English, like all languages, is far from perfect and can be confusing. The same word can have different meanings.  Take the word “minute”. It can mean either sixty seconds or a teenie-weenie whatever. My daughter pointed out that the correct meaning is dictated by the remaining sentence. Sharp girl that daughter of mine.

The following is food for thought.

What is a quarter of a quarter?

Monetary answer = $0.0625

Math answers = 1/16 and 0.0625

Sports answers: Football = 3.75 minutes or Basketball = 3 minutes

Got more? Jump in and make similar observations about our language even if you rarely think about its complexities.

This blog is dedicated to George Carlin, comedian who looked differently at our mother tongue to find ways to make us laugh.