Discussion Forum—A Way with Words, a fun radio show and podcast about language

Early in his career, Dr. Seuss wrote a story titled: "The Tough Coughs As He Ploughs the Dough." Been reading that, Brian?

@dilettante:
Actually, no, I hadn't read it in a Dr Suess story, rather, a coworker had pointed it out to me.
But the question remains, why don't these words rhyme? Are they amalgamated into English from different Euro-languages? Did people decided to change the pronounciation of "...ough" words throughout the history of English?

This is why I was a math major in college!