Is this a cyte four soar ayes... ore watt?

Pardon the use of homophones in the line above - it is a bit confusing, I know - but as this site is all about homophones and homonyms, you'll understand why... I hope!

Language is a fascinating topic. While it's not unique to the human species, our languages are probably the most structured and complex of all animals.

With greater complexity however, comes also greater potential for confusion. Creativity is in there of course, somewhere, but I think that confusion is king.

Am I being pessimistic? No, I don't think so... nor am I disheartened.

My point is this: When communicating with each other, the probability for misunderstanding the other is greater than that for actual understanding, in the first instance. Simply reflecting upon your everyday conversation, with whomever, should provide ample illustration for you...

My earliest recollection for this confusion is a joke I saw, many years ago. It went something like this:

Two people are scrubbing a floor, using soap and brushes etc. One person stops, looks around and says: "Where's the soap?" The second, without pausing, responds: "Yes, you're right!" And, carries on working.

The confusion here, of course, is the identical sound of "wears" and "where's" (a contraction of "where is"). Now, if you think that's bad, the software I used to compose this essay and HTML is unable to identify the difference either! When I substitute "Wears" for "Where's" in the above joke, the software saw no grammatical or spelling errors!

(But, the same goes for my opener, above: the software is unable to see anything wrong with that sentence... or the one at the bottom!)

To be fair to the software however, it's not programmed, of course, to hone in on such grammatical gaffes...

Which means that there's still hope for us, right?

While the potential for confusion is still rampant, almost all of it can be, if not resolved, then at least accommodated by making sure that we - all of us - really listen to each other.

Too many pay lip service to that idea, and are content to say instead: "Read my lips!"

That's a problem!

Now, if I were a New Yorker, I might be inclined to say: Fergeddabouda lips... lissen to da sound, OK!

However, if you've never thought much about homophones and homonyms before this, then please take the time to browse through this site...

• Our flagship product is Roger's Reference: The Complete Homonym & Homophone Dictionary, the most comprehensive dictionary of its type on the web, with 8709 words. With this e-book you'll never be lost for the right word again... and, once purchased, you'll get FREE revised electronic editions, forever.

• Read about how homophones and homonyms are the backbone of an amusing and thoughtful rhetorical device called 'chiasmus' (rest your mouse pointer on the word to see what I mean).

Here's one of this week's chiastic creations:

You know a marriage might be bankrupt when it goes from just the business of making love to the love of just making a business!

More...

• Have you come across chiasmus before this? I've collected a number of them, from many sources — newspapers, books, movies etc — over the years. You can browse through part of my growing collection here.

• Do you want to receive a free sample chiastic quote , directly to your mailbox, each week? If so, please send a blank email to this address: chiasmus@rogersreference.com (your email address will never be given, sold or rented to anybody or any organization; to read our full privacy statement, please click here).

• So, while I'm on the topic of quotes, I'm researching the more famous ones - all those that are the most familiar to you, and many others. Why? Well, times change -- and maybe it's time to rework some for modern times. So, click here to allow me to show you what I mean... And maybe you get a FREE ebook in the process?

• And, for something entirely new - and if you missed the rolling slide show on the top right of this page - I can now offer my chiastic quotes as T-shirt transfers!
  
  Have a look at the above slide show and then have a look here, at your leisure.
  
  Many thanks...

• English is the toughest language to learn. Read here why it's such a crazy language.

• Got a question? I'd be happy to try to answer it.

• If you're a student, then you'd like to know about a special Student Edition of Roger's Reference, with over 3000 of the most common homophones and homonyms. Perhaps it's just what you need for your English assignments...?
  
  (Pssst! Want a FREE copy? See this...)

• Find out why I compiled a dictionary and word list.

• Did I say there is confusion? Discover here how even major dictionaries cannot agree upon consistent definitions for 'homonym' and 'homophone'.

• And, for those of you who have a particular bent for homophones — and for words that may or may not be homophones — you'll be interested in the Dictionary of Homophones and Commonly Confused Words.

• Review the contents of Volume 1 of my chiastic quotes here, and Volume 2 here.

• Have a chuckle here when you read a short piece that is written homophonically.

• For a complete listing of all of our e-books on homophones and homonyms, please click here for page 1 or page 2.

• Tell me here what you think, if you wish, about this site.

Just remember that, in the final analysis of human endeavors, when you strip away all the paraphernalia and accoutrements with which we all grow up (and disregarding - for the moment - basic necessities), there's one thing left only: conversation . Whew! That's how we started off, millions of years ago.

It's up to all of us to keep the conversation going.

No watt eye mien?

Roger Burke
http://rogersreference.com
webmaster@rogersreference.com

P.S. You can help to dispel further confusion by getting your copy of the complete Roger's Reference here and now, for only $13.95! And, you'll get FREE revisions forever.

P.P.S. Don't need the whole dictionary? Then maybe you need the complete Word List? Click this link to get it immediately. A very affordable $5.95!

P.P.P.S. Or, for students, 3000+ of the most common homonyms and homophones... a complete dictionary. Get ahead of others and get it here now. The lowest priced, best value homophone/homonym dictionary around - only $5.95. (Hey! Remember - you could get a FREE copy now. Click here.)

Or if you would prefer, click here for a Comb-Bound Printed or a CD Version Version of our products.

You know the usual meaning(s), I'm sure - now rest your mouse on it to find out another, not so common, meaning!

New for You...

Want to get a T-shirt with one of my chiastic creations on it? Click here to search through a partner site to which I am uploading all 1200 of my quotes - plus a few more!...



There, you'll find all the above. And, with each passing day, there'll be more from which to choose.

There are many colours and three different styles of shirts, while prices are a very reasonable AU$20-$25 or so plus shipping, directly to you.

So...have a look here, at your leisure.

Many thanks...

And now: if you do purchase a T-shirt with one of my quotes, here's the BONUS for you:

Send an email to quoteking-AT-rogersreference.com; include your name and invoice number, and I'll send to you either of my two ebooks - Volume 1 or Volume 2 - of chiastic quotes!

It's your choice and it's FREE!

My way of saying "Thanks" again...

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