Too many words to work with. Two of them are foul and fowl. There and their and they’re are confusing. Not and knot can also confuse you. But when you think you have it all figured out you will find words that are spelled the same but mean something else. Fan is short for fanatic or it could be a cooling device.
Four more for you to ponder. Fore! It’s kinda crazy to think about our language. Its not really hard if you’re trying your hardest to educate yourself. English has so many words that sound alike but are spelled differently and mean something different. Sow seeds or sew garments. Hear and here, butt and but, and I bet you will think of others.
Test yourself. Can you think of other words in our (not hour) language that either are spelled the same but mean something else? Or spelled differently but pronounced the same?
Dew and do can start the list. Try it it can be fun and we might even learn something we didn’t know, no?
As if words weren’t bad enough, I’m sure you all heard of this:
Pronounce GHOTI.
It’s pronounced FISH
GH as in enouGH
O as in wOmen
TI as in DescripTIon.
No wonder non-English speakers have a hard time!
PPO, you bring another weird part of the language to light.
Lite and light is another of the same but different examples.
My dad had a sketch with a supposedly slow ‘son’, about becoming a shoemaker, spoken in a bog-Irish accent:
Dad: Now, Son, the first thing you get is the last.
son: How can the first thing you get be the last?
dad: well, it is. It’s your Grandfather’s old Iron Foot.
son: I didn’t know he was disabled.
Dad: Now, Hide.
Son: Hide? Why should I hide?
Dad: No, son, Hide, Hide, the Cow’s outside.
Son: well, bring the damned thing in!
I suppose you had to be there!
😆 Simply wonderful ppo. I’ve seen your father in a few films so the pleasure was doubled. Thanks for sharing.
Many thanks, Kalima. You’re very kind. It’s wonderful that Dad’s movies are still seen. I have a legacy not many people have after losing their father, and it is very humbling.
He was a fine actor, and I’m glad that you can see him on the screen. Some of us only have our photos and distant memories although I know we all long for just one more time to see them again in person. You must be proud.
Thanks again.
PPO, that skit reminds me of “Who’s on first”. Another wonderful skit.
The Classic of Classics, Kes! First time I’ve seen the entire sketch.
I have to blush 😳 and give the credit where it’s due — to Nirek — for finding this gem.
OOOPS! Sorry, Nirek!!!!!!! And Kes!
Hey Nirek! These guys were great! I watched all their films growing up. I loved them. This routine is such a wonderful classic.
PPO, is there any way you could show us some clips of your Dad? I for one would love to see some of his work.
From ‘Merry Andrew’ with Danny Kaye dad played danny’s father and this is just a quick shot of the end. He’s the chap with his signature big beard.
YouTube has many of the movies he appeared in. I don’t have any extracts, but the most famous ones were 1962 Mutiny on the Bounty” with Marlon Brando, ‘Moby Dick’ with gregory Peck, Lust for Life’ with Kirk Douglas,
‘Doctor in the House’ Flight of the Doves’, etc..
One of my favourites is ‘a Winters cruise” a 20 minute whimsy from Somerset Maughams ‘Encore:
Go to 23:15 for the start:
Oh, almost Forgot! Here he is in ‘Doctor at Sea’ which was Brigette Bardot’s first movie in English.
His best bit is at 1:06:52
Your Dad was quite funny. You must be proud of him. I know I would have been if he were my Dad.
Humble thanks to you and Kes. 🙂
PPO, thanks so much for posting these clips! They really are wonderful.
PPO, such a delightful actor your father was! Really enjoyed his performances, thanks for sharing them (and more?).
Thank you, PPO. Wonderful!
I have seen your dad in many of these movies, very funny actor. I am so happy you shared this PPO. What was it like growing up with such a talented gentleman? What was it like having a father who was a movie star? Did you get to go to the set with him? Did you meet any of the actors that were in those clips with him, Danny Kaye or Brigitte Bardot or any of the others you named? I’m sure it must have been wonderful!
Oh, Monica! I’d love to share so much about Dad, but I think I’d need to write an entire feature. He was a huge stage actor before and during his movie career. As for me? I found out he was an actor when I was about 7! I asked Mum one day and she told me, but I said, ‘but he’s here all day and goes out at night! So what’s his REAL job?’ She explained!
Some Actors and stars I have personally met include:
Louis Armstong and Ella Fitzgerald,**
Roy Rogers and Dale Evans,
Danny Kaye,
Alan Hale, Jr., ( Captain on Gilligan’s Island)
William Bendix,
Gregory Peck,
Gordon Jackson ( Upstairs Downstairs)
John Mills
Richard Attenborough
Frankie Howerd,
Lionel Jeffries ( Director of ‘the Railway Children and my brother’s father in Law)
John Gregson,
Richard Harris of course,
Peter O’Toole
and dozens more from both england and the US.
** There’s a story about that which I may tell later! 🙂
I find it wonderful that my friends here would be interested, but don’t know if the Planet would permit such personal stuff. But if it is OK, I can write something.
Very cool PPO! I’d love to hear about you meeting Peter O’Toole. He was one of my all time favorite actors.
As a matter of fact, I just watched the wonderful film “How To Steal A Million,” the other night. O’Toole and Audrey Hepburn. Two top flight actors, in my opinion.
PPO, absolutely! Please do write a post about your and your father’s adventures in the entertainment world! I’d be very interested to read about it as would many here.
Ad, I’ll give it the good old college try! Now, how do I go about it????? It’s one thing doing a quick blog, but a major work? HELP! 🙂
PPO, we’re here to help in any and all ways we can! It’s pretty easy to write a post, here’s a link to our step by step guide for preparing a post:
http://planetpov.com/faq/how-to-guide-for-authors/
Don’t hesitate to ask us any questions. We do an editorial review before publishing posts so we’ll make sure it looks great!
Looking forward to it!
PPO, please do it! I’m interested and would love to read and see more about your Dad.
I can’t wait for your article PPO, it all sounds so interesting. I feel so honored talking to the son of such a wonderful star as was your dad, someone who gave me and my family many hours of enjoyment over the years with the wonderful movies you have depicted here and others. Thank you, and I notice AdLib has given the okay, so I’ll be waiting with bated breath for what I know will be a wonderful read. 🙂
I’m joining the chorus, PPO! Please write this article!
Pain pane
Plane plain
Cite-sight-site
Cent-scent-sent
Knows-noes-nose
Peak-peek-pique
Knight-night
Those are what I wanted , Kalima.
Whine, wine come to mind.
Thanks.
Two bee or not too be… that’s the confusing question.
How about resume (to restart) and resume (the thing you give to potential employers). Granted the latter should have an accent on the end, but that is rarely added in my experience. Oh, latter and ladder.
One (won) could go on and on. 🙂
And to that, there’s always Eric!
PPO, I never (heard) that song before. Could Eric be part of a (herd) of bees. Oh they don’t come in herds?
Red, read
Dove, dove the bird
I bet my son can come up with some, he was an English major and is an author.
Hello Nirek.
Where/wear. Four/for. Bean/been. Bear/bare. Mail/male. Jeans/genes. Dear/deer. Write/right. Their/there. Pause/paws. I/eye. You/yew. Some/sum. Pear/pair. Die/dye.
There used to be so many words that I had trouble with when I was learning English, but I think I’ve got most of them stuck in my head by now. These were some of the ones I always had trouble with.
Many more but I’ve just woken up.
Take care and peace.
Thanks Kalima. Those are great examples of how weird English is.
Peace plus love equals happiness
It’s not only English, Nirek. Learning Japanese has been a nightmare at times because all languages have this. You differentiate by the Kanji in Japanese, but I have never had the time to learn it. There have been many red-faced adventures here because of words sounding the same, but that’s another story. 😉
Peace.
READ
WIND
BASS
TO
TWO
TOO
PRAY
PREY
OR
ARE
SEW
SO
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
Knot and not
Lead and lead
There, their, they’re
Your, you’re yore
English is a crazy language
It sure is, that’s why most people that speak another language feel English is harder to learn. 🙂
My contribution:
My cousin’s son used shofar (instead of chauffeur) in his college essay. He went to Columbia and then on to its medical school.
No, that is a college student?!?