Insanity Over Words

BY MARIJUNE T. LITARGO

There is no sand in a sandwich or ham in a hamburger, neither straw in a strawberry. English muffins weren’t discovered in England nor were French fries in France.

Sometimes we take English for granted, but if we take a closer look at its meaning, we find that quicksand works slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.

And why is that writers write, drivers drive but fingers don’t fing; pliers don’t ply and hammers don’t ham? If the plural of foot is feet, why isn’t the plural of booth beeth? If goose is one and geese are plural, how come meese can’t be the plural for moose? Why didn’t preachers praught, if teachers taught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables then what does a humanitarian eat? Why is bote not for bite, if wrote is for write?

Sometimes I wonder about the English speakers. Come on, think of it. In what language do people ship by truck and send cargo by ship, have noses that talk and mouths that smell? How can a slim chance and fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposite? How can oversee and overlook be opposites? While quite a lot and quite a few are similar? How can the weather be hot as hell in the morning and cold as hell in the afternoon? Have you ever noticed that we talk about certain things only when they are absent?

Nowadays, subject verb agreement is a big challenge for non-English speakers in learning and applying the English language in our everyday life, especially for students. Teachers emphasize vocabulary improvement, development, and explicit grammar study as being very essential in helping them to communicate effectively in spoken and written English.

Being bewildered with words and phrases is not recognized in ordinary conversation; rather the point being implied has more value. English is designed by people and not by computers, and it apprehends the creativity of the human race.

That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible; and when I gust up my watch I start it, but when I gust up this article I end it.

Review or comment on Insanity Over Words –

Reviews:

Cool site.                                                                       –  Sally Kraus  9/20/07

I find this article amusing. Especially the clincher sentence. Well done!

–  Tapde  3/9/09

Home > Your Page > Insanity Over Words