# More Englsih Language Wierdness **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 8, 2013, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-englsih-language-wierdness/655176 "2013-04-08T18:33:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2013, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-englsih-language-wierdness/655176/1 "2013-04-08T18:33:44Z")
I was composing an email at work asking for clarification on an issue. I listed several pieces of information I wanted to see in the reply. One item was an overview of the issue. In parenthesis I specified “why aren’t these numbers populating”. It didn’t seem logical to include a parenthetical question to clarify a statement, so I looked to reword the clarification. Hey, I thought, if I move the word “aren’t” to the right a couple of slots, it becomes “why these numbers aren’t populating”. A question becomes succinct statement of clarification by moving one word around in the middle. Yes, I know it is a sentence fragment, but still - ain’t English grand? Complicated, confusing, often nonsensical, but grand all the same. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2013, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-englsih-language-wierdness/655176/2 "2013-04-08T18:59:51Z")
Don’t. . .mention. . .the obvious. . . ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2013, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-englsih-language-wierdness/655176/3 "2013-04-08T19:02:43Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Don’t. . .mention. . .the obvious. . . …but it’s so tempting… ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2013, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-englsih-language-wierdness/655176/4 "2013-04-08T19:05:45Z")
…and I’d probably make a mistake myself… ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2013, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-englsih-language-wierdness/655176/5 "2013-04-08T19:06:38Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Don’t. . .mention. . .the obvious. . . > [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](#): > > …but it’s so tempting… Maybe it was deliberate…or not. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2013, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-englsih-language-wierdness/655176/6 "2013-04-08T19:32:51Z")
[sub]why do we have to whisper? Usually we use huge fonts to point this sort of stuff out.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2013, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-englsih-language-wierdness/655176/7 "2013-04-08T19:36:15Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > [sub]why do we have to whisper? Usually we use huge fonts to point this sort of stuff out.[/sub] I have a sore throat. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2013, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-englsih-language-wierdness/655176/8 "2013-04-08T19:39:42Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Don’t. . .mention. . .the obvious. . . Do you know what ELSE we shouldn’t mention? ---
**Author:** ![Svejk\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@Svejk\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Svejk_1)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2013, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-englsih-language-wierdness/655176/9 "2013-04-08T19:56:36Z")
You know who else thought English was grand? ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2013, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-englsih-language-wierdness/655176/10 "2013-04-08T20:21:47Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > [sub]why do we have to whisper? Usually we use huge fonts to point this sort of stuff out.[/sub] [sub]Psst! Psst! Would you have any Grey Poupon?[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Sahirrnee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sahirrnee/32/13937_2.png) [@Sahirrnee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sahirrnee)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2013, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-englsih-language-wierdness/655176/11 "2013-04-08T21:05:31Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > Maybe it was deliberate…or not. What’s Dilbert got to do with it? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-englsih-language-wierdness/655176/12 "2013-04-09T16:19:00Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > Do you know what ELSE we shouldn’t mention? Gaudere? ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-englsih-language-wierdness/655176/13 "2013-04-09T16:31:39Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > Do you know what ELSE we shouldn’t mention? The Amazing Randi? ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-englsih-language-wierdness/655176/14 "2013-04-09T17:29:08Z")
I heard it was on purpose.Not really. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-englsih-language-wierdness/655176/15 "2013-04-09T17:33:07Z")
Good to see you can take a joke. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-englsih-language-wierdness/655176/16 "2013-04-09T18:06:21Z")
Why are we calling them “whisper, whisper”? The owner of this board isn’t quite as gutsy as he thought! Points to anyone who gets the reference. ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-englsih-language-wierdness/655176/17 "2013-04-10T19:08:18Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > Do you know what ELSE we shouldn’t mention? Oh yes, The War; completely slipped my mind… ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-englsih-language-wierdness/655176/18 "2013-04-10T20:53:30Z")
Probably “why” should always start a question. But the reason “aren’t” changes the meaning is… Just replace “why” with the statement form , “The cause of” a. “The cause of the aren’t the numbers increasing.” b. “The cause of the numbers are’nt increasing.” So we need to change the aren’t to just not. a. “The cause of the not the numbers increasing.” b. “The cause of the numbers not increasing.” A was only the correct grammer for the question word “why”.