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An useless cat [PICS]

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  • vroom101, on 05/07/2008, -16/+179Got curious...so here's an honest question...no criticism intended...just trying to increase my feebly understanding of the English language while attending U. of D. (the University of Diggers -- where DIGGucation IS education):

    Which is correct: "an useless" or "a useless"?

    • KevinFederline, on 05/07/2008, -6/+293a useless :)

      Sorry dude :)
      • vroom101, on 05/07/2008, -5/+42No need to apologize. The title got me thinking because the word "useless" starts with a vowel, so it would seem that "an useless" is grammatically correct. But I don't know...
        • BoonTobias, on 05/07/2008, -3/+67we need an hero to settle this one
        • kakwakas, on 05/07/2008, -0/+6Yeah. I nominate Boon.
          • funkytaco, on 05/07/2008, -16/+10Here I come to save the day.

            vroom101, here is how you can tell 100% of the time. If you take out the verb, is the phrasing right? A (x) cat, a (x) hero. So no, the proper verbiage is a useless cat.

            I hope this wasn't *a* useless comment. This moment brought to you indirectly by Sesame Street.
          • cliffhanger407, on 05/07/2008, -0/+15Funkytaco. No. You're wrong. First of all, it's an adjective. Secondly, what about "An ugly *****" or "You have a round aunt".
            http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/esl/esliart ...
          • etherreal, on 05/09/2008, -0/+1The correct way to determine whether to use an "a" or an "an" is not by the first letter of the next word, but by the first sound of the next word. If the next word starts with a vowel sound, use "an". If the next word starts with a consonant sound, use "a". In this case, useless starts with a "y" sound, so "a" is appropriate.
        • Nosty, on 05/07/2008, -2/+13This has become quite an historic moment.
          • sgtbutterscotch, on 05/07/2008, -0/+4Can someone explain this? I came across this in the newspaper a couple weeks ago and then I realized that I have seen it more than once. I don't understand how anyone can possible think "an" can come before the word "historic" or any other word that begins with a pronounceable 'h.'
          • Pulch, on 05/07/2008, -2/+18They did it wrong. It's not about what letter it starts with, it's what sound it starts with. A historic moment would be correct.
          • sgtbutterscotch, on 05/07/2008, -1/+8I just googled "an historic" and this was on the first website: "Both usages are sufficiently common to be considered correct in modern English." WTF?
          • AmaDaden, on 05/07/2008, -0/+6@sgtbutterscotch As I understand it the rule for living languages (languages still in use) is that common use makes the incorrect correct. According to the known rules use of 'an' here is wrong but since everyone does it's likely an exception to the rule and not an error. The piling up of small changes like this is why the English of Shakespeare is not the English we use today.

            P.S. Butter Scotch is delicious.
          • Dichotomic, on 05/07/2008, -0/+2It has to do with sound... if you emphasize the "h" in historic, then the phrase is "a historic event", but if you drop the "h" then it would be correct to say "an historic event".

            The pronunciation in which you mute the "h" seems, from what little research I just did, to me to derive from French, where "h" is never pronounced.
          • slezzzter, on 05/07/2008, -2/+0It's a matter of how you pronounce "historic." Some dialects blend the article (a or an) with historic to sound more like 'anistoric' (which sounds natural) instead of 'a-istoric' (which sounds strange). "A historic" looks correct but sounds cumbersome, to me, unless the h is fully enunciated.
        • ErikHarrison, on 05/07/2008, -26/+1As funny as it may sound when you say it aloud, "an useless" is grammatically correct.
          • wellyuk, on 05/07/2008, -2/+5Apparently you're wrong.
          • Solis, on 05/07/2008, -0/+5As funny as it is to see you be wrong....well, ok it's just funny. Sorry dude, but it is indeed "a useless".
        • lucidapathy, on 05/07/2008, -0/+37The correct usage is "a useless cat" ...
          The letter "a" should be used before all words beginning with a hard consonant sound and before words beginning with vowels that represent combined consonant and vowel sounds (university, unit, useless).
          Examples: a boy, a European, a picture, a store, a table, a bottle, a window, a phone, a hyphen, a one-horse town, a useless cat
          • willgonz, on 05/07/2008, -2/+13An hour.
          • IllBeBack, on 05/07/2008, -0/+13Yes, "an" is correct in this case because "hour" is pronounced with a leading vowel sound, not a consonant sound.
          • Intamin, on 05/08/2008, -0/+2You mean it isn't pronounced "hower?"
            And all this time...
        • Pulch, on 05/07/2008, -1/+9Wrong, as I said before, it has to do with the sound at the beginning of a word, not the spelling. useless starts with a 'y' sound, therefor it's 'a useless' not 'an'.
        • Paradiddler45, on 05/07/2008, -1/+7'a' and 'an' are based on the sound of the word proceeding them.

          This page should solve all of your problems:
          http://www.wordinfo.info/words/index/info/view_uni ...
          • VenDrake, on 05/07/2008, -2/+18I read the entire page very thoroughly, but I didn't seen anything there about getting laid.
          • jmp478, on 05/07/2008, -2/+3You "didn't seen anything"?
            maybe you should go back and read it again
          • IllBeBack, on 05/07/2008, -4/+1[comment deleted]
          • god613, on 05/07/2008, -7/+1A. The word you're looking for is preceding not proceeding
            B. There is no word preceding 'an' in the title
            C. You meant succeeding
            D. Your logic is skewed because 'useless' sounds like it starts with a vowel to me

            Fail
          • JackHarkness, on 05/07/2008, -1/+21 pre- means before pro- means after, proceding means something that comes after
            2 funny you should mention that, there is a word after an in the title
            3 succeeding means replacing
            4 actualy it sounds like it starts with a Y as in you, normal U at the start of a word is pronounced as 'a' as in upon

            Wow this is a tough one but I'm going to have to give you a FAIL for your english skills.

        • Aeomyr, on 05/07/2008, -1/+6@Paradiddler45: I could be wrong but don't you mean succeeding them?
        • ligyron, on 05/07/2008, -8/+1Use "an" if succeeding word begins with a vowel, with the exception of "u"
          Use "a" if succeeding word begins with a non-vowel, with the exception of "h"

          Grade 8 English class, not rocket science
          • ligyron, on 05/07/2008, -6/+1Example: I'm an hero
          • aceallways, on 05/07/2008, -0/+2so you are telling me an European is correct?
          • IllBeBack, on 05/07/2008, -0/+3Use "an" if succeeding word begins with a vowel SOUND.
            Use "a" if succeeding word begins with a non-vowel SOUND.

            Example: I'm A hero. ("hero" starts with a non-vowel sound, so it's A, not AN.)

            There, fixed.
          • iamafatguy, on 05/07/2008, -0/+1Technically, if you *were* an hero, you couldn't have typed that.
          • JackHarkness, on 05/07/2008, -0/+2an house?
        • stronglikedan, on 05/07/2008, -0/+2@Pulch - while we're at it, it's "therefore" not http://www.thefreedictionary.com/therefor
      • sputza, on 05/07/2008, -1/+82Not to point out the obvious but, the submitters name is KevinFederline. How can we expect his submission to be grammatically correct?
        • RealmDown, on 05/07/2008, -5/+23LEAVE HIS GRAMMAR ALONE!
        • rentmitchum, on 05/07/2008, -2/+4*
          /chris crocker reference a year or so too late
        • odganarb, on 05/08/2008, -1/+4Hate to break it to you Mr. Mitchum, but according to the Youtube page, the referenced Chris Crocker video was uploaded September 10th, 2007. So, less than a year ago.
          • rentmitchum, on 05/08/2008, -0/+2Touché. +1 to you sir for the correction and for not being a jerk about it. Also, it's overjoying to me to have someone call me Mr. Mitchum. lol
      • jordn, on 05/07/2008, -7/+3There are more people than i thought who came here just to criticize the spelling mistake...
        • RealmDown, on 05/07/2008, -0/+10It's a common hobby on Digg.
        • IllBeBack, on 05/07/2008, -0/+5It's not a spelling mistake. It's a "using the wrong word" mistake.
      • Kronos6948, on 05/07/2008, -0/+7I thought it was more internet speak...especially since the photo is of a cat. I immediately related to Caturday and the term "An Hero".
        • rentmitchum, on 05/07/2008, -1/+2But then it'd read "An yooslus kitteh"
      • ArkAngel06, on 05/07/2008, -1/+7Mirror - http://bertc.com/uselessCat.htm
      • yuanzhoulu, on 05/07/2008, -0/+12the use of "a" vs. "an" in English depends not on the spelling of the word that follows it but the pronounciation. 'useless' starts with a consonant 'y' sound, i.e. 'yuse-less' is roughly the way it is actually pronounced, so you would say "a useless [whatever]". on the other hand, 'undeliverable' for example, starts with the 'u' sound and not a 'y' sound and so it would be "an undeliverable [whatever]".
      • ubuntudude, on 05/07/2008, -7/+0"Kevin Federline, FTW!" Sounds like most courts these days, eh?
    • IulianORG, on 05/07/2008, -62/+6When a word starts with a vowel , you must put "an" . Example : An airplane .
      When a word starts with a consonant , you must put "a" . Example : A duck .
      • teh_techie, on 05/07/2008, -4/+96WRONG! Your examples are correct, but you wouldn't say "An useless", or "An Universe". But you WOULD say "An Umbrella". It all has to do with whether or not the word SOUNDS like it starts with a vowel. "Useless" - sounds like it starts with a "y", which would not require "an".
        • longbow486, on 05/07/2008, -44/+2no matter what the word starts with if it is a Noun you put 'A' first.
          • SHv2, on 05/07/2008, -0/+13you are a idiot?
          • WalesAlex, on 05/07/2008, -0/+1you are an idiot?
          • seraph582, on 05/07/2008, -0/+2sorry longbow - that's simply not true
          • July272007, on 05/07/2008, -0/+4That made me laugh. How old are you? Where did/ do you go to school? You need to speak to your teacher or pay more attention.
        • fishface, on 05/07/2008, -0/+24Another example: silent consonants at the beginning of words:
          An hour - correct
          A hour - incorrect
        • chris8535, on 05/07/2008, -2/+14but Y is sometimes a vowel too! Its just that none of the other vowels like him because he shows up a meetings late, talking on the cellphone. Damn Y.
        • nevenmrgan, on 05/07/2008, -15/+1Such as "a airplane", right?
        • CCoe, on 05/07/2008, -0/+9Longbow, stop trying to teach the English language when you have no idea how to use it properly. You're WRONG. WRONG WRONG WRONG.
        • alittleroy101, on 05/07/2008, -1/+2Very good explanation. I've wondered exactly how it works.
      • itsthebrod, on 05/07/2008, -9/+5Your rule is close, but wrong. It has to sound like it starts with a long vowel to use the "an." Jesus the English language is retarded.
      • Abomonog, on 05/07/2008, -0/+13You all have it wrong. It's about the sound. If it SOUNDS like it starts with a consonant it starts with A.

        Phonetic example: A Youseless cat.
        Even though it is spelled useless the U is pronounced as if were spelled Y O U so you use "a".

        If it SOUNDs like it has a vowel you use "an".

        Example: I'll see you in AN hour.

        In hour the H is silent so you use "an". It really has nothing to do with the spelling but weather the first sound in a word is a consonant or a vowel.
        • H1tchh1k3r, on 05/07/2008, -0/+6P.S. you used the wrong kind of "whether"
        • SwitchXFactor, on 05/07/2008, -0/+1I was going to say, for being such a well written and thought out post, the weather / whether mistake stuck out like a sore thumb, haha.
      • Scrappy1850, on 05/07/2008, -0/+1that's an honest mistake.
    • adnerb06, on 05/07/2008, -19/+11mirror: http://corcholat.com/!eDi
      • michaelinnotts, on 05/07/2008, -2/+10Why the hell are people digging you down?
        • xyqxyq, on 05/07/2008, -3/+1Mirror not labeled. Burying initiated. *click*
    • robbob, on 05/07/2008, -15/+10both "an" and "a" are useless in this case
    • zumpiez, on 05/07/2008, -5/+40all i know is that rat is an hero.
    • warkro, on 05/07/2008, -6/+37if you pronounce it 'OOsless' then 'an' is correct.
    • spoiled1, on 05/07/2008, -3/+7"It was an honorable thing to do"
      Here, it starts with an "ech" but has an "an" in front of it, when a word starts with any of the sounds "eh or uh or ah or oh", like in Elephant, Umbrella, Astronaut, or Octopus, an "an" may be needed.
    • andbruno, on 05/07/2008, -2/+11The latter. "Useless" (while starting with a vowel) starts with a consonant sound. "Youse-less".
      So it's "a useless cat," not "an useless cat."
    • hopeast, on 05/07/2008, -0/+23Straight out of the AP Stylebook, "Use the article A before consonant sounds: a historic event, a one-year term (sounds as if it begins with a w), a united stand (sounds like you.)" and "use the article AN before bowel sounds: an energy crisis, an honorable man (the h is silent), an NBA record (sounds like it begins with the letter e), an 1890's celebration.
      • backflipper, on 05/07/2008, -1/+34heh heh, "bowel sounds"
      • IllBeBack, on 05/07/2008, -0/+6An fart?
        That's a bowel sound, right? ;-)
      • Oramified, on 05/08/2008, -0/+1You must use wikipedia... thanks for a credible insight into the discussion
      • intense321, on 05/08/2008, -0/+1"Straight out of the AP Style book". I had no idea the AP Style book was turning into a medical literature piece...
    • Xanrez, on 05/07/2008, -11/+1rule of thumb: if the next word starts with a vowel, use "an". If it starts with a consonant, use "a". Examples: an egg; a cat; an airplane; a computer
      • irow, on 05/07/2008, -0/+5Xanrez, that may be the rule of thumb (and a very good rule it is), but this title is an exception to the rule. "A useless cat" is correct.
        • Lasereth, on 05/07/2008, -0/+1Doesn't matter what it starts it. It matters how it sounds. If it SOUNDS like it starts with a vowel then use an.
        • yuanzhoulu, on 05/07/2008, -0/+0going by sound is indeed correct for english. it's an odd rule for a language and it does lead to a few british/american discrepancies in "a" vs. "an" due to pronounciation differences, but i can't recall them off the top of my head right now.
      • willgonz, on 05/07/2008, -0/+1So what about an hour? Just because there isn't a vowel doesn't make it so. If the consonant is silent like in hour it will get an.
      • IllBeBack, on 05/07/2008, -0/+1Your rule of thumb is incorrect. It's not whether it starts with a vowel, it's whether it starts with a vowel SOUND, as the other 5,000 comments above also clarify.
    • rentmitchum, on 05/07/2008, -5/+3Kevin Federline cant haz spellz?
    • benjorino, on 05/07/2008, -1/+9Its 'a useless' I think. The extra 'n' is an useless addition.
    • sinembarg0, on 05/07/2008, -4/+1An is to prevent people from sounding like they're stuttering, so you use "an" instead of "a" when the first phoneme sond similar to "a."
    • gravyboy, on 05/07/2008, -6/+2Well... They're not so much rules as guidelines.

      I think in this instance "an useless" is correct, because it conveys a sense of lolcat speeks that is implied in any picture containing a cat.
    • ds|tan, on 05/07/2008, -9/+2The use of "A" or "An" is supposed to refer to the object, i.e. "cat", hence, the correct one is "a", as we say "A cat", not "An cat".
    • BadBosco, on 05/07/2008, -0/+4its somewhat confusing that it doesnt matter what the letter is (U) but the sound it makes.
      • IllBeBack, on 05/07/2008, -1/+3Really? Sounds confuse you? REALLY?!

        This explains why so many comments on Digg have so many spelling and grammatical errors.
      • rohan1234, on 05/07/2008, -1/+2It shouldn't be confusing. Spoken language existed long before anyone invented writing; writing is a reflection of speech, not the other way around.
      • Jashobeam5, on 05/09/2008, -0/+1English is not a language that makes sense. I came to this realization when I found out that it is just a pieced together language.
    • Bilabrin, on 05/07/2008, -0/+3Yeah he screwed up
    • Yarmin3, on 05/07/2008, -0/+4Using "a" and "an" have changed throughout the English language and its somewhat related to the word origin and pronunciation. French loan words into English don't pronounce the "H" so "an" is often used, but "H" is pronounced in Germanic words so "a" is used. Pronunciations have changed, so if you read any 17th century English text there will be "an" in front of all vowel words and "H" words, so you'll see passages like, "an hundred people."
      "a" and "an" have also been added and subtracted from words. For example, it used to be called "a napron," but now "napron" which is related to "napkin" is "an apron." The "N" at the front was wrongly taken from the real word "napron."
      The written word was imposed on the English language and there really wasn't standard spelling until people arbitrarily started formatting spelling, so there is no real correct way to spell anything. It doesn't matter if it's grey or gray, or color or colour, because before the standardized spelling of colour, you could spell it however you thought proper. Just like "shew" has changed to "show," "humane" has changed to "human," etc.
      Bottom line is that English is an eclectic mix and match of languages; part Germanic, part Latin mainly via French.
      • Jashobeam5, on 05/09/2008, -0/+1When reading Little Women I was shocked at the "bad spelling" when in fact throughout history word spellings and even grammar rules have changed back and forth. Most people don't know this. No wonder I'm a horrible speller. I'm too logical, lol.
    • petemcfraser, on 05/07/2008, -6/+1"Yes, a license for my pet fish, Eric. He is an halibut."
      • IllBeBack, on 05/07/2008, -1/+2A halibut. Unless you don't pronounce the "h" sound in the word "halibut" and instead say "AL-ibut."
        • petemcfraser, on 05/07/2008, -1/+1OMG, you wouldn't know a Flying Circus quote if it bit you in the face.
    • cutekelvins, on 05/07/2008, -8/+3OM NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM
    • Klak, on 05/07/2008, -1/+4everyone in this thread needs to become an hero
    • luvlysiu, on 05/07/2008, -0/+1a useless is correct
      "Further, some words starting with vowels may have a preceding a because they are pronounced as if beginning with an initial consonant. "Ewe" and "user" have a preceding a because they are pronounced with an initial y consonant sound. "One-armed bandit" and "one-sided argument" also have a preceding a because they are pronounced with an initial w consonant sound." wikipedia.com
    • dafragsta, on 05/07/2008, -0/+1The one that always got me was commas when listing things. In school it was this, this, and this. When I went to work for an ad agency for a while, it was this, this and this. I learned that the last comma is optional. WTF?!
    • dewyjuhl, on 05/07/2008, -0/+2I liked the picture
    • RioDJNarrow, on 05/08/2008, -0/+1*waiting for someone to save as image file and post on digg just like when all those diggers did this stupid asterisk thing*
    • Jashobeam5, on 05/09/2008, -0/+1Even Shakespeare was confused. "Who lets so fair a house fall to decay," "How many a holy and obsequious tear" "O, what a happy title do I find," "Sets down her babe and makes an swift dispatch"

      I was told that H used to be considered a vowel (maybe back in Colonial times), but I cannot find any information on that. I checked my high school Grammar book, and it said if the first spoken letter of a word sounds like a vowel, use "an." Otherwise, use "a."
  • Disco1Stu, on 05/07/2008, -3/+25Ok that was pretty cute. But I think the rat is plotting something
  • neuens07, on 05/07/2008, -16/+21*Yawn* The last picture made me want to go back to sleep... but I gotta study... :(
    • CCoe, on 05/07/2008, -1/+13You're getting dugg down because people think you mean that you found the last picture boring. This angers the digg army when that picture is either: A. cute or B. has a cat in it. If it's both, expect to be under a mountain of buries.
      • neuens07, on 05/07/2008, -0/+4oh... no doubt it was cute, but the cat just looked so comfy :)
        • CCoe, on 05/07/2008, -1/+2Oh I know what you thought - I dugg you up :D. And look! Now that I've apparently cleared up the confusion, you're being dugg up now, and so am I! Vindication!
        • neuens07, on 05/07/2008, -0/+2Thanks. I owe ya one. :D
      • GeekyGerge, on 05/07/2008, -1/+1I think it's because people are not generally bothered about how someone feels about a picture of a cat.
      • CCoe, on 05/07/2008, -1/+2Seriously, GeekyGerge? You clearly have no real understanding of how digg works.
        • GeekyGerge, on 05/07/2008, -3/+2That may be true, but I clearly show understanding of how a reply button works.
        • CCoe, on 05/09/2008, -1/+2As you can see from my above comment, I do know how the reply button works. That "mis-reply" was merely an accident. Therefore your benign attempt at a comeback is falling rather flat-footed. Good try though.
    • seldon452, on 05/07/2008, -5/+3Hey, this is digg. No one gives a ***** about your problems.
      • neuens07, on 05/07/2008, -0/+2True, but I'm guessing that other college students that are swamped with homework and have to study for finals can relate
        • Jashobeam5, on 05/09/2008, -0/+2I'm so glad finals days are forever behind me.
  • prabjot, on 05/07/2008, -7/+100Peace = 1
    War = 0
  • fael, on 05/07/2008, -6/+17dugg for the submitter
    • BadBosco, on 05/07/2008, -0/+7burried for the submitters name
    • CannedMango, on 05/07/2008, -1/+2It explains the grammar.

      Yet, there's still nothing on earth that can explain Popozao.
  • adnerb06, on 05/07/2008, -19/+49mirror: http://corcholat.com/!eDi
    • legom7, on 05/07/2008, -3/+9Why is adnerb06 being buried? The site stopped working, and that is a working mirror.
      • arcooke, on 05/07/2008, -5/+4Because he's a spammer. http://digg.com/users/adnerb06/history/comments

        All these picture mirroring sites like corcholat and linkinn pay users if they get people to click their mirrors. I'm all for a working mirror too, but not one of these shady ones that pays people to spam their website. He should be buried and reported for it, not dugg up and thanked.
        • MackenzieArbour, on 05/07/2008, -2/+7As long as the mirror works, who cares if he's getting paid? Usually when someone provides a service, they are paid. This is no different.
  • JimboLimbo, on 05/07/2008, -35/+5***** cats
    • TheRunes, on 05/07/2008, -1/+23Is that your hobby or your fetish?
    • jesuswuzanalien, on 05/07/2008, -5/+2I for one welcome out new cat-rat overlords.
    • logandurand, on 05/07/2008, -0/+1This is the internet. Liking cats is an entry requirement.
  • pveltrent, on 05/07/2008, -4/+50I am in the middle of an epic battle with field mice. 7 mice caught in glue traps in 7 days. Today (no *****) I caught one in my car. After 409-ing my car, myself and crying in the shower I gained new perspective and hope with the plan to get a cat... Now I see this. Damn it to hell.
    • sk8king, on 05/07/2008, -1/+11Glue traps are a horrible method to kill an animal. Use the snap traps that kill instantly...or a cat.
      • Narcism, on 05/07/2008, -0/+20Clearly you've never come across your cat batting around a dying mouse.
        • HillerMylife, on 07/24/2008, -1/+13But when you come across a glue trap, it's just a sad, slow, painful death that you're watching. Watching your cat is like watching a domestic reenactment of Gladiator.
      • trogdor282, on 05/07/2008, -2/+19The worst part is it leaves their cuteness entirely intact. I used one once, the poor thing would struggle, and then stare at me as if to say help meeeeeeeeeee!!!

        I squished it with a rock.
      • rentmitchum, on 05/07/2008, -0/+6So true, no worse feeling can overcome you from pest control. It's like mouse crucificion. I tried to pull the only one I caught with a glue trap off the trap to let him go. I didn't realize how horrible it would be. You can't pull them off, just so you know. Snapping noises were involved. I felt so awful. I haven't so much as killed a spider since then.

        I'm sure digg has some silly use for some random product that will get rid of mice, like that vodka list I saw earlier. Maybe they hate some certain flowers or something, I'm sure there's something less deadly you can do.
      • LoudMusic, on 05/07/2008, -0/+1Snap traps don't always kill instantly - I've seen quite a few mice flip around with a trap snapped across their back fighting to get free.

        I haven't seen a human way of dealing with them. But then again, mice aren't particularly human themselves.
        • Jektal, on 05/07/2008, -0/+6*humane
        • spectre_25gt, on 05/07/2008, -0/+4There are humane traps out there. The cage with the trap door. They work pretty well, but they cost about $35.00.
      • Jashobeam5, on 05/09/2008, -0/+1We had a rat once that ate the bait off the trap, then ate the glue. Then it drug the plastic around the house. That was one scary rat. Now we have one left, and it keeps eating the bait, without setting off the rat traps. We have spent over $100 in rat traps and bait and the last one just won't die. We have humane traps, snap traps and one glue trap.
    • AmaDaden, on 05/07/2008, -0/+2Get a cat anyway. As I understand it many mice have a natural fear of the smell of cats. I've always had cats and I've never had mice.
      • Narcism, on 05/07/2008, -0/+2I've had 4 cats, and mice. They just keep their nests off the ground.
      • Jashobeam5, on 05/09/2008, -0/+1We had over 10 cats at one point, and huge rats.
    • jackalsclaw, on 05/07/2008, -0/+2get a dog like a terrier they are much more effecent at killing mice on demand. a cat might not kill one because it doesn't like being told what to do.
    • footodors, on 05/07/2008, -0/+2I wouldn't even know that I have mice anywhere except that 2-3 times a week I find the remnants of a dead mouse in the yard. Where the hell are they? Get a cat, then get it neutered as the meowing will drive you batty!
    • dbug, on 05/07/2008, -3/+1Why the hell are gluetraps still legal? If you're using gluetraps, you should be forced to watch the slow and gruesome death of each and every mouse you catch on them. *****!
    • smrekar, on 05/08/2008, -0/+2glue trap and then put it in a box and smash it with a giant ghallager hammer. i have done 2 this year. not much faster than that.
      • Jektal, on 05/08/2008, -0/+1... dude. Is that really better than using a snap trap? The only advantage seems to be that they're dieing by your hand.

        Why no just use glue traps, then slit their throats with xacto knives?
        • Jashobeam5, on 05/09/2008, -0/+1Snap traps are not working for us. Glue traps didn't work either.
  • wynja, on 05/07/2008, -23/+4Your fired.
  • tuxthepenguin, on 05/07/2008, -4/+8Not fat enough.
  • LimeParrot, on 05/07/2008, -2/+40My god... The last picture... My cute meter just exploded due to a hyper-reaction...
  • NCSUspoon, on 05/07/2008, -12/+32What is with diggers and cats? (I know Im going to get buried, but seriously wtf?)
    • NightEmber79, on 05/07/2008, -7/+5Buried because I don't have an ASCII cat to post
    • vroom101, on 05/07/2008, -11/+1http://digg.com/other_sports/iYo_quiero_agua_deep_ ...
    • freezerburn666, on 05/07/2008, -4/+20it's the only pussy we can get :)
    • wild, on 05/07/2008, -3/+5Its the only pussy some of them ever see.
    • warkro, on 05/07/2008, -3/+7You will not get buried. You're gonna live dammit! Live!
    • andbruno, on 05/07/2008, -20/+3Cats suck, and cat people suck. Also, cat people have no lives. So they're always at home in front of the computer, their sole companion(s) their cat(s). You will see this quite obviously when this comment gets digged down.
      • genki831, on 05/07/2008, -0/+8it might get digged down because you come off like an *****...not so much that cat thing.
      • RealmDown, on 05/07/2008, -0/+5You're goin' down buddy. Let me know if you strike oil. We need it bad.
      • alittleroy101, on 05/07/2008, -1/+4I'm at home skipping work, infront of my computer, with my cat.
        *****, that's spooky.
    • genki831, on 05/07/2008, -2/+5its not just digg. the whole damned internet is obsessed with cats.
    • havocjaw, on 05/07/2008, -4/+2Cats just own in all walks of life... and stop using the word diggers.
      • Vocklery, on 05/07/2008, -0/+3What could conceivably be wrong with the use of the word "diggers?" Are we "Digg persons," instead? Maybe Diggateurs? What is the problem?
        • havocjaw, on 05/12/2008, -1/+0I am certainly not some lame word.... diggers? How old are you? 12?
        • Vocklery, on 05/23/2008, -0/+1I'm 53 What's it to ya?
      • RealmDown, on 05/08/2008, -1/+2I am *SO* offended that you used the D-Word!

  • AshamedAmerican, on 05/07/2008, -2/+24You know I usually bury this kind of cutesy cat ***** on here but ***** it...

    Dugg for remarkable friendship.
  • jeremyduffy, on 05/07/2008, -1/+12Hmm. Did anyone else notice that the cat and rat are trapped in a window or something? No wonder they're getting along. They have no where to go.
    • TheRunes, on 05/07/2008, -0/+4I did notice it, but I didn't think anything of it until I read your comment. You got a pretty good point there.
    • carterbaldwin, on 05/07/2008, -0/+8The only reason they're snuggling up to fall asleep is because the oxygen is running out.
    • wild, on 05/07/2008, -0/+3I imagine the photographer set it up expecting to capture a homicide and ended up with an affair to remember.
      • RealmDown, on 05/07/2008, -0/+4You have an interesting thought pattern there.
    • fadetoone, on 05/07/2008, -0/+1Interesting... that explains why it looked fake to me... must have been an effect of the glass.
    • halobender, on 05/07/2008, -2/+1It's a gerbil not a rat. Just for the record.
  • replaysMike, on 05/07/2008, -6/+13OM NOM NOM NOM - *spit* tastes like *****.
  • IphtashuFitz, on 05/07/2008, -10/+2Epic Fail!
  • X9001, on 05/07/2008, -1/+15I would be more surprised if you could find me a useful cat
    • simpleid, on 05/07/2008, -0/+2raise your cat as an outdoor cat, then marvel at the pile of dead animal carcases which build up at your door step, sacrificed to you as gifts. (birds, squirrels, rabits, and things that'll surprise you...)

      it gets annoying.
      • X9001, on 05/07/2008, -0/+2Thats not useful
        • Jashobeam5, on 05/09/2008, -0/+1You could make slippers out of the rabits. FTR, our cats were lazy except for one that hunted snakes. Now, that was a useful cat.
  • Gumby_Mac, on 05/07/2008, -6/+35"An useless cat"? Seriously?

    UR grammatikal errors, let me show u dem.
    • JAGUART, on 05/07/2008, -3/+6OMG Teh Definately rediculous!
      Online spellcheck should be mandatory, with an electrode hooked up to your balls.
    • jackalsclaw, on 05/07/2008, -3/+6look at the first comment tree it's a complicated gramical issue.
    • scamper22, on 05/07/2008, -0/+4The sad part is the submitter probably want to type 'a useless cat' as that sounds right. However, he recalls how picky some diggers are about grammar and spelling, so he takes the effort to remember those English rules. He then remember that if a word begins with a vowel, you use 'an' instead of 'a'. Going against his judgment, he uses the incorrect form in the submission.

      How do I know this? Because I read it; it sounds wrong with the 'an useless cat', but I had to question myself because that rule was also drilled into my head.

      //no need to continue this...there's a huge 108 digg thread at the top dealing with this.
  • mamboboy, on 05/07/2008, -3/+24An useless thread title.
  • greeniemeani, on 05/07/2008, -1/+6Being A Cat - UR DOING IT WRONG!
  • sonofabeast, on 05/07/2008, -7/+75made popular 1 year 21 days ago
    http://digg.com/odd_stuff/For_Sale_One_useless_cat
    • iamnobody8614, on 05/07/2008, -0/+9thx, i think this one is down
    • cowsgonemadd3, on 05/07/2008, -4/+131+ million people joined since then....who have not seen it.
    • RealmDown, on 05/07/2008, -4/+3So go post on that thread.
    • brandon81211, on 05/07/2008, -8/+8I REALLY hate it when people are arrogant pricks and say "This was popular 1 year and 21 days ago." I had never heard of digg 1 year and 21 days ago. So this is new to me. That's the whole point of digg is for people to find interesting stores that are new to them. If you've already seen it, move on along and let the rest of us enjoy it.
      • fantasyflamz, on 05/07/2008, -2/+5And even if you have been on digg when it happened, you might have missed it. I've been on digg for 3 years and I don't remember this. We can't look at them all, lol. I think you're exactly right. I think that if something was on digg over a year ago, I think it should be fair game. (although under a year, is too soon to re-use it).
      • sonofabeast, on 05/07/2008, -1/+5http://www.midol.com/
    • alpha19, on 05/07/2008, -1/+1Much like cats themselves, these pictures apparently have more than 1 life.
      • RealmDown, on 05/07/2008, -0/+4Radioactive cats have 18 half lives.
    • dhVyse, on 05/07/2008, -3/+1Wow, and that one's linked article isn't even down. AMAZING! Buried for stupid duplicate digg.
    • quiggibub, on 05/07/2008, -0/+1Welcome to Digg.
    • iLemon, on 05/08/2008, -1/+1and it only took you a day and a half to notice it. You got this dick thing down pat.
  • coondog35, on 05/07/2008, -2/+1It makes sense that his name is K-Fed.
  • msk275, on 05/07/2008, -2/+1Yeah, I laughed about it.
  • XombieRobot, on 05/07/2008, -6/+4What a pussy!
  • Enochyang, on 05/07/2008, -3/+24Sorry to play grammar police, but many people don't know this:

    "An" goes before any word that begins with a vowel sound.
    "A" goes before any word that begins with a consonant sound.
    The actual first letter of the proceeding word does not matter.

    Examples:
    She got an MBA from Harvard.
    She bought a useless cat.
    • RealmDown, on 05/07/2008, -2/+5Another tip is to read all the comments before you post. :-D

      Oh, and "She received an MBA from Harvard" would be a better example.
      • Traikent, on 05/07/2008, -0/+2While we're all nitpicking, a 'proceeding' is an event, such as what occurs in a courtroom. A 'succeeding' word comes after another.
        • Jektal, on 05/07/2008, -0/+1Or to keep with the original post, a "preceding" word comes before another.
    • fantasyflamz, on 05/07/2008, -1/+1What about lolcats?
    • Traikent, on 05/07/2008, -2/+0While we're all nitpicking, a 'proceeding' is an event, such as what occurs in a courtroom. A 'succeeding' word comes after another.
      • HelloNavi, on 05/07/2008, -1/+1Wrong. The correct terms to refer to words that come before or after one another are "precedent" and "antecedent".

        A precedent comes before the word in question, and an antecedent comes after.
        • Traikent, on 05/14/2008, -0/+0No, it's right. In grammar, an 'antecedent' determines what a pronoun refers to and 'anteceding' is a non-grammatical term which is just a synonym of 'preceding'.

          So an anteceding word comes before another (but 'preceding' would be better to avoid confusion) and a succeeding word comes after another.

          It is true that 'succeeding' is not a grammatical term, but it is fine to use. If you can find a grammatical term, I would be interested to find out what it is. Keep me posted.
  • zeroMPHfallover, on 05/07/2008, -5/+6The title of this submission could easily have been: "A cat"
  • whiteknives, on 05/07/2008, -7/+8What a pussy.
  • alexdaws, on 05/07/2008, -10/+2that cat is a slut. it would do anything
  • Jan33, on 05/07/2008, -1/+6looks like we crashed the server - link doesnt work
  • GothAlice, on 05/07/2008, -2/+2Yes, the cat fails. And that small cute furry subject is infected with a parasite which makes cats smell nice. Otherwise that thing would be booking it.
  • nem0, on 05/07/2008, -8/+3Isn't "useless cat" an oxymoron?
    • ems8, on 05/07/2008, -3/+0why, have you ever actually _used_ a cat? really, think about it.
      • Abomonog, on 05/07/2008, -2/+2I use a little pussy from time to time.
    • dnields, on 05/07/2008, -2/+1No, it isn't.
      It might be a little redundant, but it isn't an oxymoron.
    • tslining, on 05/07/2008, -2/+4No. an oxymoron is a figure of speech that combines two normally contradictory terms. You seem to be inferring that cats are normally useless, hence this example of uselessness is not of note. This is a great example of everything an oxymoron is NOT.

      At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.
    • Bilabrin, on 05/07/2008, -1/+4No you're thinking of redundant.

      "Peackeeping troops" would be an example on an oxymoron
  • Kenzan, on 05/07/2008, -3/+3Considering that the introduction of the common housecat has caused the destruction of hundreds of thousands of native species with hundreds of millions of individuals eaten and otherwise desecrated, and given that Cats kill even when not hungry,
    I'd say this little Cat is far from useless.
    Perhaps even more evolved.
    • Abomonog, on 05/07/2008, -1/+2Oh you just know that half an hour after those photos were taken you could find the rat out in the lawn with all his limbs torn off.

      Cats are Hitler, Eichmann, and a really kickass warm fuzzy all wrapped into one. And you just can't help but love them for it.
    • Jashobeam5, on 05/09/2008, -0/+1Why did you capitalize "Cat"? Why do you hate cats that rid the world of rats, snakes and squirrels?
  • TheCincyKid, on 05/07/2008, -8/+5Im in ur windoez, playn wit ur ratz
  • phlezk, on 05/07/2008, -6/+2old
  • SenorCardgage74, on 05/07/2008, -0/+14I came, fully prepared to snark.
    I left, fully prepared to cuddle.
  • KingGorilla, on 05/07/2008, -2/+1You are weak
  • theranbrig, on 05/07/2008, -1/+3anyone else think its weird that the person does not care that they have rats running around their house?
  • BuckleButt, on 05/07/2008, -4/+6I refuse to digg an article that can't correctly spell a SIMPLE title.
    • iiBeLiEvE, on 05/07/2008, -2/+2You don't get it.
    • IllBeBack, on 05/07/2008, -2/+2What, you don't think that the word "an" is spelled correctly? I refuse to respect anyone that thinks that word usage errors are spelling errors.
      • BuckleButt, on 05/08/2008, -1/+1He misspelled "a" making it a both a misspelling and grammatical error.
  • ArkAngel06, on 05/07/2008, -1/+11mirror - http://bertc.com/uselessCat.htm
  • socketman, on 05/07/2008, -2/+7Buried for ass poor grammar
  • amyjane4, on 05/07/2008, -1/+12sites dead, mirror here http://bestpicsaround.com/pic-1294-Useless-Cat-For ...
  • Bilabrin, on 05/07/2008, -0/+2Yeah I skipped lunch today too.
  • BadBosco, on 05/07/2008, -6/+5Burried for cat picture
  • Nougat, on 05/07/2008, -1/+5Does anyone have an mirror?
  • Tullamore, on 05/07/2008, -3/+2What do you expect the cat and mouse are stuck between two glass windows and are trapped in a small confined space together.
  • thanakar, on 05/07/2008, -3/+2454 diggs and 120 comments in 30 minutes....omfg!
  • speel, on 05/07/2008, -1/+2FAIL
  • SSUK, on 05/07/2008, -1/+7It's a 21st century cat. You can't eat mice in this crazy new-age world!

    ... Yeah, I chose that over my original comment which would have gone with the old joke: 3 mice sit in a pub and discuss which one of them are harder. First mouse says he dances on mouse traps before taking the cheese. The second mouse says he crunches up mouse poison pellets and snorts it. The third mouse finishes his pint, puts on his coat and goes to leave. The other two ask him where he's going. The third mouse replies; "Home. To ***** the cat."
  • LoudMusic, on 05/07/2008, -6/+3Useless dog?

    http://picasaweb.google.com/psmyers/Cats/photo#507 ...
    • GregofJersey, on 05/07/2008, -0/+2Not really, my friends cat and dog get along just fine...
    • brada33928, on 05/07/2008, -1/+3useless comment?
  • isage, on 05/07/2008, -0/+1Mirror: http://justelite.net/2006/11/04/cat-for-sale/590
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