Random thoughts

Every once in a while I have to relate my rhetorical musings, which I like to call “brain farts.” Here are some of them for your consideration or amusement, but no answers please.

Why is an Indian or Pakistani accent funny no matter what the person is saying in English?

On the subject of language, have you also noticed that almost every good video or slide show presentation you receive via email is in a foreign language, many without English subtitles? What is that all about?

Why is the word abbreviation so long?

Why do people–some very public, like George W. Bush and Rick Perry–use the word “nucular”? There is no such word. (Look it up in the dictionary, if you can find it)

Why does just about everyone call a realtor a “realator”? That is another non-word, unless you accent the second syllable and refer to someone as “one who relates”.

How does jewelry becomes jewlery?

There are two ways to spell and use the word i-t-s. If used as a possessive pronoun, it’s its, but if it’s a combination of the two words it is… well it’s kind of self explanatory.

The words they’re, their and there are not interchangeable, but many people seem to think they are. The same is true for were, wear and where.

Did you know that there are four syllables in comfortable? Most people pronounce only three, and make it “comfterbul.”

Two other words that are used wrongly are have and of, such as. “I should of known better.” No, you should have known better.

Then and than are two more examples of confusing words. Then is a ‘time’ word, while ‘than’ is a comparative word.

Here’s a good one… Why do flammable and inflammable mean the same thing? Is there an antonym using the root "flammable" or "inflammable"? Perhaps "unflammable", or is it "uninflammable"? Well, there's always "fireproof".

Less refers to an indefinite amount of something, while fewer denotes a smaller numerical quantity, such as “less money” but “fewer dollars.” However, the comparative use of ‘less’ would be ‘lesser,’ as in “the lesser of two evils.”

Why is a wise guy a derogatory term for an obnoxious know-it-all who makes annoying remarks, while a wise man is a very intelligent and learned person?

Why do “Fat chance” and “slim chance” mean exactly the same thing?

That's it for this week...