English is a curious language

English is a daft language don’t you think?  Just had a very puzzling text conversation with someone which was confused by the word ‘read’

It was meant read as in ‘I have read’ but I thought it was an instruction as in ‘read it.’  Result?  Several unnecessary messages that made what should have been a simple exchange very confusing.

Not for the first time a discussion was had around the office today on whether the past tense of to learn should be learnt or learned.  A Google search only gives contrary answers, but it seems the general opinion is that both are correct.

It stirred me to do a quick online search as to other inconsistencies and I came across this

We’ll begin with a box, and the plural is boxes;

but the plural of ox became oxen not oxes.

One fowl is a goose, but two are called geese,

yet the plural of moose should never be meese.

You may find a lone mouse or a nest full of mice;

yet the plural of house is houses, not hice.

If the plural of man is always called men,

why shouldn’t the plural of pan be called pen?

If I spoke of my foot and show you my feet,

and I give you a boot, would a pair be called beet?

If one is a tooth and a whole set are teeth,

why shouldn’t the plural of booth be called beeth?

And

The bandage was wound around the wound.

The farm was used to produce produce.

The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.

Some examples of strange pronounciations come into the picture with:

if you have a rough cough, climbing can be tough when going through the bough on a tree!