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| LOLH4X0r!!!! | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Aug 7 2008, 03:39 AM (187 Views) | |
| Frank_W | Aug 7 2008, 03:39 AM Post #1 |
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Resident Misanthrope
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Anatomy Prof: "The human body has about 20 sq. meters of skin." Me: "Man, that's a lot of lampshades!" | |
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| Klaus | Aug 7 2008, 03:58 AM Post #2 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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A homage to Salvador Dali? (by the way, is it "a homage" or "an homage"?) |
| Trifonov Fleisher Klaus Sokolov Zimmerman | |
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| Frank_W | Aug 7 2008, 04:02 AM Post #3 |
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Resident Misanthrope
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I would say, "an homage." In the word, "homage," the first sound is the vowel sound of "O" as in the word, "rock." However, I have a hard time with "an historical event." The "h" in "historical" is a consonant sound -- a hard "h," so to precede it by "an," seems totally wrong. English is messed up...
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Anatomy Prof: "The human body has about 20 sq. meters of skin." Me: "Man, that's a lot of lampshades!" | |
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| QuirtEvans | Aug 7 2008, 04:03 AM Post #4 |
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I Owe It All To John D'Oh
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Especially because we're not consistent about the use of "an" before an "h" sound. Let's even keep the first syllable the same. You wouldn't say "an" histamine response ... you'd say "a" histamine response. So I guess it's one of those wonderful exceptions in the English language. |
| It would be unwise to underestimate what large groups of ill-informed people acting together can achieve. -- John D'Oh, January 14, 2010. | |
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| Klaus | Aug 7 2008, 04:04 AM Post #5 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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"an homage" -> 877,000 google results "a homage" -> 732,000 google results Almost a draw. "an historical" -> 4,230,000 google results "a historical" -> 13,500,000 google results Here the majority prefers "a" over "an". |
| Trifonov Fleisher Klaus Sokolov Zimmerman | |
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| Frank_W | Aug 7 2008, 04:15 AM Post #6 |
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Resident Misanthrope
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Don't do a GIS for "an hero."
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Anatomy Prof: "The human body has about 20 sq. meters of skin." Me: "Man, that's a lot of lampshades!" | |
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| Aqua Letifer | Aug 7 2008, 05:04 AM Post #7 |
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ZOOOOOM!
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This is one of my favorite rules! It's entirely phonetic and not at all based on grammar! The "consonant rule" for remembering to use a/an is only a guide. The only reason there are two words to choose from is to give you a choice. What provides the easiest transition to the next word? THAT is how you make your decision. For example, British folks tend to not pronounce h's as much as we do, so they may say something like "an historic community." However, we here in Amurikuh DO pronounce the "h". It's "a historic community" for us. This really only tricks people up in the case of abbreviations and acronymns. For example, you'd say "a NAFTA agreement" because NAFTA is a word; it starts with a closed "n" sound. BUT, you would say "an NFL agreement" because NFL starts with a different sound. |
| I cite irreconcilable differences. | |
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| LWpianistin | Aug 7 2008, 11:27 AM Post #8 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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That's pretty cool to know....BUT most Brits I know also pronounce the 'h' in 'historical'. I tend to think of Cockney accents when I hear dropped h's. On a side note: does anyone else pronounce the 'h' in 'homage'? I always have....??? |
| And how are you today? | |
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| sue | Aug 7 2008, 11:31 AM Post #9 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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:lol: I love this place. A silly picture morphs into a thread on grammar. (no, I don't pronounce the 'h' in homage) |
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| Luke's Dad | Aug 7 2008, 11:34 AM Post #10 |
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Emperor Pengin
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So then, is it "Aks a homey" or "Aks an homey"? |
| The problem with having an open mind is that people keep trying to put things in it. | |
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| Aqua Letifer | Aug 7 2008, 11:35 AM Post #11 |
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ZOOOOOM!
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Yeah, but see, that's not what Kant was about. The concept of "freedom" was indeed knowable because it can be found within moral laws that do not restrict free will. That's the argument he was using. |
| I cite irreconcilable differences. | |
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| Klaus | Aug 7 2008, 11:43 AM Post #12 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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I don't agree at all. As Hildegard von Bingen says in her Ordo Virtutum, the Virtues take turns identifying and describing themselves while the Devil occasionally interrupts and expresses opposing views and insults. |
| Trifonov Fleisher Klaus Sokolov Zimmerman | |
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| George K | Aug 7 2008, 12:50 PM Post #13 |
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Finally
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Yeah, but you spell hum(o)ur funny, so that negates that "h" stuff.
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A guide to GKSR: Click "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08 Nothing is as effective as homeopathy. I'd rather listen to an hour of Abba than an hour of The Beatles. - Klaus, 4/29/18 | |
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| Kincaid | Aug 7 2008, 02:47 PM Post #14 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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I would say it like "uhn oh-maj". |
| Kincaid - disgusted Republican Partisan since 2006. | |
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