polyvalence

[lit notes: this is one of those
cryptic 'did you know' entries. it's an excerpt from a book on
cryptology/cryptography that I came across while I was erm, looking for
sources for my project (honest!!).Your job is to read it and go
'hmmmm'. Okay?]

"To help young children grapple with literacy
George Bernard
Shaw was keen to reform the English alphabet. He demonstrated the
weakness of
the established English alphabet by pointing out that 'ghoti' is a
perfectly
logical alternative spelling for the word 'fish' -- he had used the 'f'
sound in 'tough', the 'i' sound in ?women', and the 'sh' sound in
'nation'."

- Simon Singh "The Science of Secrecy"