Recently I've been getting back into watching one of my all-time favorite shows, The Simpsons. I picked back up around season 7, a point in the series where I think they were putting out some of the best episodes. Earlier ones are less visually appealing and include some references I don't understand, and anything past season 15 or so is a hollow shell of what once was. They removed some characters and made the show more family-friendly, undermining the nature of it, in my honest opinion. Basically, anything before The Simpson's Hit and Run (2003) video game was released is golden, and that which came after is hit or miss. 

Now that I've made my position clear, let's get into the meat-and-potatoes of this blog. Watching these early episodes is like opening a window into the past with the references and comedy held within. It's super cool, but every now and then I come across some stuff I don't understand. It's often a dated joke or culturally irrelevent observation. Those I just move past, but there is something recurring which I can no longer ignore. If it was once or twice, no big deal. This however, I've noticed in multiple episodes across some of the early seasons.

What I'm talking about is the use of "an" instead of "a." The show's TV reporter Kent Brockman is the primary culprit, but I've heard it from several characters. Let me give you an example. Normally, I would say, "give a history lesson." I've noticed that they commonly say something to the effect of, "give an history lesson." 

I'm not sure if this is a certain dialect or a form of language that has fallen out of fashion, but I am big time confused. I like to think I have a solid grapple on grammar and proper language arts, but I just can't figure out why they are saying this or what the rules are for it. Like, is it just hi- words? Of course words with ho- beginnings such as honest would be prefaced by an an and not an a, but what is the line? 

I'm in too deep!