[samaspire]

Originally Posted by noopster

This is probably the simplest rule in the book. To be honest I didn't quite understand why @samaspire has a doubt regarding "an IFB washing machine".

Like I said before, it was a doubt about the basics. And the doubt was because it didn't sound right in my head.

I have always used it with the an, but wanted to clarify it.

And your first point works like this in my scenario.
Take home an LG Washing Machine... , which is correct.

[Thad E Ginathom]

You are going to end up with a house full of washing machines

And yes, to an LG.

[samaspire]

Got this joke on whatsapp, but I guess it's more appropriate to post here instead of the joke thread.

Fantastic lesson in English grammar

Teacher:
1) he washed utensils
2) he was made to wash utensils

What's the difference between these two sentences?

Student:
In 1st sentence the subject is unmarried and in second, the subject is married.

[noopster]

Originally Posted by samaspire

And your first point works like this in my scenario.
Take home an LG Washing Machine... , which is correct.

You can't go by eye-spelling. Look at it this way:
"An El-gee Washing machine"

[mayankk]

Originally Posted by noopster

You can't go by eye-spelling. Look at it this way:
"An El-gee Washing machine"

European.
The mother of all. Y, or U, or E?
Correct one is the one that sounds correct, ie, "A".

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by noopster

You can't go by eye-spelling.

Don't bother with the eye: just say it. In this instance (English is not always so helpful), the one that sounds right will be right!

One sometimes comes across stuff like an hotel. As far as I know, this is just an affectation, and people who think they are being super correct by using it are just wrong.

[noopster]

^^Must be the bloody English. Dropping hetches is typical of some dialects, innit?

[anupmathur]

Originally Posted by noopster

^^Must be the bloody English. Dropping hetches is typical of some dialects, innit?

Ha ha, not so simple, my friend!
If you say 'haitch' you are Catholic, if 'aytch' you are Protestant!
Now isn't this the difference between life and death?!

[Thad E Ginathom]

If you say "Haitch," you will immediately reveal yourself as belonging to a lower social class than mine. Better watch out how you hold that knife too.

...Assuming, of course, that you'd care, which I don't, but when I was a small child these things were held to be important!

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by noopster

^^Must be the bloody English. Dropping hetches is typical of some dialects, innit?

Originally Posted by anupmathur

Ha ha, not so simple, my friend!
If you say 'haitch' you are Catholic, if 'aytch' you are Protestant!
Now isn't this the difference between life and death?!

As far as I know, it is always an 'aitch', and never 'haitch'. The latter is more common in our sub-continent.

[anupmathur]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

As far as I know, it is always an 'aitch', and never 'haitch'. The latter is more common in our sub-continent.

It's got nothing to do with what you know. In UK, and specifically Northern Ireland, this is, in fact, used to ascertain whether is a person is Catholic or Protestant, because many names do not reveal this information! A Catholic family that sends its children to a 'Prod' school is not common at all!

[Thad E Ginathom]

Northern Island, no doubt, is a different kettle of fish, where the religion of the fish matters. In England, nobody really cares about it any longer. It's an irrelevance.

[anupmathur]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

... In England, nobody really cares about it any longer. It's an irrelevance.

Haha, you are right! England never really cared, it has always been far too cosmopolitan to care about such trivial issues. Money is what matters there. And all cats are grey at night!

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by anupmathur

It's got nothing to do with what you know. In UK, and specifically Northern Ireland, this is, in fact, used to ascertain whether is a person is Catholic or Protestant, because many names do not reveal this information! A Catholic family that sends its children to a 'Prod' school is not common at all!

That's interesting. Thanks for the update.

By the way, do the Welsh have a distinct accent? When i was getting into a 'Big Bus' for a tour of London, the conductor asked me if I were a Welshman. He said he was going by my accent! I did not know what he meant, but I merely smiled and said I was from Biryaniland.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

By the way, do the Welsh have a distinct accent?

Several, probably!

Remember that they even have a distinct language! But yes, there is a stereotype Welsh accent.

I suppose Tom Jones has a Welsh accent. I'm not very good at celebrities so I don't know who else to recommend.

You can find the film of Under Milk Wood on youtube, but I would recommend the BBC radio play, if you can track that down. A thing of beauty indeed.