Reply To: English tips.

OK, by popular demand (assuming Milhouse is popular): weather, whether, wether, and also if/whether.

Weather is the climactic condition. Wether is a castrated sheep or goat. Whether sets up alternatives, e.g., I don’t know whether we will go to Bubby’s or Aunt Sally’s for Shabbos dinner.

if/whether: In the old days, it would have been wrong to say, I don’t know if we will go to Bubby’s or Aunt Sally’s for Shabbos dinner. “If” used to set up a condition, e.g., if Uncle Mac gets over his cold, we will have Shabbos dinner at Aunt Sally’s house. But recently, the if/whether distinction has faded, and some authorities would accept, “I don’t know if we will go to Bubby’s house or Aunt Sally’s house for Shabbos dinner.” I’m old-school, and you can do it my way if you want, and, whether or not you are old school or new school, you can use if when whether would have been the only choice in the old days.

Also, I generally find that “whether or not” is not preferable to “whether”. But I am old-school.

And, of course, “iffy weather” means you probably should cancel the picnic.