Tag Archives: usage of words

"Let’s Face It – English Is a Crazy Language" by Richard Lederer

Fun with English Words Image Copyright © 2013 Joan Y. Edwards

“Let’s Face It – English Is a Crazy Language” by Richard Lederer

Sandra Warren, Author of Arlie the Alligator, http://sandrawarrenwrites.blogspot.com/, sent me an email with this in it.  I had searched all of the sites had said author unknown. Today, I can tell you who wrote it thanks to Norma J. Hill for sharing who wrote them. I found an article that gives an excerpt from Condensed from “Crazy English” by Richard Lederer, Reader’s Digest, June 1990.  Here it is:
https://www.ling.upenn.edu/~beatrice/humor/english-lesson.html

Since I have this information now, I’ll have to revamp this post because of copyright laws. I’ll put the first paragraph and you give you the link above to go to at the end of it.
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Let’s face it – English is a crazy language.

Consider the syntax of one goose, 2 geese; one moose, 2 meese; one index, 2 indices!  If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn’t the plural of booth, beeth?  And explain how someone who says he’s “going to stay,” go and stay at the same time?
If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?  If a teacher’s students can be taught, can a preacher’s congregation be praught?  Sometimes I think all the English speakers should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane.
To read the rest of this, please click on the following link:
https://www.ling.upenn.edu/~beatrice/humor/english-lesson.html

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We all need a good laugh.  I posted this hoping to add a few giggles and laughs your way.
Thank you for being here.
Never Give Up
Joan Y. Edwards
Copyright © 2013-2019 Joan Y. Edwards