Just came across a blog by a Brit who had some interesting things to say about "an helicopter." Of course, at first, I was terribly offended. But then I really thought about it, and it makes perfect sense.
You see, to the average Brit, that "h" at the beginning of "helicopter" isn't really there at all. It's not the big, forceful "HUUUUH" that we Americans give it. In fact, it's not really there in any meaningful way. As a result, it's perfectly reasonable for someone to say "an 'elicopter." Right?
After all, I don't say "a Herb," but rather, "An 'erb." I do, that's how I grew up saying it.
But here's where it (and I) get weird. I say, "an historical event." There's an "h" sound in there, but not a very strong one. However, I would NEVER say, "an history book." And speaking of "hists," I would say, "an hysterical woman," but "a histrionic man."
Moving on, I don't say, "I wish it were." No, I say, "I wish it was." If you see me write it any other way, it's because I'm giving into spousal pressure. It drives (English/Philosophy major) hubby nuts when I do that.
I wish that wasn't the case ;-)
I take my verbs very seriously, and it makes me just a little crazy when I read books where that's not the case. Leap, leaped, have leapt, get, got, have gotten, give, gave, have given--this is RIGHT to me, and I know some Brits would disagree. Reading the Harry Potter novels aloud for my son leaves me correcting their grammar, usually automatically, without ever saying a word about it. Because, you see, Mr. Weasley hasn't gone to the Ministry and GOT a folder, he's gone and GOTTEN it. Apparently, that's a very American thing. Nice to see we got one thing right, huh?
Insert big winky face here so no one is offended:
Not sure where I get my English peccadillos from--I had immigrant grandparents. Maybe that's the source?
Hey, before I go, just a note--if you're feeding an expensive pet food because the name and price have led you to believe they're high-quality?
Please read the label. If it begins with things like corn meal, corn, wheat, gluten, meat by-product, etc.? Find another food. The first couple of ingredients really should be named meat products, and "meat by-product meal" isn't something you ever want to see in your pet's food. There are foods pushed by veterinarians that are as low in quality as Old Roy. Seriously. Just because a vet suggests it doesn't mean it's good. Especially if the vet makes money off the sale. Do some research, look around, and you can find a high-quality food that will do the job of a weight loss/diabetic food with better quality ingredients. Do it better without the possible stomach, skin, eye, and coat problems.
If you're like we were for years and can't afford the really good foods? Don't beat yourself up--buy Purina and love your dog. But if you're buying something fancy and pricey because the name is famous or your vet says so? Read the label.
This site? Rocks. Dog Food Advisor
Here's what we feed Charlie:
The first food is Castor and Pollux Organix. The second food is a Kirkland product. That's Costco. The Kirkland is markedly cheaper than most grain-free products, and it's a high-quality food. So the bulk of Charlie's diet is the Nature's Domain, with a smaller amount of the Castor and Pollux mixed in. He really likes it, we feel good about feeding it to him, and it doesn't break the bank. The Organix is good stuff--extremely good, in fact, so we'll keep mixing it in. Charlie likes the mix. I'm not sure how this formatting is going to work out--it's looking a bit disastrous to me, and when I try to return-return-return to start a new paragraph, the cursor skips all the way down the page and there's no way for me to type between. So, yeah, I'm just typing here to take up space. I am SO close to being a techie, I'm just inches away from having some sort of clue what I'm doing! Can you imagine if I really understood all this stuff? How incredible my blog would be? LOL, I slay me.
You see, to the average Brit, that "h" at the beginning of "helicopter" isn't really there at all. It's not the big, forceful "HUUUUH" that we Americans give it. In fact, it's not really there in any meaningful way. As a result, it's perfectly reasonable for someone to say "an 'elicopter." Right?
After all, I don't say "a Herb," but rather, "An 'erb." I do, that's how I grew up saying it.
But here's where it (and I) get weird. I say, "an historical event." There's an "h" sound in there, but not a very strong one. However, I would NEVER say, "an history book." And speaking of "hists," I would say, "an hysterical woman," but "a histrionic man."
Moving on, I don't say, "I wish it were." No, I say, "I wish it was." If you see me write it any other way, it's because I'm giving into spousal pressure. It drives (English/Philosophy major) hubby nuts when I do that.
I wish that wasn't the case ;-)
I take my verbs very seriously, and it makes me just a little crazy when I read books where that's not the case. Leap, leaped, have leapt, get, got, have gotten, give, gave, have given--this is RIGHT to me, and I know some Brits would disagree. Reading the Harry Potter novels aloud for my son leaves me correcting their grammar, usually automatically, without ever saying a word about it. Because, you see, Mr. Weasley hasn't gone to the Ministry and GOT a folder, he's gone and GOTTEN it. Apparently, that's a very American thing. Nice to see we got one thing right, huh?
Insert big winky face here so no one is offended:
Not sure where I get my English peccadillos from--I had immigrant grandparents. Maybe that's the source?
Hey, before I go, just a note--if you're feeding an expensive pet food because the name and price have led you to believe they're high-quality?
Please read the label. If it begins with things like corn meal, corn, wheat, gluten, meat by-product, etc.? Find another food. The first couple of ingredients really should be named meat products, and "meat by-product meal" isn't something you ever want to see in your pet's food. There are foods pushed by veterinarians that are as low in quality as Old Roy. Seriously. Just because a vet suggests it doesn't mean it's good. Especially if the vet makes money off the sale. Do some research, look around, and you can find a high-quality food that will do the job of a weight loss/diabetic food with better quality ingredients. Do it better without the possible stomach, skin, eye, and coat problems.
If you're like we were for years and can't afford the really good foods? Don't beat yourself up--buy Purina and love your dog. But if you're buying something fancy and pricey because the name is famous or your vet says so? Read the label.
This site? Rocks. Dog Food Advisor
Here's what we feed Charlie:
Oh, hey, I fixed it (I think--won't really know until I click "publish," huh?)! Just needed to adjust the alignment! Or whatever it is you're doing when you decide to set it to left instead of center.
Because, if you've read my blog at all, you'll know I'm all about left of center!
Epic chicken" for dinner tonight! "Epic" is what our boy calls it. Hubby makes homemade chicken tenders/fillets. Oven baked instead of fried, with spices and Corn Flake crumb breading. Boneless, skinless organic/cage-free chicken. We'll have it with broccoli, butternut squash, and salad. Then super-smoothies for dessert!
Hey, is it possible to have a food hangover? I'm asking because after a wild, lost-diet weekend, the first day after I feel sort of dragged out and oogy. Wondering if it's the shift in diet?
Paneling! Bad, bad paneling!
Oh, and because the universe behaves this way, THIS blog entry will be the most grammatically flawed, typo-laden disaster ever in the history of blogdom. So don't bother to tell me I've screwed up. That's a given :-)
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