English is a crazy language. There is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple. English muffins weren't invented in England or French fries in France. Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat.
We take English for granted. But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig. And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham? If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth beeth? One goose, 2 geese. So one moose, 2 meese? If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it?
If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat? Sometimes I think all the English speakers should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane. In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo by ship? Have noses that run and feet that smell? How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites?
Have you noticed that we talk about certain things only when they are absent? Have you ever seen a horsefull carriage or a strapfull gown? Met a sung hero or experienced requited love? Have you ever run into someone who was combobulated, gruntled, ruly or peccable? And where are all those people who ARE spring chickens or who would actually hurt a fly?
You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out and in which an alarm goes off by going on.
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With time and patience the mulberry leaf becomes a silk gown.
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Her breasts under her gown are cold, for a flower has grown, murex-red on the red gown.
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All of the photographs of her wearing that gown, she looks like she's Cinderella going to the ball. Older women remember her fondly and younger women, I think, get a kick out of how elated she was at being the center of attention going off to the inaugural ball.
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Find out the peaceful hermitage, The hairy gown and mossy cell,...
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In your clothes avoid too much gaudiness do not value yourself upon an embroidered gown and remember that a reasonable word, or an obliging look, will gain you more respect than all your fine trappings.
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She has a wash and wear bridal gown.
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Where's the man could ease a heart, like a satin gown?
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Oh! dear; I was so miserable! I am sure I must have been as white as my gown.
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