Faldage, The Hunter
- by Odgen Nash

The hunter crouches in his blind
'Neath camouflage of every kind
And conjures up a quacking noise
To lend allure to his decoys
This grown-up man, with pluck and luck
is hoping to outwit a duck

Faldage:
(Most know when to use "A" or "THE"), but can we explain when to use either one as opposed to using neither? Why, for example, do we say, "cross the street" rather than saying "cross street"?

My Dear Mister Faldage,
Obviously nits today are becoming scarce entitants to pick. Any word-rooting hog knows that "The" and "A" are mutually dependent so as to convey the meaning of "particular" or "general" entities.

Yours is a question that begs a question.

And as to the exclusion of either one, it is a process that in-groups utilize for economy, ( tsuwm has a cute word for it, but we all forget.) articleless languages survive without the need of this distinction, but they very likely suffer from less than fluid transfer of exacting information.

Bemoan them and move on to other crusades.