The Mozzling Thread

[pshrynk]

Originally Posted by James Bryant

This was originally the Old English Bryant and defined as the number of books in my ancestor's library (= 4577 books), divided into the Habryant (= 2289 books), the Sitter [or Rhoom] (= 1104 books), the Dinky (= 161 books), the Wallshel (= 23 books), and the Bedside (= 17 books).

But metrication makes fools of us all. The SI unit is the Metric Bryant (=1000 books).

James Bryant
http://www.dendarii.com/bujold_lst.html#bryant

Metrification was opposed strenuously because of the fear of confusion, no doubt.

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by pshrynk

Metrification was opposed strenuously because of the fear of confusion, no doubt.

that's always the way...

[GeoffC]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

well, *i* certainly don't ; i'm a vegetarian.

I knew I liked you for a reason...

Originally Posted by montsnmags

Hooray! You've now qualified as a fully-fledged member of the Unutterably Silly Brigade. It requires effort and failure. I've tried to stop being a Fool (shut up, everyone! I really did), but it never worked out. The Fool is as much a part of me as Adrian, the invisible and inadvertently violent gibbon.

No - one will comment ...

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by GeoffC

I knew I liked you for a reason...

just the one reason ?

[GeoffC]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

just the one reason ?

I can't give away ALL your good points, at once.

There's only so much karma, and so many compliments, that can be spread around at any given time ..

[zelda_pinwheel]

[GeoffC]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

[pshrynk]

Originally Posted by GeoffC

[NatCh]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

but if there is no e after the g, it would be pronounced as a hard g....

Originally Posted by slayda

Are there any spelling rules in English? If so then how could the words; to, too, and two (or if you prefer so, sow, and sew) all be pronounced the same.

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

heh, good point ; but i think the problem there is not so much lack of rules but proliferation of exceptions....

Yes, this is a common quandary for those who come to English as non-native speakers ... and only slightly less so for those who come to it as native speakers.

But fortunately, I can clear up all the confusion here quite easily: English is a language in which the rules exist solely for the purpose of providing identity for the exceptions.

Once you understand this simple fact, it all becomes perfectly clear ... rather like a tincture of Hemlock. (In Socrates' famous last words: "I drank what?")

[Spartacus2112]

I am so illiterate compared to the masses here. I will stick with Sniglets.

[zelda_pinwheel]

what are sniglets ?

[Spartacus2112]

They were words made up on an older cable television show. The show was "Not Necessarily The News". For example, someone who slows down at the sight of a police officer is a "Smokey Pokey". The air inside a bag of potato chips is "Snackmosphere".
Little stupid things like that.

[James Bryant]

Originally Posted by NatCh

English is a language in which the rules exist solely for the purpose of providing identity for the exceptions.

Reminds me of the Hungarian who came to England to learn the language and struggled for several months with increasing frustration to understand such different pronunciations as bough, cough, dough, rough and through.

One afternoon he opened a newspaper and saw a headline CAVALCADE PRONOUNCED SUCCESS.

He immediately gave up and went home.

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by James Bryant

One afternoon he opened a newspaper and saw a headline CAVALCADE PRONOUNCED SUCCESS.

pah hahahaha !!!!

[pshrynk]

Point Blimfark started out as a sniglet.