dough
cough
rough
plough
ought

--
Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as
foolish, and by the rulers as useful.

(Seneca the Younger, 65 AD)

On 24/02/2023 17:37, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
> dough
> cough
> rough
> plough
> ought
>

You're becoming as needy as P Hucker. Can't you even put OT in the subject?

On 24/02/2023 17:38, Fredxx wrote:
> On 24/02/2023 17:37, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
>> dough
>> cough
>> rough
>> plough
>> ought
>>
>
> You're becoming as needy as P Hucker. Can't you even put OT in the subject?

Given the subject line, I would have thought that superfluous.

--
Colin Bignell

On 24/02/2023 17:37, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
> dough
> cough
> rough
> plough
> ought
>

The phrase I was taught to cover all the variants is:

Though the rough cough and hiccough plough me through, I ought to cross
the lough.

--
Colin Bignell

On Sat, 25 Feb 2023 05:00:46 +1100, Colin Bignell
<cpb@bignellremovethis.me.uk> wrote:

> On 24/02/2023 17:37, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
>> dough
>> cough
>> rough
>> plough
>> ought
>>
>
> The phrase I was taught to cover all the variants is:
>
> Though the rough cough and hiccough plough me through, I ought to cross
> the lough.

Bloody hell. Who taught you that ?

On 24/02/2023 18:52, Rod Speed wrote:
> On Sat, 25 Feb 2023 05:00:46 +1100, Colin Bignell
> <cpb@bignellremovethis.me.uk> wrote:
>
>> On 24/02/2023 17:37, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
>>> dough
>>> cough
>>> rough
>>> plough
>>> ought
>>>
>>
>> The phrase I was taught to cover all the variants is:
>>
>> Though the rough cough and hiccough plough me through, I ought to
>> cross the lough.
>
> Bloody hell. Who taught you that ?

theres quite a few more words I can think of:

Bough
Bought
Brought
Furlough
Wrought

On 24/02/2023 19:08, SH wrote:
> On 24/02/2023 18:52, Rod Speed wrote:
>> On Sat, 25 Feb 2023 05:00:46 +1100, Colin Bignell
>> <cpb@bignellremovethis.me.uk> wrote:
>>
>>> On 24/02/2023 17:37, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
>>>> dough
>>>> cough
>>>> rough
>>>> plough
>>>> ought
>>>>
>>>
>>> The phrase I was taught to cover all the variants is:
>>>
>>> Though the rough cough and hiccough plough me through, I ought to
>>> cross the lough.
>>
>> Bloody hell. Who taught you that ?
>
> theres quite a few more words I can think of:
>
> Bough
> Bought
> Brought
> Furlough
> Wrought
>
Bought brought and ought are all the same pronunication.
bough is like plough
Furlough is unique

--
A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on
its shoes.

On Fri, 24 Feb 2023 19:17:02 +0000, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

> On 24/02/2023 19:08, SH wrote:
>> On 24/02/2023 18:52, Rod Speed wrote:
>>> On Sat, 25 Feb 2023 05:00:46 +1100, Colin Bignell
>>> <cpb@bignellremovethis.me.uk> wrote:
>>>
>>>> On 24/02/2023 17:37, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
>>>>> dough cough rough plough ought
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> The phrase I was taught to cover all the variants is:
>>>>
>>>> Though the rough cough and hiccough plough me through, I ought to
>>>> cross the lough.
>>>
>>> Bloody hell. Who taught you that ?
>>
>> theres quite a few more words I can think of:
>>
>> Bough Bought Brought Furlough Wrought
>>
> Bought brought and ought are all the same pronunication.
> bough is like plough Furlough is unique

The merricans say thoughrow.

On 24/02/2023 19:23, Smolley wrote:
> On Fri, 24 Feb 2023 19:17:02 +0000, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
>
>> On 24/02/2023 19:08, SH wrote:
>>> On 24/02/2023 18:52, Rod Speed wrote:
>>>> On Sat, 25 Feb 2023 05:00:46 +1100, Colin Bignell
>>>> <cpb@bignellremovethis.me.uk> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> On 24/02/2023 17:37, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
>>>>>> dough cough rough plough ought
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>> The phrase I was taught to cover all the variants is:
>>>>>
>>>>> Though the rough cough and hiccough plough me through, I ought to
>>>>> cross the lough.
>>>>
>>>> Bloody hell. Who taught you that ?
>>>
>>> theres quite a few more words I can think of:
>>>
>>> Bough Bought Brought Furlough Wrought
>>>
>> Bought brought and ought are all the same pronunication.
>> bough is like plough Furlough is unique
>
> The merricans say thoughrow.

oh yeah thats a a few more words

Tough

Though

Thought

Through

Throughput

On Fri, 24 Feb 2023 17:37:11 +0000, The Natural Philosopher
<tnp@invalid.invalid> wrote:

>dough
>cough
>rough
>plough
>ought

I have often wondered how "English" (in all its' variations across
the world) became the nearest thing we have to a world wide language.
It has few rules (and they are often broken) many illogical
pronunciations, words that are spelled differently, with different
meanings but spoken the same.

Yes, I know "The Empire" and in more modern times the spread of US
"culture" but that never quite proves it for me.

On 24/02/2023 18:52, Rod Speed wrote:
> On Sat, 25 Feb 2023 05:00:46 +1100, Colin Bignell
> <cpb@bignellremovethis.me.uk> wrote:
>
>> On 24/02/2023 17:37, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
>>> dough
>>> cough
>>> rough
>>> plough
>>> ought
>>>
>>
>> The phrase I was taught to cover all the variants is:
>>
>> Though the rough cough and hiccough plough me through, I ought to
>> cross the lough.
>
> Bloody hell. Who taught you that ?

We got taught a lot of mnemonics to help us remember odd bits of English
for English 'O' level exams. That is one of the few that stuck with me.

--
Colin Bignell

On 24 Feb 2023 at 19:08:45 GMT, "SH" <i.love@spam.com> wrote:

> On 24/02/2023 18:52, Rod Speed wrote:
>> On Sat, 25 Feb 2023 05:00:46 +1100, Colin Bignell
>> <cpb@bignellremovethis.me.uk> wrote:
>>
>>> On 24/02/2023 17:37, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

>>>> dough
>>>> cough
>>>> rough
>>>> plough
>>>> ought
>>>
>>> The phrase I was taught to cover all the variants is:
>>>
>>> Though the rough cough and hiccough plough me through, I ought to
>>> cross the lough.
>>
>> Bloody hell. Who taught you that ?
>
> theres quite a few more words I can think of:
>
> Bough
> Bought
> Brought
> Furlough
> Wrought

Bough - subsumed by plough
Bought - subsumed by ought
Brought - subsumed by ought
Furlough - subsumed by dough
Wrought - subsumed by ought

--
"I love the way that Microsoft follows standards. In much the same manner as fish follow migrating caribou."
- Paul Tomblin, ASR

On 24 Feb 2023 at 19:53:01 GMT, "Colin Bignell" <cpb@bignellREMOVETHIS.me.uk>
wrote:

> On 24/02/2023 18:52, Rod Speed wrote:
>> On Sat, 25 Feb 2023 05:00:46 +1100, Colin Bignell
>> <cpb@bignellremovethis.me.uk> wrote:
>>
>>> On 24/02/2023 17:37, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
>>>> dough
>>>> cough
>>>> rough
>>>> plough
>>>> ought
>>>
>>> The phrase I was taught to cover all the variants is:
>>>
>>> Though the rough cough and hiccough plough me through, I ought to
>>> cross the lough.
>>
>> Bloody hell. Who taught you that ?
>
> We got taught a lot of mnemonics to help us remember odd bits of English
> for English 'O' level exams. That is one of the few that stuck with me.

This is a valid sentence in English. See if you can add the required
punctuation:

Had had had had had had had had had had would have passed the exam.

--
"What causes poverty?" Wrong question. Poverty is our primordial state. The real question is, "What causes wealth?"

Hint: it ain't Socialism.

On Fri, 24 Feb 2023 17:37:11 +0000, The Natural Philosopher
<tnp@invalid.invalid> wrote:

>dough
>cough
>rough
>plough
>ought

Reminds me of ghoti - George Bernard Shaw's alleged re-spelling of
fish. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghoti except that it was actually
done before him https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ghoti

--
Chris

On Sat, 25 Feb 2023 06:47:57 +1100, Graham Harrison
<edward.harrisom.one@btinternet.com> wrote:

> On Fri, 24 Feb 2023 17:37:11 +0000, The Natural Philosopher
> <tnp@invalid.invalid> wrote:
>
>> dough
>> cough
>> rough
>> plough
>> ought
>
> I have often wondered how "English" (in all its' variations across
> the world) became the nearest thing we have to a world wide language.

Essentially britain became the most successful empire for a while
and by the time that imploded completely, the more successful
ex colonys did use a form of english and far more foreigners
speak at least a little english than any other european language.

> It has few rules (and they are often broken) many illogical
> pronunciations, words that are spelled differently, with different
> meanings but spoken the same.

And english never did get simplified like russian did.

> Yes, I know "The Empire" and in more modern times the spread of US
> "culture" but that never quite proves it for me.

It should because the USA essentially took over driving what happened
in much of the world industrialisation wise.

On 24/02/2023 21:18, Tim Streater wrote:
> On 24 Feb 2023 at 19:53:01 GMT, "Colin Bignell" <cpb@bignellREMOVETHIS.me.uk>
> wrote:
>
>> On 24/02/2023 18:52, Rod Speed wrote:
>>> On Sat, 25 Feb 2023 05:00:46 +1100, Colin Bignell
>>> <cpb@bignellremovethis.me.uk> wrote:
>>>
>>>> On 24/02/2023 17:37, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
>>>>> dough
>>>>> cough
>>>>> rough
>>>>> plough
>>>>> ought
>>>>
>>>> The phrase I was taught to cover all the variants is:
>>>>
>>>> Though the rough cough and hiccough plough me through, I ought to
>>>> cross the lough.
>>>
>>> Bloody hell. Who taught you that ?
>>
>> We got taught a lot of mnemonics to help us remember odd bits of English
>> for English 'O' level exams. That is one of the few that stuck with me.
>
> This is a valid sentence in English. See if you can add the required
> punctuation:
>
> Had had had had had had had had had had would have passed the exam.

A fairly well known example of the importance of punctuation. It even
has its own Wiki entry:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_while_John_had_had_had_had_had_had_had_had_had_had_had_a_better_effect_on_the_teacher

--
Colin Bignell

On Sat, 25 Feb 2023 06:53:01 +1100, Colin Bignell
<cpb@bignellremovethis.me.uk> wrote:

> On 24/02/2023 18:52, Rod Speed wrote:
>> On Sat, 25 Feb 2023 05:00:46 +1100, Colin Bignell
>> <cpb@bignellremovethis.me.uk> wrote:
>>
>>> On 24/02/2023 17:37, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
>>>> dough
>>>> cough
>>>> rough
>>>> plough
>>>> ought
>>>>
>>>
>>> The phrase I was taught to cover all the variants is:
>>>
>>> Though the rough cough and hiccough plough me through, I ought to
>>> cross the lough.
>> Bloody hell. Who taught you that ?
>
> We got taught a lot of mnemonics to help us remember odd bits of English
> for English 'O' level exams.

What type of school was it ? What you lot call a public school
or just a grammar school ? Presumably not a secondary modern.

That is one of the few that stuck with me.
>

On 24/02/2023 22:15, Rod Speed wrote:
> On Sat, 25 Feb 2023 06:53:01 +1100, Colin Bignell
> <cpb@bignellremovethis.me.uk> wrote:
>
>> On 24/02/2023 18:52, Rod Speed wrote:
>>> On Sat, 25 Feb 2023 05:00:46 +1100, Colin Bignell
>>> <cpb@bignellremovethis.me.uk> wrote:
>>>
>>>> On 24/02/2023 17:37, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
>>>>> dough
>>>>> cough
>>>>> rough
>>>>> plough
>>>>> ought
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> The phrase I was taught to cover all the variants is:
>>>>
>>>> Though the rough cough and hiccough plough me through, I ought to
>>>> cross the lough.
>>>  Bloody hell. Who taught you that ?
>>
>> We got taught a lot of mnemonics to help us remember odd bits of
>> English for English 'O' level exams.
>
> What type of school was it ?  What you lot call a public school
> or just a grammar school ?  Presumably not a secondary modern.

A grammar school, but one that prided itself in the number of open
exhibition scholarships its pupils won every year to Oxbridge.

>
> That is one of the few that stuck with me.
>>

--
Colin Bignell

On Fri, 24 Feb 2023 19:17:02 +0000, The Natural Philosopher
<tnp@invalid.invalid> wrote:

>On 24/02/2023 19:08, SH wrote:
>> On 24/02/2023 18:52, Rod Speed wrote:
>>> On Sat, 25 Feb 2023 05:00:46 +1100, Colin Bignell
>>> <cpb@bignellremovethis.me.uk> wrote:
>>>
>>>> On 24/02/2023 17:37, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
>>>>> dough
>>>>> cough
>>>>> rough
>>>>> plough
>>>>> ought
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> The phrase I was taught to cover all the variants is:
>>>>
>>>> Though the rough cough and hiccough plough me through, I ought to
>>>> cross the lough.
>>>
>>> Bloody hell. Who taught you that ?
>>
>> theres quite a few more words I can think of:
>>
>> Bough
>> Bought
>> Brought
>> Furlough
>> Wrought
>>
>Bought brought and ought are all the same pronunication.
>bough is like plough
>Furlough is unique

"Slough" is unusual in that it rhymes with "bough" or "enough",
depending on the meaning.

On Saturday, February 25, 2023 at 1:30:34 AM UTC, Custos Custodum wrote:
> On Fri, 24 Feb 2023 19:17:02 +0000, The Natural Philosopher
> <t...@invalid.invalid> wrote:
>
> >On 24/02/2023 19:08, SH wrote:
> >> On 24/02/2023 18:52, Rod Speed wrote:
> >>> On Sat, 25 Feb 2023 05:00:46 +1100, Colin Bignell
> >>> <c...@bignellremovethis.me.uk> wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> On 24/02/2023 17:37, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
> >>>>> dough
> >>>>> cough
> >>>>> rough
> >>>>> plough
> >>>>> ought
> >>>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> The phrase I was taught to cover all the variants is:
> >>>>
> >>>> Though the rough cough and hiccough plough me through, I ought to
> >>>> cross the lough.
> >>>
> >>> Bloody hell. Who taught you that ?
> >>
> >> theres quite a few more words I can think of:
> >>
> >> Bough
> >> Bought
> >> Brought
> >> Furlough
> >> Wrought
> >>
> >Bought brought and ought are all the same pronunication.
> >bough is like plough
> >Furlough is unique
> "Slough" is unusual in that it rhymes with "bough" or "enough",
> depending on the meaning.

surely the slough of despair is pronounce sluff of despair?

On Sat, 25 Feb 2023 19:09:53 +1100, fred <tpmccann@gmail.com> wrote:

> On Saturday, February 25, 2023 at 1:30:34 AM UTC, Custos Custodum wrote:
>> On Fri, 24 Feb 2023 19:17:02 +0000, The Natural Philosopher
>> <t...@invalid.invalid> wrote:
>>
>> >On 24/02/2023 19:08, SH wrote:
>> >> On 24/02/2023 18:52, Rod Speed wrote:
>> >>> On Sat, 25 Feb 2023 05:00:46 +1100, Colin Bignell
>> >>> <c...@bignellremovethis.me.uk> wrote:
>> >>>
>> >>>> On 24/02/2023 17:37, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
>> >>>>> dough
>> >>>>> cough
>> >>>>> rough
>> >>>>> plough
>> >>>>> ought
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>
>> >>>> The phrase I was taught to cover all the variants is:
>> >>>>
>> >>>> Though the rough cough and hiccough plough me through, I ought to
>> >>>> cross the lough.
>> >>>
>> >>> Bloody hell. Who taught you that ?
>> >>
>> >> theres quite a few more words I can think of:
>> >>
>> >> Bough
>> >> Bought
>> >> Brought
>> >> Furlough
>> >> Wrought
>> >>
>> >Bought brought and ought are all the same pronunication.
>> >bough is like plough
>> >Furlough is unique
>> "Slough" is unusual in that it rhymes with "bough" or "enough",
>> depending on the meaning.
>
>
> surely the slough of despair is pronounce sluff of despair?

What he said.

On 25/02/2023 08:09, fred wrote:
> On Saturday, February 25, 2023 at 1:30:34 AM UTC, Custos Custodum wrote:
>> On Fri, 24 Feb 2023 19:17:02 +0000, The Natural Philosopher
>> <t...@invalid.invalid> wrote:
>>
>>> On 24/02/2023 19:08, SH wrote:
>>>> On 24/02/2023 18:52, Rod Speed wrote:
>>>>> On Sat, 25 Feb 2023 05:00:46 +1100, Colin Bignell
>>>>> <c...@bignellremovethis.me.uk> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> On 24/02/2023 17:37, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
>>>>>>> dough
>>>>>>> cough
>>>>>>> rough
>>>>>>> plough
>>>>>>> ought
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> The phrase I was taught to cover all the variants is:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Though the rough cough and hiccough plough me through, I ought to
>>>>>> cross the lough.
>>>>>
>>>>> Bloody hell. Who taught you that ?
>>>>
>>>> theres quite a few more words I can think of:
>>>>
>>>> Bough
>>>> Bought
>>>> Brought
>>>> Furlough
>>>> Wrought
>>>>
>>> Bought brought and ought are all the same pronunication.
>>> bough is like plough
>>> Furlough is unique
>> "Slough" is unusual in that it rhymes with "bough" or "enough",
>> depending on the meaning.
>
>
> surely the slough of despair is pronounce sluff of despair?

I'd say "sluff" (as in enough) for "slough" is for shedding or shed
skin; and the bog "slough" (as in Pilgrim's Progress) is the same as the
place Betjeman wanted bombed.

Easy to see why some become despondent when learning English.
--
Robin
reply-to address is (intended to be) valid

On 24/02/2023 19:47, Graham Harrison wrote:
> On Fri, 24 Feb 2023 17:37:11 +0000, The Natural Philosopher
> <tnp@invalid.invalid> wrote:
>
>> dough
>> cough
>> rough
>> plough
>> ought
>
> I have often wondered how "English" (in all its' variations across
> the world) became the nearest thing we have to a world wide language.
> It has few rules (and they are often broken) many illogical
> pronunciations, words that are spelled differently, with different
> meanings but spoken the same.
>
> Yes, I know "The Empire" and in more modern times the spread of US
> "culture" but that never quite proves it for me.

I think it is the case of 'we need a standard, any standard will do, no
matter how rubbish it is, as long as everybody uses it.'

For a long time it was Latin.

Look at India and South Africa. The nearest thing to a 'common' language
is English.

Faced with the need for a lingua franca, scandinavians often speak
English to each other as well.
Italians and Germans and French distrust each other so much that none
will let the other be the 'default language of choice; but they all hate
Britain equally, so that English is suitable.

Americans now all speak spanish

--
"I guess a rattlesnake ain't risponsible fer bein' a rattlesnake, but ah
puts mah heel on um jess the same if'n I catches him around mah chillun".

[See in particular the last stanza]

Dearest creature in creation,
Study English pronunciation.
I will teach you in my verse
Sounds like corpse, corps, horse, and worse.
I will keep you, Suzy, busy,
Make your head with heat grow dizzy.
Tear in eye, your dress will tear.
So shall I! Oh hear my prayer.

Just compare heart, beard, and heard,
Dies and diet, lord and word,
Sword and sward, retain and Britain.
(Mind the latter, how it's written.)
Now I surely will not plague you
With such words as plaque and ague.
But be careful how you speak:
Say break and steak, but bleak and streak;
Cloven, oven, how and low,
Script, receipt, show, poem, and toe.

Hear me say, devoid of trickery,
Daughter, laughter, and Terpsichore,
Typhoid, measles, topsails, aisles,
Exiles, similes, and reviles;
Scholar, vicar, and cigar,
Solar, mica, war and far;
One, anemone, Balmoral,
Kitchen, lichen, laundry, laurel;
Gertrude, German, wind and mind,
Scene, Melpomene, mankind.

Billet does not rhyme with ballet,
Bouquet, wallet, mallet, chalet.
Blood and flood are not like food,
Nor is mould like should and would.
Viscous, viscount, load and broad,
Toward, to forward, to reward.
And your pronunciation's OK
When you correctly say croquet,
Rounded, wounded, grieve and sieve,
Friend and fiend, alive and live.

Ivy, privy, famous; clamour
And enamour rhymes with hammer.
River, rival, tomb, bomb, comb,
Doll and roll and some and home.
Stranger does not rhyme with anger,
Neither does devour with clangour.
Souls but foul, haunt but aunt,
Font, front, wont, want, grand, and grant,
Shoes, goes, does. Now first say finger,
And then singer, ginger, linger,
Real, zeal, mauve, gauze, gouge and gauge,
Marriage, foliage, mirage, and age.

Query does not rhyme with very,
Nor does fury sound like bury.
Dost, lost, post and doth, cloth, loth.
Job, nob, bosom, transom, oath.
Though the differences seem little,
We say actual but victual.
Refer does not rhyme with deafer.
Foeffer does, and zephyr, heifer.
Mint, pint, senate and sedate;
Dull, bull, and George ate late.
Scenic, Arabic, Pacific,
Science, conscience, scientific.

Liberty, library, heave and heaven,
Rachel, ache, moustache, eleven.
We say hallowed, but allowed,
People, leopard, towed, but vowed.
Mark the differences, moreover,
Between mover, cover, clover;
Leeches, breeches, wise, precise,
Chalice, but police and lice;
Camel, constable, unstable,
Principle, disciple, label.

Petal, panel, and canal,
Wait, surprise, plait, promise, pal.
Worm and storm, chaise, chaos, chair,
Senator, spectator, mayor.
Tour, but our and succour, four.
Gas, alas, and Arkansas.
Sea, idea, Korea, area,
Psalm, Maria, but malaria.
Youth, south, southern, cleanse and clean.
Doctrine, turpentine, marine.

Compare alien with Italian,
Dandelion and battalion.
Sally with ally, yea, ye,
Eye, I, ay, aye, whey, and key.
Say aver, but ever, fever,
Neither, leisure, skein, deceiver.
Heron, granary, canary.
Crevice and device and aerie.

Face, but preface, not efface.
Phlegm, phlegmatic, ass, glass, bass.
Large, but target, gin, give, verging,
Ought, out, joust and scour, scourging.
Ear, but earn and wear and tear
Do not rhyme with here but ere.
Seven is right, but so is even,
Hyphen, roughen, nephew Stephen,
Monkey, donkey, Turk and jerk,
Ask, grasp, wasp, and cork and work.

Pronunciation -- think of Psyche!
Is a paling stout and spikey?
Won't it make you lose your wits,
Writing groats and saying grits?
It's a dark abyss or tunnel:
Strewn with stones, stowed, solace, gunwale,
Islington and Isle of Wight,
Housewife, verdict and indict.

Finally, which rhymes with enough?
Though, through, plough, or dough, or cough?
Hiccough has the sound of cup.
My advice is give it up!

--
Alan J. Wylie https://www.wylie.me.uk/

Dance like no-one's watching. / Encrypt like everyone is.
Security is inversely proportional to convenience

On Sat, 25 Feb 2023 09:16:25 +0000, Robin <rbw@outlook.com> wrote:

>On 25/02/2023 08:09, fred wrote:
>> On Saturday, February 25, 2023 at 1:30:34?AM UTC, Custos Custodum wrote:
>>> On Fri, 24 Feb 2023 19:17:02 +0000, The Natural Philosopher
>>> <t...@invalid.invalid> wrote:
>>>
>>>> On 24/02/2023 19:08, SH wrote:
>>>>> On 24/02/2023 18:52, Rod Speed wrote:
>>>>>> On Sat, 25 Feb 2023 05:00:46 +1100, Colin Bignell
>>>>>> <c...@bignellremovethis.me.uk> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On 24/02/2023 17:37, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
>>>>>>>> dough
>>>>>>>> cough
>>>>>>>> rough
>>>>>>>> plough
>>>>>>>> ought
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> The phrase I was taught to cover all the variants is:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Though the rough cough and hiccough plough me through, I ought to
>>>>>>> cross the lough.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Bloody hell. Who taught you that ?
>>>>>
>>>>> theres quite a few more words I can think of:
>>>>>
>>>>> Bough
>>>>> Bought
>>>>> Brought
>>>>> Furlough
>>>>> Wrought
>>>>>
>>>> Bought brought and ought are all the same pronunication.
>>>> bough is like plough
>>>> Furlough is unique
>>> "Slough" is unusual in that it rhymes with "bough" or "enough",
>>> depending on the meaning.
>>
>>
>> surely the slough of despair is pronounce sluff of despair?
>
>I'd say "sluff" (as in enough) for "slough" is for shedding or shed
>skin; and the bog "slough" (as in Pilgrim's Progress) is the same as the
>place Betjeman wanted bombed.
>
>Easy to see why some become despondent when learning English.

'Come friendly bombs and fall on Slough'
https://tinyurl.com/2modj5tz

--
Chris