E-TIDBIT OF THE DAY: Ferry vs Fairy

BC FERRIES is a fleet of 36 sea-worthy vessels which operate between the continent and Vancouver Island off the southwestern  coast  of the province of British Columbia, Canada. These ferries transport 370 to 470  vehicles and 1600 to 2100 passengers. It is the largest fleet of ferries in the world. The Strait of Georgia is the watery passageway by which these ferries commute back and forth between the immense Vancouver Island, the smaller coastal islands and the mainland. Sixteen-car ferries service the inhabitants of the smaller islands. 

The 160 x 28 meter vessel, MV Coastal Inspiration.
Photo taken June 25, 2008 by Kam Abbott of Nanaimo, Canada.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BC_Ferries#mediaviewer/File:Ferry_Coastal_Inspiration_in_Strait_of_Georgia.jpg

Occasionally, a pod of killer whales or porpoises can be seen frolicking or just passing by. Thrilled ferry passengers jump at the chance to get them on film as the captain announces their presence.

I recently took a 2-hour trip via Georgia Strait on the BC Ferries route between the man-made peninsula called Tsawwassen and Duke Point, on Vancouver Island. Tsawwassen ("te-WAH-sen"), just south of the city of Vancouver which means “facing the ocean", is an indigenous word of the First Nations peoples of Canada.

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Now, the moment you have been waiting for! The two words ferry and fairy are pronounced exactly the same, but are spelled differently and have different meanings. Ferry is the boat and fairy is the imaginary being usually in human form which has magical powers, like Dwayne Johnson portrayed in the movie The Tooth Fairy.

BC Ferries routes in the region of Central Georgia Strait.
This map is public domain.

You are on your way to speaking impressive American English!