Many—like George Bernard Shaw—have complained about the inconsistencies of our language. Here are some helpful suggestios to bring order into it.
Exceptions are the greatest nuisance. Therefore let us be consistent:
Singular / Plural
Tooth / Teeth
Booth / Beeth
Goose / Geese
Bruise / Breeze
Noose / Niece
Look / Leek
Crook / Creek
Male / Female
Actor / Actress
Matter / Mattress
Butter / Buttress
Under / Undress
Needle / Needless
Supper / Suppress
Diminutives
The diminutive of:
Book is Booklet
Scar Scarlet
Toy Toilet
Ham Hamlet
Bull Bullet
Inn Inlet
Collective Nouns
Jewelry a collection of Jewels
Similarly:
Infantry a collection of Infants
Husbandry Husbands
Pantry Pants
Scullery Skulls
Flattery Flats
Factory Facts
From Little Book of Word Tricks. Copyright © 1958 Peter Pauper Press.
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Happy Friday!
1 comment so far ↓
ROFL That was adorable! I’ve often thought of things like this. English is a silly language sometimes.