Some words have different meanings,
and yet they’re spelt the same.
A cricket is an insect,
to play it — it’s a game.
On every hand, in every land,
it’s thoroughly agreed,
the English language to explain
is very hard indeed.
Some people say that you’re a dear,
yet dear is far from cheap.
A jumper is a thing you wear,
yet a jumper has to leap.
It’s very clear, it’s very queer,
and pray who is to blame
for different meanings to some words,
pronounced and spelt, the same?
A little journey is a trip,
a trip is when you fall.
It doesn’t mean you have to dance
whene’er you hold a ball.
Now here’s a thing that puzzles me:
musicians of good taste
will very often form a band —
I’ve one around my waist!
You spin a top, go for a spin,
or spin a yarn may be —
yet every spin’s a different spin,
as you can plainly see.
Now here’s a most peculiar thing —
’twas told me as a joke —
a dumb man wouldn’t speak a word,
yet seized a wheel and spoke.
A door may often be ajar,
but give the door a slam,
and then your nerves receive a jar —
and then there’s jars of jam.
You’ve heard, of course, of traffic jams,
and jams you give your thumbs.
And adders, too, one is a snake,
the other adds up sums.
A policeman is a copper,
it’s a nickname (impolite!)
yet a copper in the kitchen
is an article you light.
On every hand, in every land,
it’s thoroughly agreed —
the English language to explain
is very hard indeed!
Written by Harry Hemsley
If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to my RSS feed
Subscribe to posts
Apr 7th, 2007 at 9:39 pm
English is hard to explain too by United States lights. Politesse.
jb says: Interesting, though, isn’t it, that English novels are quite often translated into American; whereas American novels are never translated into English. I’ve never been given a really good reason for this.
Apr 8th, 2007 at 7:05 am
Lovely poem.
I don’t think we’ve ever forgiven the Americans for Dick Van Dyke’s “cockney” accent in “Mary Poppins.”
I also wonder if there is such a thing as a uniform American accent/language/way of speaking?
I was once talking to an American in Florida who observed that I did not speak like a local and asked, not if I was British, but if I was from New York, a place I’ve never visited in my life.
Apr 9th, 2007 at 5:29 pm
American novels aren’t translated into English because English novels aren’t could be, but I wouldn’t disparage my mother tongue.
Floridians are backward as hosts methinks.
jb says: Say what, Brian?
Jul 5th, 2007 at 2:39 pm
Wonderful!! I have been looking for this poem for eons. I learnt it from a literature book when I was a kid and could remember only a few lines. Thank you for publishing and thanks to google for finding it!!
Dec 10th, 2007 at 4:37 am
Ever wonder all “Question” words in English begin with “Wh”?
What, Why, Whom, Which, When, Who, Whether, Where, Whither?
jb says: Does? How? Could? Are?
Dec 11th, 2007 at 6:26 pm
Except “How”, Others cannot be accepted as “Question” words in the proper sense of the word. They can be used both ways - Questions and answers.
Does it? It does. Could you? You could. Are you? You are.
Another Wh - Whose