this post was submitted on 08 Dec 2023
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Showerthoughts

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I got hung up on contractions this morning regarding the word "you've". Normally, I'd say "you've got a problem", which expands to "you have got a problem", which isn't wrong, but I normally wouldn't say. Not contracting, I'd say "you have a problem", so then should I just say "you've a problem"? That sounds weird in my head. Is this just a US English problem?

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[–] Transcendant 16 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (4 children)

Yes, English is weird.

'Bough' and 'cough' are not pronounced the same. 'Bough' and 'bow' are pronounced the same. 'Knee' and 'Leigh' are pronounced the same. 'Neigh' and 'nay' are pronounced the same. 'Polish' (the nationality) and 'polish' (as in what you do to a metal object) are not pronounced the same. 'Tear' (as in to rip) and 'tear' (as in to cry) are spelled the same, but not pronounced the same. Other words which are spelled the same, but pronounced differently:

resume / resume present / present record / record close / close use / use live / live

[–] TeaHands 31 points 11 months ago (1 children)

‘Bough’ and ‘bow’ are pronounced the same

Except, of course, when "bow" is pronounced "bow" instead.

[–] MisterMcBolt 8 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

I shot the boughs with my bow and then gave a bow to my beau!

[–] [email protected] 4 points 11 months ago

The last one should be spelled beau if you mean your special guy.

[–] HonoraryMancunian 4 points 11 months ago (1 children)

'Knee' and 'Leigh' are pronounced the same.

Well they rhyme, but I wouldn't go as far as to say they're pronounced the same

[–] Transcendant 2 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Leigh can be pronounced like 'Lee' or 'Lay'

[–] HonoraryMancunian 2 points 11 months ago

No I know that, but knee isn't pronounced like Lee :P

[–] Globulart 1 points 11 months ago

What does leigh pronounced lay mean...?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 11 months ago

Leigh put the Polish bough over his knee but couldn’t polish it. “What’s the use!” he coughed.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago (5 children)

I've got all but the use/use one. What's the other usecase if one is "to consume"?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

It has utility = it has use

To consume = to use

[–] MurrayL 2 points 11 months ago

The noun 'use', as in 'this has a specific use'

[–] Transcendant 2 points 11 months ago

You can have a use for something, and you can also use something (first one is pronounced the same as the end of 'papoose', second one is pronounced the same as 'ooze')

[–] mick -2 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

What’s the use of giving you the answer when you can look it up on the internet?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 11 months ago (1 children)

To have a brief conversation. I can look everything up myself, but it's nice not being a basement dweller every now and then.

[–] mick 1 points 11 months ago

It was just my crass humor. I used the noun version of the word “use” because you said you couldn’t figure out how to use it.