A Lone Stranger

50 Incorrect Pronunciations That You Should Avoid Fred Astaire drew laughs back in the Thirties with his song “Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off” in which the lovers can’t agree on the pronunciation of words like either ,  neither , and  tomato . On a personal level, I cringe when I hear someone sound the “t” in  often  or pronounce  pecan  with a short “a,” but I have to acknowledge that both these pronunciations are widely accepted alternate pronunciations that can be justified by the spelling. Alternate pronunciations, however, are a different matter from out-and-out mispronunciations. The latter, no matter how common, are incorrect, either because of the spelling that indicates another pronunciation, or because of what is widely agreed upon to be conventional usage. Word of caution: I’m writing from an American perspective. Here are 50 frequently mispronounced words. The list is by no means exhaustive, but provides a good start. 1.  ...

There are two types of grammar: Descriptive, which  describes  what is customary, and prescriptive grammar, which  prescribes  what should be. A tension between the two systems is inevitable — and healthy; it keeps us thinking about what we’re saying and writing. Allowing mob rule at the expense of some governing of composition is madness, but a diction dictatorship is dangerous, too. As with any prescription, an overdose is contraindicated. Here are some hard pills to swallow for language mavens who require a strict adherence to rigid syntactical patterns at the expense of, well, language: 1. Never split an infinitive. It isn’t wise to always ignore this fallacious rule against dividing the elements of the verb phrase “to (verb)” with an adverb, but to blindly follow it is to prohibit pleasing turns of phrase — one of the best known of which is from the introductory voice-over from all the  Star Trek  television series: “to boldly go where no one ha...

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Errors Again - Learning English When language-mutilator Yogi Berra said that something was “like ‘deja vu’ all over again,” everybody laughed. Lately I get the feeling that some people who say it don’t know it’s a joke. Yogi’s “belts and suspenders” approach to words seems to be on the increase. We’ve all seen ads that offer “a free gift.” Sometimes it’s “an absolutely free gift.” It’s as if people don’t trust a word to mean what it means. Some recent examples from the media include: “adequate enough,” “a navy sailor,” “an army soldier,” “coupled together with,” and “the maroon-colored Jaguar.” Sometimes explanatory constructions are necessary in certain contexts. One can refer to a Mafia “soldier,” for example, but if the context is the evening news about the Iraq war, a listener can be trusted to understand the word without tacking on “army.” Besides sounding foolish, the practice of bolstering a word with a a word that replicates its meaning weakens the expressiveness o...

Boht Udas hai ye Dil Koi paigham hi likh do, Tum apna Naam mat likho Bhalay gumnam hi likh do.. Mana k apni Kismat me gham-e-tanhai hai lakin, Tamam Umar na likho Magar ik sham hi likh do, Chalo hum maan laitay hain Saza k mustahiq hain hum Koi Inam na likho koi ilzam hi likh do.

Ye Dil Tum Se Pyaar Karna Chahta Hai Apni Mohabbat ka Iqraar karna chahta hai Jab se dekha hai Tum ko Ae Sanam!! Bas Tumhara hi Dedaar karna chahta hai Logon se sunte the Mohabbat ke Afsaane Khuwaab Hum ne bhi dekhhe the Suhaane Pyaar kya hai ? Hum aksar sochte the Is Baat se Hum apne Dil ko rokte the Lekin ab Tumhain is Dil main basa ker Yeh Khata ek baar karna chahta hai Yeh Dil Tum se Pyaar karna chahta hai Apni Mohabbat ka Izhaar karna chahta hai

6 Foreign Expressions You Should Know Whether you like it or not, foreign expressions represent an integral part of the English language (and of many other languages, too). Knowing the meaning and usage of the most used ones is very important. First of all because it will enable you to understand pieces of text that include them. Secondly, because you might also need to use those expressions on particular situations (avoid using them just to sound smart though). Below you will find 6 foreign expressions commonly used in English, enjoy! 1.  De Facto De facto is a Latin expression that means “actual” (if used as an adjective) or “in practice” (if used as an adverb). In legal terms,  de facto  is commonly used in contrast to  de jure , which means “by law.” Something, therefore, can emerge either de facto (by practice) or de jure (by law). And what of the plastic red bench, which has served as his de facto home for the last 15 years and must by now be a col...

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16 Misquoted Quotations Many quotations attributed to famous people are at best paraphrases — though often superior to the original. Others might be subtly altered in the retelling, sometimes with little impact on their effect, at other times irresponsibly changing the meaning. Here is a selection of well-known sayings or writings that aren’t quite accurate (followed by a couple that are but are mistakenly identified as erroneous): 1. “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” This quotation attributed to Gandhi is a later invention by an unknown person, likely inspired by the following passage: “As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. . . . We need not wait to see what others do.” 2. “First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they attack you. Then you win.” Gandhi was also credited with this pithy progression, but something like it was actually uttered in a speech at a union meeting in the United States in 191...

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Among vs Amongst  - Learning English I first heard  amongst  used when I went to live in my hometown. To my ear it sounds quaint and very “British.” I especially like it in the expression “to put the cat amongst the pigeons.” If there ever was a difference between the two words, it is lost now. According to the OED,  amongst  is [l]ess usual in the primary local sense than  among , and, when so used, generally implying dispersion, intermixture, or shifting position. But as Fowler said many years ago, Such a distinction may be accepted on authority, but can hardly be made convincing by quotations even on the liberal scale of the OED. He goes on to speculate that the reason that one or the other form hasn’t fallen out of use may be owing to “the unconscious desire for euphony or ease,” and illustrates his opinion this way: few perhaps would say  amongst strangers  with  among  to hand, amongst us  is easier to ...

Main Tum Ko Chahta Hoon Junoon Ki Dehshat Main Jaan Se Ghuzar Jane Ki Had Tak Main Tum Ko Janta Hoon Rooh K Bay Unt Saagar Main Utar Jane Ki Had Tak Main Tum Ko Poojta Hoon Mohabbat Ki Haseen Devii Se Sir Takra K Mar Jane Ki Had Tak Main Tum Ko Souchta Hoon Kabhi Duniya Kabhi Khud Se Magar Jane Ki Had Tak Main Tum Ko Dekhta Hoon Faseel Dard Par Rakhay Mehaktey Khuab Ki Khushboo Bikhar Jane Ki Had Tak Yakin Janoo K Main Ye Jurm Ek Pal Main Hazaroon Baar Karta Hoon Tumhain Maloom Hota Kaash K Main Tum Se Kitna Pyaar Karta Hoon

The 10 Rules for Writing Numbers & Numerals 1.  Number versus numeral . First things first, what is the difference between a number and a numeral? A number is an abstract concept while a numeral is a symbol used to express that number. “Three,” “3″ and “III” are all symbols used to express the same number (or the concept of “threeness”). One could say that the difference between a number and its numerals is like the difference between a person and her name. 2.  Spell small numbers out . The small numbers, such as whole numbers smaller than ten, should be spelled out. That’s one rule you can count on. If you don’t spell numbers out it will look like you’re sending an instant message, and you want to be more formal than that in your writing. 3.  No other standard rule : Experts don’t always agree on other rules. Some experts say that any one-word number should be written out. Two-word numbers should be expressed in figures. That is, they say you should write ou...

10 Another Common Errors in English 10 Who / Whom This particular error has become so common that it is beginning to look like the word “whom” may vanish entirely from the English language. The reason for this is that so many people have no idea what the difference is. The difference is a simple one: who “does” the action, and whom has the action “done” to them. We use this difference in other words – “I” and “me” for example. “who” is the equivalent of “I”, and “whom” is the equivalent of “me”. The technical term for this difference is noun case – “who” is the nominative case, and “whom” is the accusative. Here is an example of correct usage: Who is going to kill Bob? (I am going to kill Bob) Bob is going to be killed by whom? (Bob is going to be killed by me) English does not use cases as much as it used to. Many other language do use cases frequently, such as German, Latin, Greek, etc. [Image Source - click for a larger view] 9 Irony On the previous list of errors I...

Past – relates to location The word  past  locates something in time, and sometimes in space. It can be used as an adjective, noun, or adverb. “Past” as an adjective The first definition which the OED gives for past as an adjective is  “Gone by in time; elapsed; done with; over.”  For example: “The days for mourning are now past.” When attributed to a group of people, past can also mean  “Having served one’s term of office; former.”  (OED) “All past presidents of the United States were male.” And in grammar, we have more examples of past being used as an adjective, such as in “past tense” and “past participle”. “Past” as a noun The main meaning for the noun form of past, given by the OED, is  “The time that has gone by; a time, or all of the time, before the present.” “In the past, standards were higher.” “We cannot live in the past.” “Past” as a preposition As a preposition,  past  can mean:  “Beyond in ti...

Other phrases A Kentukian named Knott could not knit, so Knott invented a knitter called the Knott Knitter, but the Knott Knitter would not knit knots. One day while Knott was not knitting on the Knott Knitter, Knott invented an attachment for the Knott Knitter called the Knott Knitter Knotter. When Knott attached the Knott Knitter Knotter to the Knott Knitter, no man could knit knots like Knott knit on the Knott Knitter. —Thank you Vicki Hobbs Ken Dodd's dad's dog's dead. "Are you copper-bottoming 'em my man?" "No, I'm aluminuming 'em ma'am." The black bloke's back brake block broke. A box of biscuits, a box of mixed biscuits, and a biscuit mixer He thrusts his fists against the posts and still insists he sees the ghosts. Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager managing an imaginary menagerie. I slit a sheet, a sheet I slit, upon a slitted sheet I sit. The Leith police dismisseth thee. The Leith police dismisseth us. A p...

English Tongue-Twisters Rhymes and poems NEW! I slit the sheet, The sheet I slit and on the slitted sheet I sit. Sister Suzie's sewing socks for soldiers Sock for soldiers sister Suzie sews, If sister Suzie's sewing socks for soldiers, Where're the socks for soldiers sister Suzie sews? Sarah, Sarah, sits in her Chevy; When she shifts she sips her Schlitz, and when she sips her Schlitz she shifts. Betty Botter bought a bit of butter. "But," she said, "this butter's bitter! If I put it in my batter, it will make my batter bitter!" So she bought a bit of butter better than her bitter butter, And she put it in her batter, and her batter was not bitter. So 'twas better Betty Botter bought a bit of better butter. A canner can can anything that he can, But a canner can't can a can, can he? A certain young fellow named Beebee Wished to marry a lady named Phoebe "But," he said. "I must see What the minister's fe...

Ae Jaana - Humein Tumse Pyaar Kitna Yeh Hum Nahin.... A Beautiful one from Jhankaar Beats, a movie thats been a part of me and gets my hands moving, this movie released in 2003, and this amazing songs with lyrics direct from dil se to dil.... Like it, Download It

Kisi Ki Rah Me Aankhan Bicha Ker Kuch Nahi Milta, Ye Dunya Bewafa Hai Dil laga Ker Kuch Nahi Milta, Koi bhi luat Ker Ata Nahi Aanso Bahane Se, Kisi Ki Yaad Me Dil Ko Rula Ker Kuch Nahi Milta, Kisi Ki Dil Pe Kia Guzri Kisi Ko Kya Khaber, Kisi Ko Apna Hal-E-Dil Suna Ker Kuch Nahi Milta, Jo Dil Me Baat Hoti Hai Woh Khud Aankhain Batati Hain, Kisi Bhi Baat Ko Dil Me Chupa Ker Kuch Nahi Milta........