Whilst I don't qualify to post in this thread because I am a native English speaker, as an Australian my native language is English ... Australian English.
But to Microsoft and lots of other companies/programs they think that I must/should write/spell US English and don't provide the native dictionary spello option of Aus English. Yucko no!! I speak Aus English.
And when traveling overseas I've often been complimented on my ability to speak English, because for some reason some people seem to think Australians speak some other language.
So I have entertained them by speaking some Aboriginal place names, or by saying phrases like:
didjahaveagoodweegend
Yeah - I know regard this post as a bit of irrelevant fluff, just a tiff at Australia's official dictionary The Macquarie Dictionary not being recognised by the makers of some of the most used software products in the world.
And I think that the Canadians suffer from this malaise as well - even Kobo doesn't have the Canadian dictionary from memory .... (and it certainly doesn't have the Macq Dict)
So, for those of you who are looking up English words in the Dictionary as you read, I wonder what variation of English you are reading and learning, and if you realised that not only do we spell differently, but we also can have different meanings for words/expressions, although probably not that often, but it can occur.
'Evening wear' is one example ... if you're reading that someone was invited to attend someone's place for dinner and the dress mentioned evening wear - well if you're in Aus then don't turn up in your pyjamas, lol!!
