# Post Something Interesting About English

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-something-interesting-about-english/782836>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [March 23, 2017, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-something-interesting-about-english/782836 "2017-03-23T15:46:27Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 12

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**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\
**Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-something-interesting-about-english/782836/221 "2017-03-30T16:11:12Z")

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> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#):
>
> Yes, the “off” is equivalent to “awf.”

Correct. The vowel sound is the same in both. But “thought” and “cough” are two different “complete” sounds for “ough”:

aw  
awf

so they aren’t the same entry on The List.

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**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\
**Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-something-interesting-about-english/782836/222 "2017-03-30T16:20:33Z")

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> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#):
>
> Or sounded as “a” as in neighbor and weigh.

Or weekends and holidays and all throughout May  
And you’ll never be right no matter what you say.

(Can’t take credit. It’s from a comedian in the 80s and is stuck in my brain :))

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**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\
**Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-something-interesting-about-english/782836/223 "2017-03-30T16:42:09Z")

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> [@Baron\_Greenback](#):
>
> Could you go into more detail about how you are accessing the boards? It’s just tantalizingly not enough info about what fucking phone you are using.

What’s your problem? It’s an auto-signature, which I edited. I like it when posting by phone in case I make an egregious typo or editing error, which I’ve done previously.

It’s a “Moto E (2nd Generation) with 4G LTE” according to the phone. Do you feel better knowing that now?

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**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\
**Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-something-interesting-about-english/782836/224 "2017-03-30T17:23:52Z")

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> [@gigi](#):
>
> Correct. The vowel sound is the same in both. But “thought” and “cough” are two different “complete” sounds for “ough”:
> 
> aw  
> awf
> 
> so they aren’t the same entry on The List.

The vowels are clearly different too in my accent. 😛

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**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\
**Post date:** [March 31, 2017, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-something-interesting-about-english/782836/225 "2017-03-31T00:10:29Z")

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> [@Leaffan](#):
>
> You forgot the Canadian version: “There are no buses on the weekend, eh?” 😉

Real-world Canadian version: “Excuse me, eh? You know there are no buses, right? Yeah, the drivers are all oot on strike again, eh? What a bunch of hosers.”

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