Geriatric OE

The weekly musing of a couple of Kiwis on their geriatric OE in The UK






Wednesday 29 May 2013

It's all in the way you say it...



Do you ever think about the words we use?
Well I do.

The English language is very complicated with words that sound the same but are spelled differently

For example
through, and threw.
ewe and you
hair and care
stair and stare
tongue and rung
stew and shoe

Then there are the expressions we use.

In a roundabout way, swings and roundabouts, drive around the roundabout, funfair roundabouts.

And we can plant a tree or work on an engineering plant. 

Set a jelly, set wheels in motion, have a full set of something, set fire to it, and set it down.

Lift things up or lift them down, take the lift, have face lift or have an experience that is  uplifting.

You can be a mine of information, go down a mine, lay a mine or say something is mine.

John can take the road on the left, feel left right out or get left behind.

There are all sorts of traps for the unwary language student…

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