I swallowed an HTFU pill this morning

[Mikkel]

Yeah thought the same thing myself. Depends if you're pronouncing it "aitch-tee-eff-you" though...

Surely, you wouldn't bother pronouncing abbreviations like that - you'd come clean out and say "Harden-The-Fuck-Up"... How many times have you said, let's say, "LOL"?

There are times when English doesn't make sense and I am sure glad that I don't have to learn it like some immigrants have to - it must be frustrating and complex.

Not at all, I'm quite enjoying myself, really. The lovely thing about english is that it is a spoken language (as opposed to latin which is a written language) so if it makes sense when spoken then it is the correct form. (So in a way, whether my correction is valid or not, indeed, comes down to whether you'd say "... a Harden-The-Fuck-Up pill..." or "... an HTFU pill..."

[wysper]

The other thing I recommend is a high viz bike. Mine has a blue neon glow which you can't miss at night or in the dark. Cages really notice it.

I think what you meant here was 'Cages RARELY notice it' LOL

[mujambee]

Absolute shiite weather early this morning: 7 degrees, heavy rain, dark gray clouds, windy. Who in their right mind would choose to go for a ride in crap conditions like that? Me. And I have KB to blame. It's like this...

I ride on every kind of weather, from snow to 40ºC. I must have fallen on the pot when I was a baby.

OK, its wet cold and dark outside. Anyone for a ride?

I'd go if I could.

... There are times when English doesn't make sense and I am sure glad that I don't have to learn it like some immigrants have to - it must be frustrating and complex.

Coming from a language whose writing is almost phonetical, I've always found it quite silly that you have to learn how to write every single word.

But all in all english is an easy language. Few rules there, simple verbs and constructions and a somehow reduced vocabulary make it easier to learn than, say, german declined or spanish verbs (so I'm told).

[insomnia01]

this all sounds like a Rustys GC I & a few other's did a couple of years ago up north...

[Elysium]

I used to only have a bike for transport so I rode to work no matter the weather. It hardened me up quick and now I'm back to a bike for transport again as I sold my car.

[swbarnett]

But all in all english is an easy language. Few rules there, simple verbs and constructions

Of this I have no doubt. As a native English speaker I tried to learn German while I was in Switzerland and made a right hash of it. Not helped by the fact that almost all the locals wanted to practice their English.

and a somehow reduced vocabulary make it easier to learn than, say, german declined or spanish verbs (so I'm told).

Well, actually, english has a rischness of vocabularly that is belied by the fact that a mere subset of the whole is required to make oneself understood. According to Bill Bryson in his book "Mother Tongue", a documentory work on the English language, the Oxford English dictionary lists 615,000 words. Of these about 200,000 are in common use. German has about 184,000 words in common use and French a mere 100,000.

[shafty]

So Radar, what was the bike which was stranded on the road side?

[pritch]

That would be "I swallowed a HTFU pill this morning" even if the "H" was mute the T kinda gives it away... I suppose.

I looked at that when I read it and wasn't sure. "An hotel" is correct and I've seen "an historical". It's all to do with the sainted h in French, I guess we owe this little confusion to the Norman conquest.

It cheered be up though, if that's the worst thing we've got to worry about it things must be OK.

What make was the stranded bike? Inquiring minds and all that...

And bling to the OP

[Radar]

So Radar, what was the bike which was stranded on the road side?

At first it looked like a 250 but I think it was a Kawasaki 500 cc (do they make such a bike?). It was raining hard and my visor fogged up and I was trying to listen to the guy through ear plugs, rain and traffic, so I did not have time or the inclination to do a proper inspection and chat about the bike. It was red, with a fairing, not unlike a Hyosung GT250R, but the name Kawasaki was on the tank or fairing and it was not a large bike. I'll have a wander to the shop next week and see if it is still in the showroom.

[<G>]

Haven't renewed my prescription.

Good post Radar - man and bike vs the elements!

[Mikkel]

I looked at that when I read it and wasn't sure. "An hotel" is correct and I've seen "an historical". It's all to do with the sainted h in French, I guess we owe this little confusion to the Norman conquest.

That would depend upon your dialect I believe. If you pronounce the "H" it comes with an a, if you don't an an is the way to go.

Ifn yer a roit geeza Ah s'pose ye kin sae 'arden tha feck oop yer poof...

[Skyryder]

That would be "I swallowed a HTFU pill this morning" even if the "H" was mute the T kinda gives it away... I suppose.

Generally speaking ‘an’ is used before a word starting with a vowel (a.e.i.o.u.) although this is not always the case.

Phonetic rules rather than spelling is the ‘dictatorial’ rule in this. An is employed in speech to remove the momentary silent pause, (glottal stop) and this has been transferred to the written word.
If the H is silent as in honorable then an is acceptable for use.


Skyryder

[Big Dave]

You win today's BD prize!

Choose from the following

[Insanity_rules]

You win today's BD prize!

I'm torn between the brilloclava and the glade!

I bought a rainsuit the other day and it felt like it leaked but it didn't. That cold drip thing is erie.