Sunday, 13 December 2015

Words on Words on Words



We were talking, as we seem to, about language.  Zee wondered why hair is singular, though there are lots of them.  This isn’t the case in other languages, like French, where they quite cheerfully say ‘I washed my cheveux’.  If you say that in English, it sounds a bit risqué.  I pointed out that there is a number of these sorts of confusion.

On my way back here through the drizzle and tyre spray, I reflected that I used to wonder whether I was the only one who did that.  Now I know I’m not.  There are at least two of us.  And there is a pair.

7 comments:

  1. Plurals must be very confusing to the newcomer. When my daughter was quite young she would refer to an individual item of clothing as a "clo"
    Warmest congratulations btw ( but not comfortable with the American pronounciation)

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  2. I remember the clo! Can't remember where from, though.
    And thank you, Rog. (Just camouflage.)

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  3. Interesting. Like sheep....no. Not like sheep. I need to go and lie down.

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  4. The converse applies too. Trousers.

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  5. I answer to pretty well any name, having grown up with one that few people had heard of and mostly got wrong. Zee is fine by me, if you insist.

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    Replies
    1. Well, camouflage is no longer needed, is it? At least, not as much. So you'll be Z for blog purposes, if that's okay.

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    2. Call me anything you like, babycakes, just call me.... [I've waited all my life to use that line ;) ]

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