first rule of business

I hate to dampen your run as the "grammar guru" here, Neil, but according to the ol' Merriam-Webster Collegiate dictionary, the word "an" may be properly used in the follwing fashions:

"Before unstressed or weakly stressed syllables with initial h both a and an are used in writing <a historic> <an historic> but in speech an is more frequent whether \h\ is pronounced or not. "

So, your statement that you would "NEVER buy from" someone who advertised "an heterozygous" animal may have been a hastily conceived notion (is that "an hastily" conceived one?). LOL



You just have to love grammar discussions, do ya?

Just to nitpick...

Throughout this thread, three different people have spelled the word "grammar" incorrectly. It is correctly spelled "grammar" not "grammer".

For those worried about being able to do updates on a website, I know that you can oftentimes have a website put together in such a way so that it basically includes a table wherein you can easily add, delete, or modify your listings. In addition, an approach I've seen several sites using to cut down on the number of updates is to put a nice plain statement on the page somewhere visible that says "This page is updated every [insert day of week here]. Please email with questions and to check availability before purchasing." This way you are only responsible for updating once a week and if a customer comes across the site on a Sunday and the disclaimer says you update on Monday, they have some warning that the page may be slightly dated and they also know exactly when to check back for recent changes. This works less well if you do a very large volume (and listings can therefore change more drastically from week to week) or if you allow ordering direct from the website in a shopping cart or "click here to paypal" format (as people who send off the money without inquiring about availability first might become upset if their animal isn't available).

I've proofread this several times over and am still sure that I will hit "post" and then discover a mistake, just to get me back for nitpicking others' mistakes.

Kat and Darin.... I think they mean if the "H" is silent.... that I agree with, but, if the "H" isn't silent.... I think the "A" is used.... if anybody out there knows FOR SURE.... please speak up!!

I'm ALWAYS willing to learn something new???

BTW, Kat.... Cron Snaks are GREAT with the right DIP!!.... lol

....Neil

A <a href="http://www.edufind.com/english/grammar/Determiners3.cfm">link</a> to an educational site with a lesson on indefinite articles.

The summary: it appears Neil gets to keep his title as the Grammar Guru.

Oh Darin.... I know THAT must hurt!.... lmao

....Neil

Oh the joys of conflicting sources of expertise in grammar!

Yes, as a general rule, the "an" is used when the "h" is silent as in "honor, or honestly." However, the "an" is also often used with the pronounced "h" in words where the most stressed syllable is not the first one as in "historic or hysteria." The "a" is used with words where the "h" is pronounced, but the first syllable IS stressed, such as in "handout, or hardhat."

So, how do you pronounce the word "heterozygous?" Do you say "HET-erozygous?" If so, then "a heterozygous" animal would be correct. However, if some of you say "hetero-ZY-gous," it would seem that "an heterozygous" animal would be equally acceptable.

Now, if we examine the original Greek language from which the term "heterozygous" originates, and note that there was no letter producing an "h" sound at all . . .oh, never mind. Say it however you want!

Man
That sounded like a bunch of hillbilly-onics up there
so.... Grammer is spelled grammar?

We all nitpick or nit-pick each in our own little way
peace

Oh and before I forget

The 1st or first rule of business I still believe is
Honesty
Above that there is 'no' other

John,

Hillbilly-onics would have been if I had said,

"Hetero - wut?"

"You ain't from around here, ere ya boy?"

"If you ain't kin to nobody I know, you best jest git yerself and yer 'hetero-wutever' in yer car and move it on down the road!"

"We ain't got no use fer that kind of talk 'round here!"

Now THAT'S hillbilly!!!

Darin.... you forgot....

If she ain't good enough for her OWN kin.... she ain't good enough for me!.... lmao

You gotta start hangin out with city-slickers a little more often.... lol

....Neil