MSGID: 1:153/716.0 d65c0201   
   REPLY: 2:221/6.0 5d5daa36   
   CHRS: IBMPC 2   
   Hi, Anton!  Recently you wrote in a message to Dallas Hinton:   
      
   DH>  I before E is the rule.   
   DH>  Except when your foreign neighbour Keith receives   
   DH>  eight counterfeit beige sleighs from feisty caffeinated   
   DH>  weightlifters.   
      
   AS>  Fie!  This rule is neither friend not fiend to the learner.   
      
      
             Exactly.  Native speakers often make jokes about how "illogical" the   
   spelling is in English... but a lot depends on one's preferred learning style.   
      
             For those who want rules I'd point out that there's more to this one   
   than they may consciously recall.  It's not so hard if you enjoy learning what   
   makes people tick & realize +/- half of our language was borrowed from various   
   parts of northern Europe & Scandinavia.  Dallas & I grew up with words such as   
   "gesundheit" & "Fahrenheit", which may have given us a head start.  Anyone can   
   make a point of using a dictionary which includes the etymology, though.  :-))   
      
      
      
      
   --- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+   
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