Because WYSIWYG, and that's the acronym for What You Say Is What You Get. If I went around telling people what I thought about them they'd punch me on the nose so I'm learning some Russian cuss words so I can insult people without having to fight.
Where shall I begin? The English language is not for the anaemic, debilitated, decrepit, delicate, effete, enervated, exhausted, faint, feeble, fragile, frail, infirm, languid, puny, shaky, sickly, spent, tender, unsound, unsteady, wasted, weakly (breathe please) The circulatory organ of the body: (Slang) ticker, essence, crux, xore, nub, root, gist, meat, marrow, pith, substance, kernel, nitty-gritty, The impulse is transmitted in a fraction of a second through the atria to another group of similarly sensitive fibers called the ...
Because you can never get a straight and simple answer. Most words have more than one meaning and are spelled with no rhyme or reason. It's a discombobulation of a bunch of other languages combined into one. There is one rule: There is an exception to every rule.
This post was edited by Merlin at January 28, 2017 11:28 AM MST
Goodness me, Merlin, this site has opened up a new you. What a great answer! Love the idea that slang is the circulatory organ. It sure makes the language flow.
It's a wonderful language... why? Because it steals all the best bits from other languages ... a portmanteau language ... how else can you tell someone to go ye forth and multiply and get away with it
Hi Ozgirl~ Being a wizard of many hats and having traveled many places through out time, I feel we have met before. Maybe in a poppy field?! Wherever the meadow, field, or garden, obviously we had lots of fun and I have not forgotten. I would like to say, with all do respect, I have little faith in mulitiplingith so quicklith on this wee planetith we live onith. Ye thinkith the little lads and lasses in our future land, might be a bit parched in their wee mouthiths. Remember, moderation in all things is a good thingith.
My wisdom sayth: Practice all you would likith. Just do not make anotherith too soonith. And limitith yourselfith to only replacing yourselfth.
The laughter of fair maiden runs like a stream over pebleded stones, a delight to hear. Glad you liked playing... And nice to see you... Even though the mists of the net :)
Not quite meaningless. I just ran it through myself and it came out slightly different to what I'd fed in. Reminds me of the old myth that if you feed "Out of sight out of mind" into Translate yoiu'll get back "Invisible idiot".
Well it is where Janglish and similar gibberish comes from: When syntax and structure differs between languages it becomes more visible, but it happens even where the differences are minor (eg: translating irish-English to British-English)
(First off, I assume that you're talking about American English). ........... "multiple ways to pronounce most letters of the alphabet; a multitude of irregularities; slang words and slang meanings of words; definitions of words change according to latest trends .... etc.
Haven't seen ghoti for a while. It was a classic from GBS who wasn't too keen on the way English is spoken. Of course, he was Irish, which may account for it...
Benedict Arnold 