76b/john-edgar-wideman-7347_abracadabra_kids-use-words-in-ways-that-release-hidd_3139478.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/76b/john-edgar-wideman-7347_abracadabra_kids-use-words-in-ways-that-release-hidd_3139478.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/76b/john-edgar-wideman-7347_abracadabra_kids-use-words-in-ways-that-release-hidd_3139478.jpg) > “Kids use words in ways that release hidden meanings, revel the history buried in sounds. They haven't forgotten that words can be more than signs, that words have magic, the power to be things, to point to themselves and materialize. With their back-formations, archaisms, their tendency to play the music in words--rhythm, rhyme, alliteration, repetition--children peel the skin from language. Words become incantatory. Open Sesame. Abracadabra. Perhaps a child will remember the word and will bring the walls tumbling down.” [John Edgar Wideman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-edgar-wideman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Children manipulate language to uncover deeper layers, turning words into magical tools that reveal hidden histories and meanings. **In simple terms:** Kids play with words to reveal hidden meanings and magic. Key Takeaway Encourage playful language exploration. Themes language creativity play meaning magic Mood wonderful inquisitive playful Type observational inspirational When to use this quote - storytelling - teaching - writing - performance - therapy Key Concepts semiotics phonology cultural history imagination education Questions to Reflect On - How does playful language shape understanding? - What hidden histories can words reveal? A Different Perspective Children may misinterpret or oversimplify complex concepts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abracadabra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abracadabra/) [Alliteration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alliteration/) [Buried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buried/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Forgotten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgotten/) [Hidden meaning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hidden-meaning/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Magic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magic/) [Music Words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music-words/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Release](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/release/) [Remember](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remember/) [Repetition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/repetition/) [Repetition Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/repetition-children-5587796/) [Rhyme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rhyme/) [Rhythm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rhythm/) [Skins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skins/) [Sound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sound/) [Tendencies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tendencies/) [Tumbling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tumbling/) [Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use/) [Use Words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use-words/) [Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wall/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words/) [Words Rhythm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words-rhythm-546865/) ## Related quotes > [I usually start with the words. The rhythm of the words gives me the rhythm of the song, and then I look for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-brooks/i-usually-start-with-the-words-the-rhythm-of-the-words-gives-me-the/) [Mel Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-brooks/) > [A pop song is a condensed version of a life in three minutes, whereas, when you go to write your prose, you have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/a-pop-song-is-a-condensed-version-of-a-life-in-three-minutes-whereas/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [“The interval of two notes could divide your heart and the tug of words against rhythm could mend it: I'd stumbled on the means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-thompson/the-interval-of-two-notes-could-divide-your-heart-and-the-tug-of/) [Sam Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-thompson/) > [I think that too many people think too much about my lyrics. I am more a person who works with the sound of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-patton/i-think-that-too-many-people-think-too-much-about-my-lyrics-i-am-more/) [Mike Patton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-patton/) > [Maurice Sendak is the daddy of them all when it comes to picture books - the words, the rhythm, the psychology, the design.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-browne/maurice-sendak-is-the-daddy-of-them-all-when-it-comes-to-picture/) [Anthony Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-browne/) > [Alice Walker's words have such rhythm and scream music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-robinson/alice-walker-s-words-have-such-rhythm-and-scream-music/) [Angela Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-robinson/) > [“The writer's job is to turn the unspeakable into words - not just any words, but, if you can, into rhythm and blues.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/the-writer-s-job-is-to-turn-the-unspeakable-into-words-not-just-any/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [I always write lyrics first and the rhythm and the melody come from the lyrics. It always comes from the lyrics: words have rhythm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-hensley/i-always-write-lyrics-first-and-the-rhythm-and-the-melody-come-from/) [Ken Hensley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-hensley/) > [Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-peart/now-i-lay-me-down-to-sleep-i-pray-the-lord-my-soul-to-keep/) [Neil Peart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-peart/) > [Ridicule is the only weapon which can be used against unintelligible propositions. Ideas must be distinct before reason can act upon them; and no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/ridicule-is-the-only-weapon-which-can-be-used-against-unintelligible-2/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Ridicule is the only weapon which can be used against unintelligible propositions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/ridicule-is-the-only-weapon-which-can-be-used-against-unintelligible/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [We treat the Bible, not as if it's a magic book that has to be handled like a piece of abracadabra, make sure it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson/we-treat-the-bible-not-as-if-it-s-a-magic-book-that-has-to-be-handled/) [D. A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson/) > [One might point to the great illumination that has resulted from Freud's analysis of the abracadabra of our dreams. No one can any longer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-lippmann/one-might-point-to-the-great-illumination-that-has-resulted-from/) [Walter Lippmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-lippmann/) > [“One single sentence, one frame of film, and abracadabra! the story’s wings would take her to another lost world, another magic realm that was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-osborne/one-single-sentence-one-frame-of-film-and-abracadabra-the-story-s/) [Neale Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-osborne/) > [Mass ought to be in Latin, unless you could do it in Greek or Chinese. In fact, any abracadabra that no bloody member of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-pound/mass-ought-to-be-in-latin-unless-you-could-do-it-in-greek-or-chinese/) [Ezra Pound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-pound/) ## More by John Edgar Wideman > [My mother loved my father. From my view, she let him get away with too much. It broke my heart to see him in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-edgar-wideman/my-mother-loved-my-father-from-my-view-she-let-him-get-away-with-too/) [John Edgar Wideman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-edgar-wideman/) > [Too much is made for us; too much is given to us - even those of us who are underprivileged. The poverty is given…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-edgar-wideman/too-much-is-made-for-us-too-much-is-given-to-us-even-those-of-us-who/) [John Edgar Wideman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-edgar-wideman/) > [A great artist transforms our world, removes scales from our eyes, plugs from our ears, gloves from our fingertips, teaches us to perceive reality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-edgar-wideman/a-great-artist-transforms-our-world-removes-scales-from-our-eyes/) [John Edgar Wideman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-edgar-wideman/) > [That's what writing is: it's imagining that you can make a world. That's what basketball is, too: it's imagining the game as a world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-edgar-wideman/that-s-what-writing-is-it-s-imagining-that-you-can-make-a-world-that/) [John Edgar Wideman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-edgar-wideman/) > [I'm very hard-nosed and cold-blooded and I can walk past a drowning man. If I have someplace else to go, well, tough s\*\*t. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-edgar-wideman/i-m-very-hard-nosed-and-cold-blooded-and-i-can-walk-past-a-drowning/) [John Edgar Wideman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-edgar-wideman/) > [I get off on anticipating and waiting much more than I get off on the actual event.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-edgar-wideman/i-get-off-on-anticipating-and-waiting-much-more-than-i-get-off-on-the/) [John Edgar Wideman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-edgar-wideman/) > [You have to be a minor superhero just to get to be a dignified man, and that's kind of exacerbated for men of color.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-edgar-wideman/you-have-to-be-a-minor-superhero-just-to-get-to-be-a-dignified-man/) [John Edgar Wideman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-edgar-wideman/) > [Stories are told over time, and so they naturally accrue meanings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-edgar-wideman/stories-are-told-over-time-and-so-they-naturally-accrue-meanings/) [John Edgar Wideman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-edgar-wideman/) > [That's been my routine for years and years... Up early before everybody else, before I get connected, before I get bugged, before I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-edgar-wideman/that-s-been-my-routine-for-years-and-years-up-early-before-everybody/) [John Edgar Wideman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-edgar-wideman/) > [My father was intelligent and closed-mouthed. He knew a lot more than what he was ever going to tell you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-edgar-wideman/my-father-was-intelligent-and-closed-mouthed-he-knew-a-lot-more-than/) [John Edgar Wideman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-edgar-wideman/) > [What I wanted to do in talking about basketball in 'Hoop Roots' was retrieve the game as something to participate in, not to watch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-edgar-wideman/what-i-wanted-to-do-in-talking-about-basketball-in-hoop-roots-was/) [John Edgar Wideman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-edgar-wideman/) > [Books are an attempt to control something that's uncontrollable. That's one of the beauties of African American life. There was this thing called slavery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-edgar-wideman/books-are-an-attempt-to-control-something-that-s-uncontrollable-that/) [John Edgar Wideman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-edgar-wideman/) > [That's one of the beauties, I think, of African American life. There was this thing called slavery and adjustments were made. It literally destroyed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-edgar-wideman/that-s-one-of-the-beauties-i-think-of-african-american-life-there-was/) [John Edgar Wideman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-edgar-wideman/) > [Things seem to fall apart inevitably.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-edgar-wideman/things-seem-to-fall-apart-inevitably/) [John Edgar Wideman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-edgar-wideman/) > [My aunt Geraldine was the unofficial historian and storyteller. She had all the information about family members and the gossip that came out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-edgar-wideman/my-aunt-geraldine-was-the-unofficial-historian-and-storyteller-she/) [John Edgar Wideman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-edgar-wideman/) [Explore all 92 John Edgar Wideman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-edgar-wideman/) ## More Abracadabra quotes > [Mass ought to be in Latin, unless you could do it in Greek or Chinese. In fact, any abracadabra that no bloody member of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-pound/mass-ought-to-be-in-latin-unless-you-could-do-it-in-greek-or-chinese/) [Ezra Pound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-pound/) > [“One single sentence, one frame of film, and abracadabra! the story’s wings would take her to another lost world, another magic realm that was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-osborne/one-single-sentence-one-frame-of-film-and-abracadabra-the-story-s/) [Neale Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-osborne/) > [One might point to the great illumination that has resulted from Freud's analysis of the abracadabra of our dreams. No one can any longer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-lippmann/one-might-point-to-the-great-illumination-that-has-resulted-from/) [Walter Lippmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-lippmann/) > [We treat the Bible, not as if it's a magic book that has to be handled like a piece of abracadabra, make sure it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson/we-treat-the-bible-not-as-if-it-s-a-magic-book-that-has-to-be-handled/) [D. A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson/) > [Ridicule is the only weapon which can be used against unintelligible propositions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/ridicule-is-the-only-weapon-which-can-be-used-against-unintelligible/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Ridicule is the only weapon which can be used against unintelligible propositions. Ideas must be distinct before reason can act upon them; and no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/ridicule-is-the-only-weapon-which-can-be-used-against-unintelligible-2/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-peart/now-i-lay-me-down-to-sleep-i-pray-the-lord-my-soul-to-keep/) [Neil Peart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-peart/) > [The more you earn, the less you keep, And now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to take,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ogden-nash/the-more-you-earn-the-less-you-keep-and-now-i-lay-me-down-to-sleep-i/) [Ogden Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ogden-nash/) > [“Rules of Magic: Do as you will, but harm no one. What you give will be returned to you threefold. Fall in love whenever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hoffman/rules-of-magic-do-as-you-will-but-harm-no-one-what-you-give-will-be/) [Alice Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hoffman/) > [“Have you ever heard anyone say 'Abracadabra'? Well, some think it means 'I create as I speak.' So it means we create our world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-antieau/have-you-ever-heard-anyone-say-abracadabra-well-some-think-it-means-i/) [Kim Antieau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-antieau/) > [I wish grace and healing were more abracadabra kind of things. Also, that delicate silver bells would ring to announce grace's arrival. But no,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/i-wish-grace-and-healing-were-more-abracadabra-kind-of-things-also/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [“Through all the muck of themselves, the times they had unobligated each other, the anger, the permitted absences, the loneliness grown dangerous, she had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorrie-moore/through-all-the-muck-of-themselves-the-times-they-had-unobligated/) [Lorrie Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorrie-moore/) > [In order that the relations between science and the age may be what they ought to be, the world at large must be made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-jay-youmans/in-order-that-the-relations-between-science-and-the-age-may-be-what/) [William Jay Youmans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-jay-youmans/) > [“Altho' I rarely waste time in reading on theological subjects, as mangled by our Pseudo-Christians, yet I can readily suppose Basanistos may be amusing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/altho-i-rarely-waste-time-in-reading-on-theological-subjects-as/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [“― Abraticezamu! Senha incorreta. ― Abracadabra. Senha incorreta. ― lalala1? ― Oi.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/filipe-russo/abraticezamu-senha-incorreta-abracadabra-senha-incorreta-lalala1-oi/) [Filipe Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/filipe-russo/) [Browse all 19 Abracadabra quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abracadabra/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Kids use words in ways that release hidden meanings, revel the history buried in sounds. They haven't forgotten that words can be more than signs, that words have magic, the power to be things, to point to themselves and materialize. With their back-formations, archaisms, their tendency to play the music in words--rhythm, rhyme, alliteration, repetition--children peel the skin from language. Words become incantatory. Open Sesame. Abracadabra. 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