This Crazy Language We Call English!

[Wolfie]

There is no egg in eggplant or ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple. English muffins were not invented in England nor French fries in France. Sweetmeats are candies, while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat. We take English for granted. But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square, and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig. And why is it that writers write, but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce, and hammers don't ham? If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth beeth? One goose, 2 geese. So, one moose, 2 meese? One index, two indices? Is cheese the plural of choose? If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?

In what language do people recite at a play, and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo by ship? Have noses that run and feet that smell? Park on driveways and drive on parkways? How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? How can the weather be hot as hell one day and cold as hell another? When a house burns up, it burns down. You fill in a form by filling it out and an alarm clock goes off by going on. When the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible.

Why is the word "abbreviation" so long while we call them apartments when they're together? Why do you get a check at a restaurant when we petition for a bill?

And why, when I wind up my watch, I start it, but when I wind up this essay, I end it? Now I know why I flunked English. It's not my fault-the silly language doesn't quite know whether it's coming or going.

------ This isn't my work, all credit goes to Dr. Richard Lederer (Ph.D in Linguistics, Master of Arts.). Just thought you'd find this an... interesting read. Enjoy.

[probigeorge11]

weird.....

[vbreal]

funny haaaaaa

[hawtseks]

get to work!!

[Wolfie]

get to work!!

Awww.... but I am working...

[mast3rpyr0]

lol very nice find :P

[kryptonkid07]

haha, just e-mailed this to my co-workers...

[Wolfie]

haha, just e-mailed this to my co-workers...

Kudos, I'm sure they're going to enjoy it. Thanks.