A quirk of the English language or teaching?

Question

I've noticed that some of my non-English online friends use the word "funny" to describe something that is "fun" in the same way that we use "sunny" to describe the sun even though fun and funny have different uses. i.e. "Have a funny weekend."

Can you think of any other quirks?

Answer 1

Some languages don't have some features we have in English and vice-versa. A common mistake among Arab speakers of English is to say, "I love you too much," when they mean, "I love you very much." They have picked up that "too" acts to intensify an adjective or adverb but haven't picked up that it gives a negative meaning.  

Answer 2

Using "funny" to describe something that was fun is not standard English and the word shouldn't be used that way. "Funny" can mean humorous or peculiar.

Can I think of any other quirks? Oh yes! English is full of quirks and strangenesses, mainly because we've adopted words from so many other languages.

Quirks:

You can be uncouth, but you cannot be couth.

If you don't bathe, you can be unkempt, but a neat person is never termed kempt.

A house can burn down and burn up at the same time.

"Repair" does not mean to pair once again.

You can "fix dinner" even if it isn't broken.

There are hundreds of these things.

Answer 3

My german office friend was on a train to leicester once and an old woman asked if it went to LESTER, and he said no it went to LYCHESTER.  English pronunciation is weird!