Years ago, a friend hit me with a brain teaser. He said think of a common English word. Then capitalize the first letter, and you change not only its pronunciation, but its meaning as well.
I think I've gone one better.
Think of two common English words, one noun and one adjective. These two words are completely etymologically unrelated and pronounced differently, but spelled exactly the same -- even to the whole capitalizing issue.
No prizes, but I will post the answers Saturday morning if no one gets them. Which I'm quite certain someone will.
Update: the answers I intended were "polish/Polish" and "number." RM, nice try, but a LOT of those are related in origin.
I think I've gone one better.
Think of two common English words, one noun and one adjective. These two words are completely etymologically unrelated and pronounced differently, but spelled exactly the same -- even to the whole capitalizing issue.
No prizes, but I will post the answers Saturday morning if no one gets them. Which I'm quite certain someone will.
Update: the answers I intended were "polish/Polish" and "number." RM, nice try, but a LOT of those are related in origin.
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Comments (14)
"Polish" and "polish" on th... (Below threshold)1. Posted by Murgatroyd | May 20, 2011 4:57 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
"Polish" and "polish" on the first one.
1. Posted by Murgatroyd | May 20, 2011 4:57 PM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on May 20, 2011 16:57
2. Posted by woody | May 20, 2011 4:59 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Content. Content. ?
2. Posted by woody | May 20, 2011 4:59 PM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on May 20, 2011 16:59
3. Posted by retired military | May 20, 2011 5:03 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
fair
sewer
wind
tear
axes
address
bass
bow
close
concert
confines
conflict
console
contract
crooked
desert
discard
does
dogged
dove
entrance
house
incense
lead
learned
lima
live
minute
mobile
moped
number
overall
polish
present
primer
produce
project
read
record
refuse
root
row
separate
tier
use
whoop
absent
affect
attribute
Can
clear
combine
commune
compact
compost
compound
compress
conduct
conscript
consort
construct
consult
content
contest
contrast
converse
convert
convict
cool
default
defect
digest
discharge
dismount
display
effect
engage
exploit
extract
finance
impact
implant
import
impound
incline
increase
insert
insult
intercept
interchange
intrigue
invalid
invite
object
offense
overcount
overlay
overlook
perfect
perfume
permit
pervert
proceeds
progress
protest
purpose
quarry
rebel
recall
recap
recess
redress
refund
regress
reject
relapse
remake
research
retake
retard
retract
rose
skied
subject
survey
suspect
transfer
transform
transplant
transport
transpose
undercount
update
uplift
upset
yard
3. Posted by retired military | May 20, 2011 5:03 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on May 20, 2011 17:03
4. Posted by epador | May 20, 2011 5:10 PM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
I can think of a few 4 letter words, but perhaps its the inflection that is different rather than the "pronoun"ciation.
4. Posted by epador | May 20, 2011 5:10 PM |
Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on May 20, 2011 17:10
5. Posted by RFA | May 20, 2011 6:36 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
3. Posted by retired military | May 20, 2011 5:03 PM |
DAMN! You think he missed any? There were only about five I couldn't figure out.
5. Posted by RFA | May 20, 2011 6:36 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on May 20, 2011 18:36
6. Posted by Lynne | May 20, 2011 8:10 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Polish
6. Posted by Lynne | May 20, 2011 8:10 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on May 20, 2011 20:10
7. Posted by Sep14 | May 20, 2011 8:17 PM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Nookuler?
7. Posted by Sep14 | May 20, 2011 8:17 PM |
Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on May 20, 2011 20:17
8. Posted by Tina S | May 20, 2011 8:46 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
retired military, can you use each of them in a sentence for us;)
8. Posted by Tina S | May 20, 2011 8:46 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on May 20, 2011 20:46
9. Posted by serfer62 | May 20, 2011 11:24 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
What's a noun?
9. Posted by serfer62 | May 20, 2011 11:24 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on May 20, 2011 23:24
10. Posted by MunDane | May 20, 2011 11:47 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
I think that's what happens if Turtle Bay falls into the East River
10. Posted by MunDane | May 20, 2011 11:47 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on May 20, 2011 23:47
11. Posted by davidt | May 21, 2011 12:44 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Corpsman?
11. Posted by davidt | May 21, 2011 12:44 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on May 21, 2011 00:44
12. Posted by Mark C | May 21, 2011 7:06 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
So, why DID Webster spell Polish the same as polish?
12. Posted by Mark C | May 21, 2011 7:06 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on May 21, 2011 07:06
13. Posted by Gmac | May 21, 2011 9:05 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
"So, why DID Webster spell Polish the same as polish?"
To give them something to do when told to go sit in the corner in a round room.
/duck
13. Posted by Gmac | May 21, 2011 9:05 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on May 21, 2011 09:05
14. Posted by dries | May 22, 2011 9:11 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
LOT is Polish airlines actually.
14. Posted by dries | May 22, 2011 9:11 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on May 22, 2011 09:11