Just in the course of texted conversation, I once again noticed the amazing versatility of the English language spelling rules (some might use a more pejorative word than "versatility").
Beard.
Eared.
Weird.
Sneered.
Adhered.
Cashiered.
All rhyme.
All with different spelling.
How cool is that?
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* "Skeered" is a joking way of pronouncing "scared" so that it rhymes with beard... but it's also a pronunciation that shows up in certain Englilsh dialects. From http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/scare:
Word Origin and History for scare
v. 1590s, alteration of Middle English skerren (c.1200), from Old Norse skirra "to frighten; to shrink from, shun; to prevent, avert," related to skjarr "timid, shy, afraid of," of unknown origin. In Scottish also skair, skar, and in dialectal English skeer, skear, which seems to preserve the older pronunciation.
