Seesaw a "teeter-totter". According to linguist Peter Trudgill, the term originates from the Nordic language word "tittermatorter". A "teeter-totter" may also refer to a two-person swing on a swing seat, on which two children sit facing each other and the teeter-totter swings back and forth in a pendulum motion. Both "teeter-totter" (from "teeter", as in "to teeter on the edge") and "seesaw" (from the verb "saw") demonstrate the linguistic process called reduplication, where a word or syllable is doubled, often with a different vowel. Reduplication is typical of words that indicate repeated activity, such as riding up and down on a
Lara Teeter Lara Teeter Lara Teeter (born 1955) is an American dancer, actor, singer, theatre director and college professor. Born in Guthrie, Oklahoma, Teeter earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Oklahoma City University. He made his Broadway debut in the short-lived 1980 musical "Happy New Year", followed by another short-lived musical, the stage adaptation of "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers", which ran on Broadway in 1982 for five performances. For his third stage effort, the 1983 revival of "On Your Toes" he won critical recognition and a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Musical, as "The Hoofer" and