SIR: I know it is correct to say "a dog" but "an hour," since "hour" has a consonant sound. But what about "a ugly duckling" or "an ugly duckling"? I say "an ugly duckling" because "ugly" has a consonant sound, but "a" or "an" really modifies "duckling," so shouldn't it be "a ugly duckling"? - Shirley B.
ANSWER: My goodness, we do have this thing all messed up, don't we? Let's try to straighten it out.We use "a" when the next word begins with a consonant sound (a dog), and we use "an" when the next word begins with a vowel sound. The "h" in "hour" is silent, so it begins with a vowel sound and calls for "an." So you got to the right answer for the wrong reason.
As for that ugly duckling, don't bother about what modifies it; it's "an ugly duckling" because "ugly" begins with a vowel sound.
And while we're on the subject, let me deplore "an historic occasion" one more time. It should be "a historic occasion," because the "h" in "historic" is not silent. We don't say "istoric;" we say "historic."
I don't care how many people you heard say "an historic," it's still wrong. If you don't believe it, no doubt you wish to check into an hotel on an hill and sing an hymn.
SIR: A brokerage firm suggested I could reduce my income tax by "gifting" certain securities to charity. Any comment? - William D.
ANSWER: "Gift" as a transitive verb has elbowed its way into the dictionary, but it's looked on with disfavor by people who, as a result, may be assumed to have good sense. If you try to tell the IRS next year, "I gifted money to a charity," don't blame me if the IRS tells you, "Then penalty us a payment."
SIR: I have read that "gray eminence" refers to a person who exercises power behind the scenes. Did the term originally refer to a specific person, and if so, whom? - Diane N.
ANSWER: Yes, it did. Cardinal Richelieu of France had a counselor known as Pere Joseph, who wielded so much influence over His Eminence that he became known as a sort of shadow cardinal, or Eminence Grise, which is French for Gray Eminence.
Of course, Richelieu wasn't Richelieu's name but his title. His name was Armand Jean du Plessis. And Pere Joseph's name was Francois Leclerc du Tremblay. I tell you this because I looked it up and because, if you memorize it, some day you may win a prize on a quiz show.
SIR: Our family dictionaries list "adamant" as a noun only, but I am convinced, even adamant, that I have seen and heard it used as an adjective. Am I mistaken? - Delfa R.
ANSWER: No, unless you're mistaken about what's in your dictionaries. Some have separate listings for the noun and the adjective. "Adamant" the noun means an extremely hard substance, but "adamant" the adjective means firm or unyielding. So you were right in being adamant about "adamant."
HARD QUESTION of the week, asked by Tom K.:
"A financial honcho in our community was quoted recently as saying that `it might be hard to justify outsourcing the work.' Then why doesn't he just sub it out?"
Send questions, comments, and good and bad examples to Lydel Sims, Watch Your Language, P.O. Box 161280, Memphis, 38186. If you quote a book, please give author, title and page number.