Good Monday Morning.

We had a flash visit to Houston to visit and view the status of our newest grandson who is scheduled to arrive July 30th!!! Mom and Dad are quite ready. We are ready too after seeing the two and the soon to be three.

Which raises an interesting question: What do you call words that sound exactly the same but are spelled differently and have different meanings?

“Homophones” are words that sound alike, have different meanings and have the same or different spellings. For example, fair (for country extravaganza) and fair (for you sure are reasonable) are homophones with the same exact spelling. Pear (a lush rounded fruit) and pair (a couple about to have a baby) are also homophones, even though the pared down words in this second set of homophones has different spellings. Wow, we just found a triple homophone: pear, pair and pare (to cut or trim).

“Heterographs” are that subset of homophones that have different spellings. Pear, pair and pare are heterograph homophones.

“Homonyms” are that subset of homphones that have the same spellings. Because, fair and fair are the exact same words, they are referred to as homonym homophones.

Going back to the second paragraph above, what do you now see in my second sentence: “We are ready too after seeing the two and the soon to be three?” You got it, a triple heterograph homophone: too (also), two (the number 2) and to (a preposition indicating motion or direction).

Words are too much fun. Can you see the sea of meaning in the letter “c?” Can the letter “b” be a bee without the buzz? “To be or not to be – stung,” said the poet to the bewildered bee, as he lay down beneath the bough of the tree munching a pear at the country fair.

All of which reminds me of one of my favorite poems, which is also a wonderful song, by Steven Fromholz, the 2007 Texas Poet Laureate, which has these 2 lines hidden in its midst: “And me I just bear up to my bewildered best, And there’s some folks even seen the bear in me.”

They just don’t come no better than a bear (a large furry animal) who can carry much (bearing it well) with nary a piece of clothing on its bare back.

Have fun with your day and your words,

Grandpa Jim