Silent K

Why do we have a silent k in some words?

TAGS:

Comments/DISQUS help? Click here.

Allowed HTMLDISQUS Status
  • http://www.youtube.com/user/foxbow15 foxbow15

    bo0000ooom

  • http://www.youtube.com/user/foxbow15 foxbow15

    knowledge :smile:

  • okay4now

    Wow this guy is on, 2nd

  • http://fire.ci.fayetteville.nc.us/ Capman911

    4th

  • http://www.youtube.com/user/foxbow15 foxbow15

    knee, knot,knight can’t think of any more

  • http://www.youtube.com/user/foxbow15 foxbow15

    o yeah, you allready mentioned knight:P

  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobs_your_uncle Bob

    Knock, knock!

  • okay4now

    HwK: Knee (a loan word from German?), at least in German they do pronounce every letter – every time.

  • melikadothechacha

    First, again!!!???
    Do you ever sleep? :mrgreen:

  • http://www.youtube.com/user/foxbow15 foxbow15

    lol the way you said knoten and knecht, sounded like some weird pygmee tribe :lol: Here in the Netherlands we have tons of words in which you pronounce both KN….

  • http://www.youtube.com/user/foxbow15 foxbow15

    it’s 8 pm…:P

  • http://fire.ci.fayetteville.nc.us/ Capman911

    You took the mystery out of that one. I have been wondering about that for a while. Great video. :smile:

    Homework= :???:
    Knee, opossum, pneumonia, knickers, comb, tomb, womb, lamb. I’ll leave some for others to do.

  • orion_ss1

    Good gnus; I thought of another silent letter.

  • http://fire.ci.fayetteville.nc.us/ Capman911

    He’s taken over wetsuit’s place now. :lol:

  • http://fire.ci.fayetteville.nc.us/ Capman911

    Cha Cha here is what you will look like when Marina gets through with you for calling her the other F word. :lol: :lol:

    http://www.m-ms.com/us/fungames/downloads/wallpapers/readymade.jsp?configData=7

  • http://fire.ci.fayetteville.nc.us/ Capman911

    Just type in your birthday and it will open. “sesame” :lol: :lol:

  • http://www.hotforwords.com Marina

    Yeah.. I don’t really know how they are supposed to be pronounced!

  • http://fire.ci.fayetteville.nc.us/ Capman911

    Marina where was the picture taken of you standing in front of the truck with the Alpine costume on? At least that is what it looks like to me. May I please have a copy of that shot. It’s gorgeous. :wink:
    Mike

  • http://fire.ci.fayetteville.nc.us/ Capman911

    @ Jack you did say you have a friend that always said k-nife when ever he would pronounced the word. :grin:

  • mikejaysmith

    Love that sweater!!! :wink:

    Do you think on finding out how the term, damsel-in-distress, come from?

  • geronimo

    Wow, crazee108! :grin: Hot!

  • http://www.hotforwords.com Marina

    Fuel TV… I did some spots for them.. you can find them here on the site.

  • http://www.youtube.com/user/jamesingtonthethird James

    FOXBOW I AM GETTING PISSY WITH YOU BEING NUMBER 1 ALL THE TIME SO NOW I AM GOING TO START A FLAME WAR WITH YOU

    GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGHHH :evil: :evil:

    HOW DOES THAT MAKE YOU FEEL? ANGRY? WELL IT SHOULD. :mad: :lol:

  • athoorth

    Marina, Awesome vid as always!

    In Sweden (yeah, will I ever shut up about sweden?) we have several “kn” words, such as Kneck (knecht), knacka (knock), kniv (knife) and we prenounce the K as well.

    Homerwork: psycology, psalm….

    Best Wishes, Ath, Knekten.

  • orion_ss1

    The ‘e’ in most words ending with e is silent ( even though it makes the previous vowel long ). Also, the ‘w’ in sword ( but I usually pronounce it anyway just to irritate people ).

  • http://www.hotforwords.com Marina

    She is hot, right geronimo? :grin:

  • http://www.youtube.com/labbatt78 labbatt78

    Hmmmm.. I may have 1. There is a name with no U sound. How about Kosuke as in Kosuke Fukudome? An excellent cub hitter. I can pronounce Fukudome in English. It’s fuck-you-do-me.

  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobs_your_uncle Bob

    Wow! What a video with two gorgeous girls, both as hot as KN (cayenne) pepper. :smile:

    Now then, I have a question – how would you pronounce “Hotforwords”?
    The H is silent, as in ghost.
    The O is silent, as in leopard.
    The T is silent, as in thistle.
    The F is silent, as in halfpenny.
    The O is silent, as in jeopardy.
    The R is silent, as in far.
    The W is silent, as in whole.
    The O is silent, as in opossum.
    The R is silent, as in catarrh.
    The D is silent, as in Wednesday.
    The S is silent, as in island.

    :???:

  • http://fire.ci.fayetteville.nc.us/ Capman911

    I found the fuel tv vids but not that picture. Maybe it will come out in another postcard. So I will wait. Thanks, Mike

  • geronimo

    This is pretty god except only works in england.

  • http://www.youtube.com/user/jamesingtonthethird James

    homework

    Whore wholesome wholesale when which whip
    phone
    counterfeit

    knacker knackered knackwurst knapweed knawel knead
    knee
    kneel knell

    knickknacks knife
    knife pleat knife-edge knifelike knight knight

    knit knitted knitter knitting
    knob

    philology phallic phallus phishing marijuana schwartz zygocacti elephant

  • http://www.youtube.com/user/jamesingtonthethird James

    How does opossum have a silent o

  • geronimo

    other silent letters: Gnat, pneumatic.

  • http://subverse.ru subverse

    Silent letters: through, thought, bought :mrgreen:

  • http://www.youtube.com/user/jamesingtonthethird James

    Not like you marina

  • http://fire.ci.fayetteville.nc.us/ Capman911

    Excellent homework Uncle Bob. Now that’s using the imagination. :cool:

  • geronimo

    Very much so, plus I love her accent.

  • http://fire.ci.fayetteville.nc.us/ Capman911

    We pronounce it possum.

  • melikadothechacha

    5 stars! A fine explanation!

    Homework:
    silent “a” as in aardvark
    “b” as in lamb, doubt, etc.
    “c” as in fluorescent, etc.
    “d” as in Wednesday, etc.
    “e” as in lake, potatoes, etc.
    “f” as in affect(?), stuff, etc.
    “g” as in gnu, gnome, etc.
    “h” as in schizo, psycho, etc.
    “j” as in jalepeno, etc.
    “k” as in knot, etc.
    “l” as in colonel, salmon, etc.
    “m” as in mnemonic
    “n” as in damn, autumn, etc.
    “o” as in oppossum
    “p” as in pshaw, cupboard, etc.
    “s” as in aisle, debris, etc.
    “t” as in ballet, crochet, etc.
    “u” as in guard, guarantee, etc.
    “w” as in two
    “y” as in day
    also, there are two letter silent combos
    suchas “gh” as in thought, might, etc.

    ummm…. “…shrimp salad, shrimp kabob, shrimp sandwich…
    that’s about it” – “Bubba”, Forrest Gump :mrgreen:

  • http://www.youtube.com/user/jamesingtonthethird James

    uh uh uh! No you me we (disclamer: This does not include alx) say possum

  • http://fire.ci.fayetteville.nc.us/ Capman911

    Rednecks say possum. :lol:

  • http://www.youtube.com/user/jamesingtonthethird James

    What about z??

    rendezvous

  • http://fire.ci.fayetteville.nc.us/ Capman911

    That could include gator, crock, or the all famous crockagator. :lol: :lol:

  • http://fire.ci.fayetteville.nc.us/ Capman911

    G, which lady did you mean was hot, Marina or the one in the box with the kanife?

  • melikadothechacha

    Plain, or peanut? :mrgreen:
    So what? Marina’s phat! :cool:

  • leonard

    k-nose

  • melikadothechacha

    LMAO! Do you feel better, now :mrgreen:

  • melikadothechacha

    I’ve been to Oktoberfest many times.
    Marina looks like “eine bier madchen”,
    definitely – hot… This is what the guys wear

  • http://www.youtube.com/user/ggpjstokesjr1 stokesjrj1

    Be patient, your sort of aha, similar too your avatar

  • http://www.unicorncomics.com tazman

    Here is the best one of all I think.
    ‘XYLOPHONE’ :mrgreen:

  • http://fire.ci.fayetteville.nc.us/ Capman911

    James I just went to ask.com and picked up 6 virsus. Live one care shut down my open pages and ran a scan on my computer and got rid of them.

  • http://www.youtube.com/user/smokey36bear smokey36bear

    Gnat, Knee, dumB, Psyco, iSland, Knickers, Knuckle, numB, deScent, aScend, Knot…. Thats all I can think of at the moment.
    Hey why is sugar not spelled shuger, or laugh not spelled laff, or tough not tuff?

  • prospero811

    Well, let’s see if I can add anything to what has already been said.

    Other silent k words – knub, knabble, etc.

    O.k. – for the extra credit.
    The guy below me got most of them covered.

    I’ll throw out “diphthong” as a word loaded with silent letters. I should get some extra credit for that.

    Here’s another neat word – twyndyllyng, which is the longest word in the OED that doesn’t contain any of the 5 major vowels.

  • geronimo

    No, Crazee108. I think 108 is slang for hot, because she was crazy hot.

  • http://www.youtube.com/user/jamesingtonthethird James

    On the 10th I am going away for a week, So I won’t be on much. It will give my eyes a rest/

  • melikadothechacha

    Ich habe kein idee wie crazee 108 ist!
    (I have no idea who crazee 108 is!)
    link, please :mrgreen:

  • http://fire.ci.fayetteville.nc.us/ Capman911

    I have seen that movie before. I like all of the Griswalds movies.

    But I like her outfit better. Find me that one and I’ll be very happy :wink:

  • http://www.unicorncomics.com tazman

    and this one…
    ‘XENOPHPBIA’

  • melikadothechacha

    Really?
    foo-koo-doe-may, is wrong? :roll:

  • http://fire.ci.fayetteville.nc.us/ Capman911

    I played it over again. Where do you think she is from? She has a beautiful accent.

  • sanford

    Often wondered about laughter and slaughter and P’s in pneumonia, psychology, etc.

  • http://fire.ci.fayetteville.nc.us/ Capman911
  • http://fire.ci.fayetteville.nc.us/ Capman911
  • http://mentalgrammarhasbeensetup.blogspot.com aLx

    here’s my opinion.

    there is no silent a in “aardvark”. if there was, you wouldn’t be able to pronounce that word (“rdvark”).

    it seems to me that, in this case, “ch” is just another way for writing the sound /k/ … so … there would not be a silent h in “psycho” etc.

    f in “stuff” etc. is not silent. don’t you hear an f? or just “stu”?

    i’d argue that the p in “cupboard” is not silent, instead, either (1) maybe some sort of regressive assimilation resulting in a geminate “bb” takes place, or (2) “p” is not aspirated.

    i’m not a phonologist, though. :)

  • leonard

    Here is the song “Silence is Golden”http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=5tZQJ0k3UYo&feature=related

  • http://www.youtube.com/user/smokey36bear smokey36bear

    xenoplankton, xenon, xenotransplantation, xerography,

  • http://mentalgrammarhasbeensetup.blogspot.com aLx

    umm … she does look pretty young …

  • http://www.youtube.com/user/smokey36bear smokey36bear

    it is the ‘P’ that is silent in psycho

  • melikadothechacha

    Yeah, but that’s french! :mrgreen:
    I was pushing it with jalepeno!

  • http://mentalgrammarhasbeensetup.blogspot.com aLx

    smokey,

    yeah, the p, but not the h as he stated.

  • geronimo

    I went to a cabaret, and sat there so long that my arse went numb, so I went a ballet, and and hitched with my thumb, and ate sorbet, with a crumb. Pneumonia has made me dumb as a gnome. Wow I am bored! Excuse me while I go get a life. I am turning into capman. Just kidding cap.

  • http://www.youtube.com/user/smokey36bear smokey36bear

    :grin: I love Australian girls. I had a girlfriend once from there :grin:

  • http:///www.youtube.com/user/ggpjstokesjr1 school_dean_hot4.u
  • babymoose123

    “Public Service Announcement”
    There were no Opossum, or Wildlife injured in the process of these comments.

  • blueskies13

    while speaking of old english what is the difference between an english bulldog and an olde english bulldog and how and who made bull and terrier that is now extinct and a staffordshire bull terrier and a regular bull terrier also i havn’t seen gucci in a while he is a beutifull dog and you look amazing standing next to him is he your dog or a stand in for some of your photo shoot’s any how i would like to see him in a video with you pretty please

  • http://www.youtube.com/user/smokey36bear smokey36bear

    How is the ‘R’ silent in far?
    I do like what you did, but just wondering.

  • orion_ss1

    Is there a good way to remember that the ‘m’ is silent in mnemonic?

  • http://mentalgrammarhasbeensetup.blogspot.com aLx

    in the uk it is.

  • http://www.youtube.com/user/smokey36bear smokey36bear

    how about the ‘E’ in shoppe

  • http://www.youtube.com/user/smokey36bear smokey36bear

    thanks for your insight :smile:

  • sniperskaya

    Marina, knice sweater. Cashmere? Someone told me that you have big knockers on your front doors, and nice knobs too. Can you please show them to us?
    Now for the homework – words with silent “K”? Well, you certainly have a knack for words. I don’t know what I could possibly add to that… :mrgreen:

  • melikadothechacha

    these were my best guesses.
    what follows is my reasoning:

    ardvark vs aardvark – the sound is the same
    phoenetically, ergo an “a” is silent

    school, psycho, chlorine – k sound is a
    hard c sound (not ch as in chocolate)
    h is silent. schedule can be pronounced both
    sked-jule or shed-jule. Another wild ass guess

    stuff, staff, etc – just a guess, don’t really know
    single f, as in “of”, sounds like “-ove” as in
    love, glove above, etc. – soft f vee sound
    “off” hard f sound

    cupboard, raspberry, etc. – pronounced
    phoenetically as cubboard, rassberry
    p is silent . receipt = silent p, too

    phoenetically, butter comes out “bud-der”
    iron comes out “eye-earn”

    I am not confused, and so am I :mrgreen:

  • sniperskaya

    Marina, let me check my knapsack, maybe I have something in there…
    Knope, knothing… :razz:

  • http://fire.ci.fayetteville.nc.us/ Capman911

    Oh hell he gone over to the dark side. Someone call an exorcist :lol: :lol:

  • http://mentalgrammarhasbeensetup.blogspot.com aLx

    i do see your reasoning. i just think you’re being deceived by the letters, the spelling. what really matters are the sounds. just try to imagine those words written using an alphabet that more or less eliminates different spellings of one sound.

    double vowels are often used to indicate that this vowel is a “long” vowel. nevertheless, it’s the same vowel. how about “spoon”? now … you don’t pronounce an o in there. then what is it? a silent o?
    consider me yelling “fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck!” how many sounds are in there?

    important: sound != letter.

  • http://www.youtube.com/user/smokey36bear smokey36bear

    sCience

  • leonard
  • http:///www.youtube.com/user/ggpjstokesjr1 school_dean_hot4.u

    wergild :?:

  • paulpez1994

    Marina i want to know when the word gay started to be homosexual :mrgreen:

  • da-hots-for-ya. hotforwords

    :lol: sex and sexy…

  • spookyspoofs

    think u can find the origin of the word mama mia? like the movie that came out a few weeks ago…o and can u tell me what type of software you use to make that awesome beginning of your videos do u use adobe after affects?

  • dustin535

    the origen of “sex” and “sexy”

  • seesixcm6

    Dear Marina, I’ll go to YouTube to rate your video five stars. I’m thankful most homework was done by others. I could add the word, “gnome.” What a dramatic photo of a beautiful blonde in a box holding a “Kukri” knife, which was used by Gurka and Indian soldiers. I hope she’s actually more friendly than she appears.
    I made a word request for “Sweetheart”, but you are very busy, so I looked it up for myself. According to Dictionary.com, it’s from Middle English term “swete heart” used in 1250 to 1300 AD to mean a fast-beating heart. It was later changed to “sweet heart.” Now, accoeding to the Oxford English Dictionary, it has the meaning of the person with whom you have a romantic relationship, an affectionate or familiar term of address, a beloved person, a genorous sponsor, or anything that arouses affection. In 1910, the song, “Let Me Call You Sweetheart” was written. In 1911, “Sweethart of Sigma Chi” was written, and in 1998, Mariah Carey did a song called “Sweetheart.” BTW, August 23rd is “Hug your Sweetheart Day.” I’ll remember to send you a long-distance “hug.” :-) Your dear student, Seesixcm6

  • melikadothechacha

    :idea: :idea: :idea: :idea: :idea: :idea: :idea:
    What’s going on? hey Mike. awhile ago, you sent
    a request to be added as a friend, but I didn’t realize
    it was you, and ignored it. Please resubmit. I get a few
    girls sending me those, but I don’t know who they
    are, so I tend to ignore ‘em. Don’t know if they know
    me or just want to sell me something! You use a different
    Gravatar which I recognize now from the post you
    made on my “stark” YT page. Thanks! Doug

  • wetsuit5

    Oh my, such a bright yellow sweater. :razz: :wink: :idea: :idea:

    Like staring into the sun. :cool: :cool: :cool:

    Can’t see what my hands are doing. :eek:
    Humm, odd shape for pillows, whoops sorry (smack!!) :oops: :oops:

    Cookoo Cookoo, Sunny Days, Everything’s AOK, Hey look it’s the Sun on the Tele Tubbies. :shock:

    Yellow sweater and yellow hair. :smile:
    Our teacher is so pretty and fair. :grin:

    Coming around :cool: :cool: , Oh Hi Marina, What’s with the hand marks on your sweater? :?:

  • http://fire.ci.fayetteville.nc.us/ Capman911

    I can’t find your channel now. I don;t remember how I found it before.

  • http://fire.ci.fayetteville.nc.us/ Capman911

    I have AIM as Capman911 if you can log on to it.

  • http://www.youtube.com/user/foxbow15 foxbow15
  • headwaves

    Xerox illustrates two ways of pronouncing the letter X, so when I hear some people say “buzzum” and others saying “bucksum” when pronouncing the word buxom, I wonder which is correct?

    Perhaps you can investigate?

    x for teacher x

  • anojansmart

    I was wonderin a plzzz do this as a youtube show, wat the word gullible meant and i love ur show keep up the gud work

  • sooner_then_l8er

    can you please do the orgin and define the word Autoerotic Asphyxiation please and thanks :smile:

  • yokel

    Hey Marina!
    Loved your explanation of the silent K..My name is Scott Knauer and I’ve recently started pronouncing the K again after being chided by my German kayaker friends…which brings me to 3 more words for your consideration: Kayak (which is a palindrome) cenotaph, and my favorite- Triskidecaphobia, which is more prevalent than one might think…actually, the word ‘palindrome’ is kinda cool too…

  • roadrunrnch

    is that the little girl in the vid?? young maybe she and James should talk? :wink:

  • roadrunrnch

    Now this is what I am talking about !!! Very Nice Marina, YOU look marvelous
    Sweats are for :evil:

  • http://mentalgrammarhasbeensetup.blogspot.com aLx

    yeah, okay, in m.s vid she looked younger than she actually is. 19 is still pretty young, though.

  • http://captainjack.ws CaptainJack

    Yay! Im best friend in the Navy used to pronounce Ka-nife all the time. Is other favorite word to play with was Comb. The ‘b’ being silent.

    I was looking for the clip that George Carlin covered those words but to no avail. So here are some fun clips to watch for the mean time.

    George Carlin – “Words” – 1976
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVzT1Xtw2Us
    George Carlin – Euphemisms

  • http://captainjack.ws CaptainJack

    I went to ask.com and didn’t get any. What gives? :shock:

  • http://youtube.com/flammablepiss flammablepiss

    ::REQUEST::
    Where did the saying “Get of your high horse come from”

    Also Kudos of such a nice site !

    Wait ! Or how about the word Kudos, Where does that come from lol

  • http://fire.ci.fayetteville.nc.us/ Capman911

    Hi FP, I left you a comment on your YouTube site about needing a fireman. Great site you have there. Keep up the good work. Welcome to Marina’s site. We joke we kid and have a good time. All in fun. If you need any help be sure to look up Captain Jack he is the Teacher’s Assistant or just anyone, most of the regulars will help you. :wink: :smile:

  • http://fire.ci.fayetteville.nc.us/ Capman911

    Hey G. I thought it was just great. :cool: I couldn’t put a poem together with words like that if I wanted to. See your a poet and don’t know it. :lol: :lol:

    Ps payback is hell har har har

  • http://fire.ci.fayetteville.nc.us/ Capman911

    My next poem is going to be about Marina. Maybe :shock:

  • http://captainjack.ws CaptainJack

    Really? I don’t see it. Cute, yes, hot no. I guess im not into 19 year olds. that look 16.

  • http://captainjack.ws CaptainJack

    Oh yea! All the time. :mrgreen: He loved playing with words. I think he thought George Carlin was a god of sorts. His name is Gerald Downs Jr. I lost contact with him many years ago. :sad: I can’t seem to find him. In boot camp I hated him and he wanted to kill me. I was a geek and he wore a black leather jacket. Funny later on we became best friends. I think it was because we discovered we where the two smartest people in the whole damn Navy at the time. :wink:
    So even today I sometimes say ka-nife, com-bu, Ka-nees, etc. In retaliation that we still spell words with silent letters in them. Makes no logical sense that we should continue using them. Sorry I get so annoyed with stupidity. :neutral:

  • wetsuit5

    Very opinionated young lady. :roll:
    Probably causing Daddy trouble already. :wink:

  • http://captainjack.ws CaptainJack

    @ Capman, what the heck? I found the age part funny. Like im not old enough to eat M&M’s. It’s funny that any 12 year old can overcome a simple age verification system. What a joke….

    I have a bag of the New Dark Chocolate Peanut M&M’s. I have a reaction to pesticides in chocolate so I try to find the Darker stuff because the use less dairy in them. Im addicted to them.
    So I have a problem with M&M’s. What do you call them when you’re down to the last one in the bag? Just “M”? LOL…

  • http://fire.ci.fayetteville.nc.us/ Capman911

    When they are that young its’ almost like the age of a daughter. Mine is 26 so I kinda watch what I say to Marina. I respect her for who she is.

  • pedantickarl

    Capman, photo is at 2:57
    http://www.hotforwords.com/2008/07/27/hot-synonyms/

    Marina, was your photo for St Pauli Girl? The 2008 St Pauli Girl, Irina is from Russia. http://stpauligirl.com/girl.php

  • wetsuit5

    Marina,

    This site has you recognised as a film star. :razz: :razz:
    http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2984081/

  • geronimo

    Better than 16 year olds that look 19. I don’t think she looks 16 by the way.

  • pennsyltucky9

    Take a wild guess what brand of car the president of the International Palindrome Association drives.

    Give up?

    A Toyota!

  • http://captainjack.ws CaptainJack

    wow thats new.

  • roadrunrnch

    I looked at the video again and damn yellow is your color :shock:

  • roadrunrnch

    Capman
    Your right I have a 21 and a 23, And if someone talked to my little girl the way some of these animals do to Marina, A hunting I would go. :evil:

  • roadrunrnch

    H is silent in spanish

  • roadrunrnch

    Jack
    Do you think that Marina would care if you added to that site?
    Pictures etc.
    I am trying to get urban dic to except her but they are being difficult.

  • roadrunrnch

    James
    You need to get the hell away from that computer.
    You are much to young to be sitting on it and wasting your time
    like us old bastards.

  • http://captainjack.ws CaptainJack

    Toyotas are the best car on the market. You can drive them 200,000 and they are just getting broken in. My dad’s truck had 200k and it was like new still. My Celica GT was my favorite car. I paid like $800 bucks for it from a guy in Long Beach, Ca. I moved to Washington and used it for about 12 years before I sold it for a new business I opened. I almost converted it to a race car for uphill racing.

  • http://captainjack.ws CaptainJack

    I had an urge to write a poem but it has faded so. I guess work is creeping up on me and just too busy to think about poetry. I hope I get back into the mood again.

  • http://www.youtube.com/user/smokey36bear smokey36bear
  • http://captainjack.ws CaptainJack

    Speak for yourself. Im still 29. Well in the past 13 years I just keep repeating my 29th b-day over and over again. :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

  • yokel

    Yep..i got ‘a Toyota’ truck….but it’s not a ‘racecar’ by any means!

  • lord_oth

    Hey Marina! I ate at a well know fast food restaurant the other day and I got to wondering. Whats the origin of Jack In-the-box (not the restaurant) the word. Who is this Jack anyway, and why is he in a box?

  • pennsyltucky9

    Hey, James, I think brother stokes just called you a pussy. Flame On! Oh, wait… On second thought, I have to admit, I can’t decipher what he means about 110% of the time…. so nvm.

  • http://www.youtube.com/user/smokey36bear smokey36bear

    I wonder if it has anything to do with the ‘POP goes the weasle” song played when you turn the crank.

  • pennsyltucky9

    Q: What’s the last think that goes through a Gnat’s mind as it rendeZvous with your windshield at 70 mph?

    A: Its asshole!

  • http://captainjack.ws CaptainJack

    Any of you found the photo of Marina wearing only a guitar? Oh Im going to catch hell for bringing this up! heheheheh…

  • pennsyltucky9

    Okay, you are all correct in the observation that Toyotas are some of the most dependable and maintenance-free cars ever made, and I’m in complete agreement since my 1983 Toyota pickup went over 360,000 miles on its original motor, my second one did 280,000 before blowing a head gasket (still have it, just can’t afford to fix it right now), and I drive a ’92 Corolla (also ever faithful!). But that wasn’t what I was trying to say…. The point is that the phrase “A Toyota” is a palindrome.

  • pennsyltucky9

    OOps! I meant to ask “What’s the last THING that goes through a Gnat’s mind” although I guess “think” also kinda works in a twisted nonsensical sort of way…duhhh.

  • kyle-kyle-kyle

    i agree with dustin535. what is the origen of the words “sex” and “sexy”???

  • http://www.youtube.com/annuddermale annuddermale

    after i played knickknack-paddywack on my knees (and gave my dog a bone), i knealt on my kneecaps, and drooled over the knishes & knackwurst on the nearby table. being lazy, i got out my trusty knitting needle & skewered a knackwurst; then i used my knife to half it. beginning to feel knackered kneeling on my knees, i felt a stich in back – it began to knit. “gawd, what i wouldn’t give for a good kneading,” i thought, “i’ve got knots. if only a masseuse would turn the knurled knob on the door; i know i’d be her knave.” suddenly there was a knock. my knuckles were white, i was so nervous. “’tis not a knave i crave,” said the sunny-blond beauty, “but a knight.”

    annudder :cool:

  • BillyB

    Yeh, add the k-nife pic. from this vid. or the p-istol packing princess pic. from the spillybeans vid. they won’t k-now the difference.

  • roadrunrnch

    Speaking Spanish

  • soulstain

    hey marina

    may i ask for a word?
    impropability-proof!

    found it at the start of the eleventh chapter of douglas adams – ultimate hitchhikers guide of the galaxy
    as in an impropability-proof room within the spaceship called “heart of gold”

    by the way i don’t believe in the ideoligy in words such as ; perfection; normal; standards..,

  • http://fire.ci.fayetteville.nc.us/ Capman911

    We all knew what you were saying. Whhhhhaaaaassssuuuppp my friend. :wink: :smile:

  • BillyB

    Do you say Hisle instead of thistle, & wensay? jus pullin yer leg.

  • BillyB

    What about the one where she is wearing, only a ukulele?

  • http://www.youtube.com/annuddermale annuddermale

    :mrgreen: how knasty!…

  • socksandviolins

    Gnat, gnome, gnarl, pneumonia, pneumatic…and by the way, you looked kvery knice today in you kyellow ksweater.

  • soupcan

    Hellow-My first time hear.
    Try the word
    “FLIBBERTIGIBBET”

  • http:///www.youtube.com/user/ggpjstokesjr1 school_dean_hot4.u

    kickapoo

  • icebreaker

    I would like to request two phrases that I thought I knew the origin of. These phrases are:

    “Son-of-a-gun”, and

    “beat the rush”

    I thought that both of these words have nautical origins (Royal navy and US Coast Guard), but a website that I recently visited said differently, but they were not definitive.

    Thank you

  • bill2468

    knuckle
    Knute Rocney

    Aexception to the silent “k” is knuble worst (garlic sausage)

    BiLL

  • icebreaker

    FYI –

    The website that I visit is “Phrase Finder at the following:

    http://www.phrases.org.uk/index.html

    Thanks

  • http://www.youtube.com/user/smokey36bear smokey36bear

    welcome to the site :smile:

  • http://www.youtube.com/user/smokey36bear smokey36bear

    Miss Marina,
    Why do soooooooooooo many people confuse the word ignorant (lacking knowledge or unaware) with stupid (lacking intelligence/ common sense).

    Just wondering. It bugs me when people do this.. Kind of when people say Warshington or warsh the dishes instead of Washington or wash the dishes.

  • http://www.youtube.com/user/arcimagess manosmoo

    Here goes my homework:
    knee, kneel, knelt, know, knew, known, knowledge, knot! More for sure!
    Extra:
    Psyche, Psychology where the silent letters are “h, e” and “h”!

    Nice bright shirt Marina!!

  • melikadothechacha

    I STILL watch those!
    Killer smiles, funny bits. :mrgreen:

  • pedantickarl

    This one at 2:14 or This one.

    OK, Captn, you gonna get it now… :grin:

  • melikadothechacha

    Yeah, we know James is hot for intelligent :mrgreen: women!

  • BillyB

    Even as interesting as the silent “K”, is when the k isn’t there but it is pronounced. I remember playing a welsh rugby team from Llanelli. I don’t care about his subject but Clive in the video pronounces the double L’s with a K sound… more so in the second double L’s, but sometimes just as much in the first two. Anybody know any other words or english accents where the “K” sound is made by unusual combos of letters or just shows up randomly? I had a shirt with the name “Llanelli” emblazened on it from the friendly we played all those years ago & the way Marina tried to pronounce the nonsilent “k” words reminded me of the way I used to try to say it.

  • http://www.unicorncomics.com tazman

    How did the phase..
    “More than one way to skin a cat”
    come about?
    :?: :neutral:

  • melikadothechacha

    Do you like Chinese food?
    http://contradiction.info/wp-content/uploads/2006/10/fu-king.jpg
    Somebody has a sense of humor :mrgreen:

  • BillyB

    Marina, there is a dead link in your youtube channel, Favorites, you may or may not want to replace it with this hfw r s. I don’t know why she took the other one down, I thought it was very good.

  • melikadothechacha

    Boston, too!

  • ragabashmoon

    Ok, I’d like to know why English has so many “broken rules”? Best example, There was a whole Charlie Brown special about a spelling bee, and the main lesson that Charlie Brown had to remember to win the spelling bee was “I before E except after C” and remembering that, he won… HOWEVER, if he had been given the word weight, or the word height, he would have LOST the spelling bee.

    It’s like truly for every rule in the English language, there is examples that break it. I personally have always been a very good speller (99% of the time, when I misspell a word, it’s due to typing too fast, not that I didn’t know how to spell it), but I hear all the time how English is the hardest European language to learn because of all the broken rules, and I can see that being true because of this.

  • ragabashmoon

    On a side note of my fast typing and misspelling, I type very fast, however I notice when I misspell a word, and then I try to correct it. So all these new typing tests that expect you to continue on and not correct your errors annoy me… my mind tells me “Fix that error” so I will actually hit the backspace key 5-6 times every error and it’s like that’s 5-6 more errors tacked on my already error! End up with a lower score than if they had just let me correct my darn errors! LOL

  • shani2008

    Have a few k silent words, as the following are:

    known, or alternatively unknown, having the ‘un’ prefixed.

    Other K silent words: knit, know, knew.

    Thats all i can come up with. Hope to follow on for more comments.

  • dasoh

    Another good one – k’nockers!

  • melikadothechacha

    Maybe give it the Adam Sandler treatment.
    How many words rhyme with Marina?
    patina,
    ocarina,
    Macarena (Hey!)
    Macadamia?

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwO6kIdgVSU pagedoll

    Hey captain!! I saw your post a few down about almost making a hill racer. Check this out, you’ll love it!

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwO6kIdgVSU pagedoll

    Hey capy!! Thanks for the message on YT. :smile:

  • melikadothechacha

    triple 8 is coming!
    (eastern time zone)
    8-8-8

  • http://www.unicorncomics.com tazman

    :?:
    ἔτυμον (étymon,-’etymos’ true) λόγος

    A little test for the teacher. What is this?

  • melikadothechacha

    joyjuice

  • melikadothechacha

    another Douglas Adams word:.. floopily
    from So Long, and thanks for all the Fish! :mrgreen:

  • melikadothechacha

    that was mighty good! :grin:

  • http://www.RolandBuckles.com huggles131

    Silent L in the word Salmon.

  • melikadothechacha

    Holy sh*T!!! :shock:
    that was nucking futs! :grin:
    I’m adding this one to the bucket list!

  • melikadothechacha

    I hope you like western’s :mrgreen:

  • melikadothechacha

    Hope it’s not as crazy as a full moon on UDF night!

  • davecodave

    181st !!!

  • http://www.youtube.com/user/smokey36bear smokey36bear

    HAPPY 888

  • alexei_aus

    how about the word SNICKERS. Just had an argument about this with this Canadian girl at work. Does it actually mean anything and how do you properly pronounce it?

    Сникерс форева…. походу и не сникерс вовсе :???:

  • mikzilla0

    knumber

  • http://www.youtube.com/labbatt78 labbatt78

    No you’re right. It is really pronounced foo-koo-doe may. You can also say fuck-you-do-me lol.

  • http://www.youtube.com/labbatt78 labbatt78

    Hell no! I don’t like Chinese food. To tell you the truth I’m a seafood lover. :mrgreen:

  • http://www.myspace.com/shawnmnorris shawnmnorris

    Homework: the letter Aleph (in Hebrew), knight, knowledge, the u in the Japanese desu at the end of a sentence, c in science, g in gnat, and the h in saccharine.

    (extra credit): in koine Greek a double lambda (two lambda’s next to each other) is both called a gamma nasal and is pronounced as an n.

    later, Marina!
    -Shawn

  • duke veritas

    Ooo, good ones :smile:

    Request: Speaking of psyche and psychology, Marina, when did psyc- go from being a “feelgood” sort of term to having such negative meanings? Psyche is like the spirit, the mind or self.
    Psychology is like the study of that, along with the interplay between thoughts, feelings, behaviors. BUT psychosis, psychopath (aka, psycho), psychopathology, psychosomatic, psychotic, psychedelic, psycheism, etc. took on a lot of negative meanings. Fast forward through the years to the 1980′s slang to “psych out” someone is to trick them.

    I suspect that the shift in meaning occurred when psychologists came into the picture and labeled everything they didn’t understand as a “psychological problem.” The first true documented psychologists were physiological researchers, whereas practitioners were medical doctors–both emerged in the mid-late 1800s). Do you have any other insight into the shift from negative meanings of all things psyche and psych- ?

  • duke veritas

    Other silent letter combinations:

    -ou (i.e., gourmet, you…in each of those ONE letter is silent, although
    the silent letter is different between words)
    -er in ANY British or Northeastern U.S. dialect
    -ea (i.e., teach, beach, beat) the a is silent
    -Ts (i.e., Tsang in Chinese)
    -cz for anything from czecheslovakia
    -ph…(like elephant, philology, philosophy–double -ph bonus on the last word :wink: ) actually BOTH are silent, in favor of the ‘F’ sound…I think that deserves bonus points :grin: :!: :!:

  • roadrunrnch

    Couple of meanings
    1 ) To laugh quietly, under your breath.
    2 ) A candy bar named Snickers

  • roadrunrnch

    Now it is……:shock:

  • http://www.youtube.com/user/ggpjstokesjr1 stokesjrj1

    8-8-2008, today would be my 28th anniversary, if my x wife and I hadn’t divorced. Her Idea.

  • http://www.youtube.com/user/ggpjstokesjr1 stokesjrj1

    8-8-2008, today would be my 28th anniversary, if my x wife and I hadn’t divorced. Her Idea……………..

  • bobsully

    Very interesting indeed! :smile:

    [copies off of others homework] :twisted:

  • http://captainjack.ws CaptainJack

    RRR, Thats something I have no control over. Your better off asking the professor. If I did I would have still have her approve it anyways.

  • http://captainjack.ws CaptainJack

    OMG that was more fun to watch than sex! I was getting into the grove. I was air driving there for a moment. I the racing blood still runs through my veins. I wanted to buy a $50k Supra and trick it out. Oh I got to stop talking about this. Im getting the bug again.

  • skiskiski

    Can you please trace the etymology of the strange word “crot”?

    I’ve read that Tom Wolfe is said to have revived the term; I can see that it once meant something about lichen; I can conceive no connection. The information is all so fragmentary.

    Thanks.

  • http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/106610/jcorn.html jcr

    I don’t care about being first but I had to laugh and let Capman know I got the hint about the smart pen, saw your post (finally, sorry, been writing about Olympics). Thanks for dropping by, was a pleasant surprise :grin:

  • http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/106610/jcorn.html jcr

    That was so clever about Evil Kneival. I hadn’t paid attention to the fact that he kept the K in there. I think some examples of silent letters are words like “herb” which actually is pronounced with the “H” sound in England but not in America? It is interesting because “herbivore” has the “H” sound, doesn’t it? but “herb” does not, here in America.

  • http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/106610/jcorn.html jcr

    Oh, I did not spell Evil Knieval right, did I?

  • http://www.youtube.com/user/jamesingtonthethird James

    GGGGGGGGGGRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAHHHH :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil:

  • orion_ss1

    English “breaks” so many rules because we adopt words from other languages and use the rules the parent language for spelling and pronunciation ( more or less – until we Americanize it ).

    I’m not saying its right or wrong, its what we do.

  • orion_ss1

    Actually only ignorant AND stupid people do that. :grin:

  • orion_ss1

    What I was told in the Navy was that MANY years ago women were allowed on the ships AT SEA. When one became pregnant and gave birth the father was sometimes indeterminant. Child birth usually occured next to the ships guns – son of a gun.

  • kaibanator

    I always liked this song for its palindromes :cool:

  • http://www.Flukin.com cboranian

    Silent “P’s” as in Psychology, Psalm, and Pseudisodomic. Silent “w’s” as in wreck, writing, wrath, There is also a silent “ph” which is pronounce as an “f” in many words like Phallus, Phantasize, and Phantasm. Hmmm.

  • kaibanator

    gnome, knave, knell, gnaw, gnat, school, scholar, chiropractor, knit, solemn, column.

    Just thought of a ‘Z’ word for my word request : Ziggurat :wink:

  • http://mentalgrammarhasbeensetup.blogspot.com aLx

    “ph” is not silent in those words. it’s just another graphemic representation of the sound /f/.

  • http://www.Flukin.com cboranian

    I stand corrected.

  • http://fire.ci.fayetteville.nc.us/ Capman911

    BillyB it could be because of these words “This video may not be suitable for minors.” Is written across the top of one of her videos. Someone flagged her video as inappropriate for a shadow being on her right breast and looking like a nipple. Shameful someone did that to her. I guess Marina is just being safe with the flagging issue. So someone want flag her videos as inappropriate. :sad:

  • mrchex

    Fun one Marina. Good video. For other silent ones. Gnat, psyche… etc etc
    knack,knacker, knackwurst,knap knar knave knawel knead knee kneel knelt knell knickers knick-knack knit knitbone knob knobkerrie knock knoll knop knowbot knuckle knur knurl
    Climb, Crumb, Dumb, Comb, Lamb “b”
    Muscle, Scène, Scent, Science, Scissors “C”
    Handkerchief Wendnesday “d”
    Gnome, Gnaw, Gnats, Gnosis, Gnu “G”
    Ought, Fought, Thought, Taught, Daughter
    Night, Light, Might, Right, Fight “GH”
    Cough, Rough, Enough, Tough gh is well soudns like F
    What, Wham, Whip, Whiz, When, Where, Whether, Why “H”
    Hour, Honest, Honour, Heir, Hah, Mynah, Cheetah, Sarah, Messiah,Myrrh , Catarrh, Rhyme, Rhubarb, Rhythm, Rhombus
    “H”
    Would, Should, Could, Half, Calf silent L
    Autumn, Hymn, Damn, Column silent N
    Island, Isle “S”
    Often, Castle, Fasten, Listen, Rustle, Glisten,
    Thistle, Whistle, Wrestle, Christmas, Listening “T”
    Wrap, Wreck, Wrench, Write, Wrong “W”

  • wordymouth

    Dear HotForWords,

    Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday…
    Please can you tell me, where do we get names for the seven days.

    WM

  • georgeadams

    Darling Marina,

    As my Dad used to say, in the word pneumonia, the “p” is silent, as in swimming. (hee hee)

  • http://youtube.com/gsnaples jnaples

    Marina – Who cares how Jay walks across the street? I mean, I use the corners but can you find out the origin of “Jaywalking” and why you get a ticket for something that’s named after Jay walking in Manhattan?

  • larizzo

    Hey Marina, just wondering where the word “brothel” originated!
    Thank you!!!!!!

  • larizzo

    Whoops sorry, and the word “gym”

  • orion_ss1

    Actually I thought that the ‘ph’ was just a different reperesentation as well, but I wasn’t confident enough ( ‘gh’ = ‘f’ ) to put it in writing.

  • mittheman

    knag
    knapsack
    knapweed
    knaur
    knead
    kneebrush
    knish
    knobstick
    knockwurst
    knock-kneed
    knoll
    knop
    knowledge
    knub

  • mittheman

    What about their?

  • mittheman

    I would also like to know how the long “s” which looks like the lower case “f” in script became the letter “s” we use today. And what about the word “today?” In the early 20th Century it was to-day and before that it was this day.

  • mittheman

    One more and I will stop.

    Whilst I’m on the subject of the letter “s”, why do the English use words like customise and Americans use customize? And in England, they pronunce the “sch” as “sh” in school and schedule whilst Americans pronounce it as “sk.”

  • demoniiik

    Word request!

    Wenis! I get tired of hearing that it’s your elbow or it’s the skin between your index finger and thumb, and from what I can find, it is merely an old god’s name, and that’s it.

  • BillyB
  • melikadothechacha

    Ther won’t be another day quite like this one until September 9 next year! Happy Cubic Day (8x8x8)!
    To celebrate, I’d like to reiterate my word request for the use of and origin for “dirt”.

    dirty dog,
    dirty dancing,
    dirt nap,
    sleep dirt?

  • americanenglishbutcher

    I wonder about the word (decide).
    From my understanding de is of and cide is murder.
    So see the word deals with choice does the word decide mean murder of choice?

  • melikadothechacha

    “It is now possible for a flight attendant to get a pilot pregnant.” – Richard J. Ferris, president of United Airlines</blockquote

    FLY UNITED! LMAO :mrgreen:

  • http://youtube.com/flammablepiss flammablepiss

    Thanks !

  • kermat46

    I would like to know what the where the word urika as in “urika!! I’ve found it” came from?

    Thanks

  • silvergodofgold

    Other words with silent letters? That’s Eazy, right?

    How about those silent E’s to start? Also… what’s with the silent G before some words… like Gnosis? Is there any relation to silent k’s?

    Thanks,
    SGOG

    P.S. Intelligence is Sexy! Thank you for helping people be more intelligent in their words et cetera.

  • http://mentalgrammarhasbeensetup.blogspot.com aLx
  • http://mentalgrammarhasbeensetup.blogspot.com aLx

    if the first link doesn’t work, try this one.

  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobs_your_uncle Bob
  • hugh_jass

    Hi Marina! Great vid. :smile:

    I have a WORD REQUEST! With the Olympics coming up and everything I wanted to know the meaning of the phrase

    CHARLIE-HORSE

    It’s a problem I have sometimes and I’ve always wondered, “who is this charlie and who is his horse?”

    It might make a fun video, and it would be interesting.

  • pennsyltucky9

    Wow, that guy could really go! I loved the lunge move at “the reach” section. I’ve done that route (Bear’s Reach @Lovers Leap) but it was quite a bit different. I brought a partner, a 50-meter rope, and and a full set of hardware so we could still joke about it later around the campfire if one of us were to slip and fall. I got tagged by a falling rock during the second pitch, and my ears rang for a half hour (it left a permanent impression in my helmet but I was fine). It took us about 2 and a half hours. Putting in anchors and taking them out again as the second person ascends takes a bit of time to do safely, plus we stopped for lunch on “Bushy Ledge,” which, btw, has no bushes anymore. We used to call guys who free solo stuff like that “life-haters.” One free-soloist I spoke with remarked,”I prefer the freedom of not having all that metal and rope to deal with.”

    Yeah, I thought to myself, plus, you hardly EVER fall (only once)!

  • beewrangler81

    How about Dumb, the b is silet.

  • http://www.markcbradley.net sweaterhugger

    here’s one…Sword..the silent w

  • pisidia

    numb the b is silent, and Destine where the e is silent, know a silent k.

  • http://www.youtube.com/user/ggpjstokesjr1 stokesjrj1

    Lake Kickapoo

  • http://www.youtube.com/user/ggpjstokesjr1 stokesjrj1
  • biggiantsfan

    Some people get to the head of the line or have special treatments because that have “clout”. I’d like to know what is “clout” and how do I get it?

  • cupid

    Word Request for “Alliteration”‘

    “HotForWords K-nows K-nothing” is an alluring alliteration in the title typed for this word lesson. It uses both avenues of alliteration.

    As it aptly appears with two silent Ks, we obviously observe the repetition of the first letter in both words.

    As it should show in usual usage, “HotForWords knows nothing”, the construct is the kind with repetition of the first consonant sound in both words.

    This is really reminiscent of Sergeant Schultz in Hogan’s
    Heroes
    . He frequently phrased “I hear nothing, I see nothing, I know nothing”. I wonder if current usage is derived from this TV comedy.

  • paulpez1994

    i dont like ur raideo thing we dont get to see u

  • sparkyinseattle

    Even more obscure and irrelevant…. Has anyone ever really seen a “Bald” Eagle? May I get a feather in my cap now?
    Too much coffee…. I’m gonna go lay down now…

  • animalntaz

    :shock: OMG Marina, you’re so bright yellow that even Big Bird would go nuts over the sight of you. :lol:

    I think I hear his mating call.

  • prospero811

    Big Bird is gay.

  • animalntaz

    :roll: Yeah, yeah… and Bert and Earnie are supposedly gay also. I’m tired of hearing this ‘gay muppet’ crap.

  • prospero811

    Well, maybe not gay, but they certainly SEEM gay…. :lol:

  • prospero811

    …not that there’s anything wrong with that…

  • tommaralem1987

    Hello all:
    Silent letters:
    Rhubarb pro. Rubarb
    Mighty pro. Mity
    Tea pro. T
    Two pro. To
    Four pro. For

  • fphs1946

    subtle and debt

  • http://emmy-de-zelaware.com lividemerald

    Someone mentioned pneumonia. In French, the ‘p’ is pronounced in pneumonie. There are other examples where a very similar word in French maintains the pronuncation of a letter that the English have rendered silent.

  • b-meister

    pterodactyls are pterrifying!!!!!!!!! who put the silent p in there. I’m talking about the flying dinosaur in case anyone’s confused.

  • leonard

    I can knot hear, near is here and fear knows where to pin the capital…RANDON and a horses knight to sleep on…[knows] pins :lol: :wink: Knowells and now=know=noses…crazy and not a daisy for the lazy…love has rusted and kneaded to dole out wheat of dust…be good and have a good day :-)

  • darlingj

    :lol:

  • rijk

    Your pronunciation of the word knecht en specially knoten was really adorable, but no where near the real sound. I’ll try to record that for you, but first i have some catching up to do ;-) .

  • http://www.hotforwords.com/members/crossthreaded/ CrossThreaded

    That’s a very fuzzy, and very yellow sweater. It is enveloping a human of much philological knowledge and panache.

These are facebook comments below.

Author:

Not your typical philologist! Putting the LOL in PhiLOLogy :-)