Of Lice and Men

What's the four letter word you most dread hearing your school-age child say to you? It's not d***, s*** or even f***. It's the "L" word. As in "Lice". Yeah, I know it's not that uncommon, and kids catch it from their schoolmates all the time. While some parents freak out, it didn't bother me that much. But it does take considerable time and effort to get rid of the nasty little beasts. By the time I was done, my daughter had finished five "Horrible Harry" and "Magic Tree House" books. And I had newfound insight into the etymology of the terms "nitpicking" and "going through with a fine-toothed comb." These phrases are used in my (legal) profession very often, but I'll never think of them in quite the same way any more.