Re: Brain Teaser
Lorie McGraw (llmcgraw@WORLDNET.ATT.NET)
Mon, 28 Oct 1996 18:17:59 +0000
Dear Steve,
You have fallen for a scam that started back in the 1970's. The
third word is "gry". It is an archaic term that is certainly not used in
everyday English and this puzzle is periodically revived to snare the
unwary. PLEASE do not let any of us spend any time or electrons on this.
There is _no_ common word in the English language besides hungry and angry
that end in -gry.
I refer you to the website of Richard Lederer, noted grammarian,
linguist, and humorist (for after all, if you cannot laugh about the
English Language, then you are indeed wiithout humor).
Go to :
Richard Lederer's Verbivore Page www.tiac.net/users/rlederer
Lederer is the author of many books, including Anguished English,
Get Thee To A Punnery, The Miracle of Language, and many more. Anguished
English is where most people steal the "church bulletin bloops ("This
Sunday's sermon is "What Is Hell". Come early and listen to our choir
paractice.", etc), and he appears locally on a talk show about once a month
here in Columbia. He has discussed this "word problem" at length. He has
posed much more interesting questions in his latest book, Crazy English.
Two short excerpts follow (all from his web-page above):
>
> "From Crazy English by R. Lederer) ..." Sometimes you have to
believe that all English speakers should be committed to an asylum for the
verbally insane. In what other language do people drive in a parkway and
park in a driveway? In what other language do people recite at a play and
play at a recital? In what other language do privates eat in the general
mess and generals eat in the private mess? In what other language do people
ship by truck and send cargo by ship? In what other language can your nose
run and your feet smell?
>
> How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same and a bad licking
and a good licking be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are
opposites? How can sharp speech and blunt speech be the same and quite a lot
and quite a few the same, while overlook and oversee are opposites? How can
the expressions "What's going on?" and "What's coming off?" means
>exactly the same thing?!?
>.....
>......If button and unbutton and tie and untie are opposites, why are
loosen and unloosen and
> ravel and unravel he same? If bad is the opposite of good, hard the
opposite of soft, and up the opposite of down, why are badly and goodly,
hardly and softy, and upright and downright not opposing pairs? If harmless
actions are the opposite of harmful nonactions, why are shameful and
shameless behavior the same and pricey objects less expensive than priceless
ones........................."
Don't feel bad, Steve. Like I said, this has been around for a LONG
time. ,^ )
YIS
Lorie McGraw
llmcgraw@worldnet.att.net
Indian Waters Council
Columbia, SC
My Kid's Mom, My Husband's Sweetie, Burned-Out 4th Grade Teacher, Cub
Leader, CyberGeek, and all-around Packrat.
>>>>>>>
>Date: Sun, 27 Oct 1996 12:36:38 -0600
>From: Steve Beluch <steve.beluch@SYSLINK.MCS.COM>
Subject: Brain teaser ????
>Has anyone out there heard of this word problem???
>One of my scouts hit me with this tonight and I'm stumped.
>It seems there are three common words that end in -G R Y
>HUNGRY is one and ANGRY is two what the (^(^&(* is the
>third???????????????????????????
>GOOD LUCK
Terry Howerton Sakima Group, Inc. SCOUTER Magazine Kansas City |
