The English Language: A Thread by Dale Wisely

Post by **Dale** » Sat Sep 22, 2007 1:14 pm

For observations about odd/interesting features of English. I'll begin.

3 words which are frequently confused with each other.

Wary, weary, and leery.

Of course, the definitions of wary and leery are very close and they could safely be used interchangeably. But weary is sometimes confused with wary and weary is also sometimes confused with leery. Especially by my friend Larry.

That is all.

Post by **Dale** » Sat Sep 22, 2007 1:18 pm

A definition:

turpitude |ˈtərpiˌt(y)oōd| noun. depravity; wickedness : acts of moral turpitude. ORIGIN late 15th cent.: from French, or from Latin turpitudo, from turpis ‘disgraceful, base.’

I became curious about this today when reading a legal reference to "moral turpitude," realizing I've never once seen the word "turpitude" except paired with "moral" and yet it appears to be redundant.

emmline · Post by **emmline** » Sat Sep 22, 2007 1:24 pm

I can't speak for Larry, but Dale--I'd be leery of posting that to the Chiff.
Seriously. Very wary. Nary a chiffer can resist such a come on. (I don't mean the leary type.) Trust me. This thread will very soon make you weary.
Chiffers? I dare'ye.

djm · Post by **djm** » Sat Sep 22, 2007 1:32 pm

There are many forms of turpitude. Assuming that morality is the only venue for turpitude exhibits narrow-mindedness and lack of vision. Although I am still investigating the many facets of turpitude myself, I can vouch for the fact that, contrary to some peoples' opinion, turpitude does not necessarily turn one's urine into turpentine.

djm

BillChin · Post by **BillChin** » Sat Sep 22, 2007 1:36 pm

I have enough trouble with Larry, Mo and Curly, much less willy, nilly, and silly. I don't think I got much out of this week's English lesson.

izzarina · Post by **izzarina** » Sat Sep 22, 2007 2:05 pm

Leery - to leer excessively; the state of leering

Well, haven't WE been awfully leery today??

Keep your leery face to yourself!

anniemcu · Post by **anniemcu** » Sat Sep 22, 2007 2:39 pm

Though they tried to make the tough trough design work, it never was thoroughly thought through, so it failed.

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Sat Sep 22, 2007 2:44 pm

English spelling is one of the most difficult kinds of spelling in the world. In all the languages I have studied, English is the hardest. Even in Hebrew, which goes "backwards" and doesn't use vowels, at least you always know what sounds the letters make.

Post by **Dale** » Sat Sep 22, 2007 4:01 pm

Cranberry wrote:English spelling is one of the most difficult kinds of spelling in the world.

I believe this must be true. I'm fond of the classic "ghoti" illustration.

Most people here will know it.

How does one pronounce, in English, "ghoti"?

The answer is "fish."

The 'gh' is pronounced as in the word "tough."
The 'o' is pronounced as in the word "women."
The "ti" is pronounced as in the word "caution."

So, I guess it could have been 3Ghoti Productions.

Post by **Dale** » Sat Sep 22, 2007 4:02 pm

anniemcu wrote:Though they tried to make the tough trough design work, it never was thoroughly thought through, so it failed.

Though they tried to make the tough trough design work, it never was thoroughly thought through, so they threw it out.

emmline · Post by **emmline** » Sat Sep 22, 2007 4:04 pm

emmline wrote:(I don't mean the leary type.)

dictionary.com wrote:lear

–noun Scot. and North England.

learning; instruction; lesson.

[Origin: 1350–1400; late ME lere lesson, n. use of lere to teach, OE l?ran; c. D leren, G lehren, Goth laisjan; akin to lore]

I like how I used this word without knowing what it meant.

Cynth · Post by **Cynth** » Sat Sep 22, 2007 4:33 pm

Oh, I thought you meant a drug-taking type.

How can "cleave" mean both cling together and split in two? That has always seemed quite odd to me. It's almost insane really. I'm sure I could (and should) look it up.

KatieBell · Post by **KatieBell** » Sat Sep 22, 2007 4:34 pm

I've found that their, there, and they're are sufficiently advanced for the average American to spell.

I cringe at accept and except being interchanged.

Bathe and breathe seem to be misunderstood as the Old English spellings of bath and breath.

Very few even know the word cite exists and most think site is the IM version of the word sight, much as l8r is to later. I can't seem to get through to people that they are three different and distinct words.

Than and then, want and wont, want and won't, and even to, too, and two are words I see used incorrectly.

Dale, you must be hanging out with some high-brow people. The ones in my neck of the woods would have to be well-read to even use the words weary or wary in a sentence, much less incorrectly.

The Weekenders · Post by **The Weekenders** » Sat Sep 22, 2007 4:59 pm

We were just discussing this morning the fact that some people pronounce "coupon" as "cyoupon". Wyizzzit?

sbfluter · Post by **sbfluter** » Sat Sep 22, 2007 6:30 pm

Cynth wrote:Oh, I thought you meant a drug-taking type.

How can "cleave" mean both cling together and split in two? That has always seemed quite odd to me. It's almost insane really. I'm sure I could (and should) look it up.

I don't know what the dictionary says, but in geology, most minerals will have a direction in their crystalline structure where the molecules are weak, called a cleavage plane. Along this plane, the molecules are both held together weakly, and can be broken cleanly.

This is why many minerals can be broken into shapes -- such as salt which can be broken into square shapes, or mica which breaks into thin sheets.

Other minerals lack such weak planes and cannot be broken into clean shapes. Quartz is such a mineral. Quartz fractures in shell-shapes called concoidal fracturing which is not along a plane.

Anyway, the geological usage of the word cleavage probably came after its original meaning. So my little geology lesson was of no help at all. Sorry for the diversion.

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The English Language: A Thread by Dale Wisely

The English Language: A Thread by Dale Wisely

Turpitude