Here’s a fun fact (using the word fun loosely). The verb shine has two different past-tense forms: shined and shone. And they mean different things.
Shined is for the transitive meaning, as in “He shined my shoes.” Shone is for the intransitive meaning, as in “The stars shone brightly.”
What’s more, shine isn’t the only verb with an identity crisis.
The past tense of hang is either hanged or hung, depending on what you mean. Hanged is for executions: “We hanged the criminals.” Hung is for everything else: “She hung the picture on the wall.”
For weave, it’s weaved or wove. Weaved is for humans, cars, etc., moving in a particular way: “He weaved in and out of traffic.” Wove is for more traditional weaving: “I wove you a sweater.”
People! THIS IS CRAZINESS. What you doin’, English.
Anybody know any other examples? Or any other CRAZY ENGLISH WEIRDNESS you’d like to share?
Brian D. Buckley 