Tounge-Tied and Tie-Dyed

Dear Daughter,

Well, as you are learning, English is a very strange language. Unlike Dutch, where everything sounds the way it is written, and is written as it sounds, without exception, English seems to be nothing but exceptions.

We were talking about cleaning out the flower vase, and you said that I needed to use Javel (Belgian brand of bleach), and I agreed.

But, you added, that I needed to be careful not to spill any on my shirt because it would make it white.

I then told you that it would be returning it to the original color, since all of our cotton clothes are originally white, but then if they are colored, that means that they have been dyed at some point.

Then, you later said, “oh, so if you spill bleach on your shirt, it brings it back to life?” I was confused and at a loss for words, and asked you what you meant. You looked at me (as only you can), and said, “Papa, you said that you shirt had died.”

Ah, so, there’s the rub. I explained to you that “dyed” and “died” are homonyms, or words that sound the same, but are both spelled differently and mean different things, and added that English is full of such language puzzles.

Once again, I was reminded that we can’t take it for granted that others understand us, and we should always be open-minded when someone says something that sounds strange to us as well.

I Love You,

Papa