Something You Should Know

Ridiculous Rules of the English Language & How Infrastructure Keeps Cities Moving

6 snips
May 19, 2025
Sybil Derrible, a professor of urban engineering, discusses how essential infrastructure shapes cities, from water systems to transportation networks. Gabe Henry, an author and enthusiast of English spelling reform, dives into the quirky complexities of English spelling and pronunciation that perplex both learners and native speakers. The conversation highlights failed attempts at simplifying English spellings and examines the urban dynamics of major cities, revealing how our payment methods impact financial behavior.
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ADVICE

Control Spending with Cash

  • Pay with new $50 or $100 bills instead of older or smaller bills to reduce spending.
  • Using cash over plastic cards helps you keep more money by discouraging overspending.
INSIGHT

English's Spelling Chaos Explained

  • English unique in spelling inconsistency due to invasions mixing languages.
  • Its history of consolidation from many dialects creates unreliable pronunciations and spellings.
ANECDOTE

Early Medieval Spelling Reform

  • Orman, a 12th-century monk, tried to fix vowel spelling by doubling consonants.
  • His approach lengthened words too much, so it was never adopted.
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