Wednesday, 29 October 2008
Wednesday, 22 October 2008
Monday, 13 October 2008
Sunday, 12 October 2008
Friday, 10 October 2008
Wednesday, 8 October 2008
Problem with computer
Something crashed onto my computer today and the mouse is missing. You may not get any emails from me!
Tuesday, 7 October 2008
Monday, 6 October 2008
The quirkiness of English
I'm currently reading "The Adventure of English" by Melvyn Bragg, and thought the following was worth copying out. It's part of a verse that shows how words in the English language don't conform to the norm... whatever the norm may be!
We'll begin with a box and the plural is boxes,
But the plural of ox should be oxen not oxes.
Then one fowl is goose, but two are called geese,
Yet the plural of mouse should never be meese.
You may find a lone mouse or a whole lot of mice,
But the plural of house is houses not hice.
If the plural of man is always called men,
Why shouldn't the plural of pan be called pen?
The cow in a plural may be cows or kine,
But the plural of vow is vows and not vine.
And I speak of foot and you show me your feet,
But I give you a boot... would a pair be called beet?
We'll begin with a box and the plural is boxes,
But the plural of ox should be oxen not oxes.
Then one fowl is goose, but two are called geese,
Yet the plural of mouse should never be meese.
You may find a lone mouse or a whole lot of mice,
But the plural of house is houses not hice.
If the plural of man is always called men,
Why shouldn't the plural of pan be called pen?
The cow in a plural may be cows or kine,
But the plural of vow is vows and not vine.
And I speak of foot and you show me your feet,
But I give you a boot... would a pair be called beet?
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