Han Tacoma wrote: > > Debbi explains the origins of fish on > (Fri, 6 Jun 2003 01:22:12 -0700 (PDT)) > [..gone snip crazy...] > > I don't remember all the words it comes from, but IIRC > > "ghoti" is an alternative spelling for the sound > > "fish" [enou_gh_, ??, pa_ti_ence]... ;) > > ?? would be as in the plural of woman = w_o_men > > > English is such a fun language! > > ...and there's more exceptions than there are rules :-)
Well, if every rule has 2 exceptions, then of *course* that's the case. :)
The ie/ei rule is complicated, and has 8 exceptions that have been brought to my attention, but I can never remember more than 7 of them:
either foreign forfeit leisure neither seize weird
There's at least 1 more. Anyone?
Searching for "*ei*" in the New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary yields 1687 matching entries.
(Maybe it isn't surprising that you couldn't remember that "Alzheimer's" is one of them . . . )
-- Ronn! :)
God bless America, Land that I love! Stand beside her, and guide her Thru the night with a light from above. From the mountains, to the prairies, To the oceans, white with foam… God bless America! My home, sweet home.
-- Irving Berlin (1888-1989)
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