Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Our Funny Language

Cleaning out files, which I am still involved with, is uncovering some unique items I'd forgotten about so I'll share another one today with you. Really makes you think.......try reading them out loud and they become tongue twisters.

This little treatise on the lovely language we share is only for the brave. It was passed on by a linguist, original author unknown. Peruse at your leisure, English lovers.

Why the English language is so hard to learn:
1) The bandage was wound around the wound.
2) The farm was used to produce produce.
3) The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
4) We must polish the Polish furniture.
5) He could lead if he would get the lead out.
6) The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.
7) Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.
8) A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.
9) When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
10) I did not object to the object.
11) The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
12) There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.
13) They were too close to the door to close it.
14) The buck does funny things when the does are present.
15) A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.
16) To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
17) The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
18) After a number of injections my jaw got number.
19) Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.
20) I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
21) How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?
Let's face it - English is a crazy lauguage.


Lets have some fun with this now and see if any of you, out there in blog land, can add to our list.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is so cute. I have a friend who struggles with the confusion of spelling words. I can't wait to print this for her and give her a good laugh. We use the word "polish" at our work every day. When she first started at the office she commented that it looked at lot like "Polish", haha. I laughed when I saw that on your list. She is a very smart lady, but this is her downfall :)
Have a blessed day.

Just Mom said...

I saw your comment on Ginger's blog and was intrigued by your name "Penless Thoughts," so I popped on over here. I hope you don't mind.

I love your post "Our Funny Language." I majored in English in college and wrote for various companies/publications for 16 years before going in to semi-retirement last summer to raise my four-year-old son.

Anyway, I love the English language and how illogical it can seem to some at times. Thanks for posting this list. Like Ginger, I'll probably print this out and hang it up in my home office.

someone else said...

These are funny and we certainly do have a peculiar language.

Thank you for the really lovely comment you left on my blog. It's always nice to "meet" a new blogger. Please come back any time.

And hang in there with the blogging quirks. Eventually it won't seem so confusing and you'll begin to feel like a pro!

Susan said...

Ginger - Glad you enjoyed. Let me know what your co-worked has to say.

Just - Thanks for dropping by. Please do so any time. As a high school graduate with just a couple of college accounting classes & a
class in hand writing analysis I could get intimated by a English major:):)

Susan said...

Morning - So glad you dropped by I think we have a lot in common from the sounds of your blogs.

Just Mom said...

I'm not that scary (at least I don't mean to be). I may have majored in English, but that doesn't mean I remember everything :-)