An English Lesson

[SAJ]

Just as do 'flammable' and 'inflammable'. Go figure, eh? (g!)

[speedy]

Hey, I resemble that remark. See you at the bar.

[Prime Choice]

And a destitute swordsman had to sell off the walls of his practice pen.

That's right. He had to fence the fence fence.

[DumpsterDiver]

F'rinstance, the following words can be punctuated to make exactly one grammatically correct sentence:

Mary where John had had has had had had had had had had had had the teacher's approval

Care to have a go? ;^)

That's too much for me to handle!

[Prime Choice]

More importantly, how is it that a male sheep is a ram, a donkey is an ass, but a ram to the ass is a goose?

[Coyoteman]

But learning English is more than a rite of passage, and immigrants do need to learn to read and write. Even some of the manual professions, such as being a millwright, require such skills. Right?

[Prime Choice]

Why do we park in the driveway and drive on the parkway?

Why do they call them "apartments" when they're so darned close together?

Why do they call it a "fast" when it goes so darn slow?

[Friend of thunder]

How about a clue; like what forms of punctuation?

[Prime Choice]

Hey, who are you calling a homophone? You some kind of thespian or something?

I masticated with a thespian once. I think I liked it.

[Prime Choice]

Isn't it common knowledge that whereever you find four Freepers, you'll find a fifth?

;o)

[Riley]

6) The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert, but received his just deserts when he found he was hungry later.

'Eunice King Kitchens'.

'Nuff said.

[untenured]

I unthinkingly pronounce "route" to rhyme with "bout." I know it's not the standard pronunciation, and it drives my wife crazy. Does anyone else say it this way? I'm wondering if it's a regional thing.

[Tax-chick]

Does anyone else say it this way?

Yes

I'm wondering if it's a regional thing.

I'm sure it is.

[KarlInOhio]

I unthinkingly pronounce "route" to rhyme with "bout." I know it's not the standard pronunciation, and it drives my wife crazy. Does anyone else say it this way? I'm wondering if it's a regional thing.

26. route (as in, "the route from one place to another")

a. rhymes with "hoot" (29.99%)
b. rhymes with "out" (19.72%)
c. I can pronounce it either way interchangeably (30.42%)
d. I say it like "hoot" for the noun and like "out" for the verb. (15.97%)
e. I say it like "out" for the noun and like "hoot" for the verb. (2.50%)
f. other (1.40%)
(11137 respondents)

Surprisingly, it doesn't look very regional. More "roots" in the Northeast. It not nearly as regional as pop/soda/coke for fizzy sugar water.

[Tax-chick]

Indeed, what could one say after that?

[JakeSladder]

Three times, real fast...

One smart fellow, he felt smart.
Two smart fellows, they felt smart.
Three smart fellows, they all felt smart.

[SAJ]

All English punctuation is permitted, standard usages only. ! () - -- , . ? ' '' ; : and maybe some I've forgotten are all legal here.

[speedy]

Those thespians will do anything. I've even seen them ululate in public.

[rockabyebaby]

Hurry up and come down here!

[neverhome]

And, isn't it odd that an ASteroid can wreck an entire HEMisphere...

while a HEMorrhoid can only wreck... well never mind.