Saturday, October 14, 2006

Let spellings bee!

Always remember: 'i' before 'e', except after 'c'.

The age-old maxim in English grammar instruction has now bitten the bullet. The language teems with words that blatantly flout this rule. I have relied on this rule almost all my life, but sometimes, the written word just feels wrong. Somehow.

I was typing out an e-mail last week, when I decided to use the word "liesurely". It just did not look correct, though it follows the 'c' rule to the 't'. So I checked a dictionary, and it indeed spelled trouble: in leisurely fashion.

What a truly weird language we have!

1 comment:

Unawoken said...

Alrighty bro! Get on with the grammar war!
Looks like you've been blogging for a good time. I just entered the labyrinths of the net. Do stop by sometime.
I have added a link to your blog from mine. I hope you don't mind.
Now, dot those is and cross those ts.