Spelling: English (UK) versus English (US)

[DMB]

Originally Posted by elcreative

All depends on how septic you want to be... but they can do good things with antibiotics these days...

You do know, I suppose, that rhyming slang for "American" is "seppo".

("Yank" = "septic tank" = "seppo")

[speakingtohe]

I'm Canadian so I am used to both. Sometimes I type color and sometimes I type colour. Can't say I notice when reading, but then I possibly expect British spelling from British authors and American spelling from American authors.

Would be extreme nitpicking on my part to care though as I am sure an American publisher of British works or vice versa would use a standard spell-checker or proof reader and not get a special one for each book.

Helen

[Quexos]

I had modern spelling differences in mind. e.g. British English vs American English. You're taking this thought to the extreme. Old English would indeed be unintelligible and we'd be better off reading modernized versions of such archaic texts.

Originally Posted by carpetmojo

I wonder, have you ever tried reading anything written in the "good old days" when spelling (or grammar come to that) was not codified at all , and you spelt/wrote as you thought ?

While amusing for a while, it is sometimes incomprehensible.

And pity the poor teachers !



[ Been longing to use that........... ]

[carpetmojo]

"No, no... over-free use of antibiotics and everyone's scepticism risks becoming drug resistant and INCURABLE! Bad idea... "


But isn't the whole idea to overwhelm one's septicism ?

[ Those in the UK will have a strong feeling we're wandering into "Mornington Crescent" circles...]

[Graham Coulson]

Originally Posted by carpetmojo

"No, no... over-free use of antibiotics and everyone's scepticism risks becoming drug resistant and INCURABLE! Bad idea... "


But isn't the whole idea to overwhelm one's septicism ?

[ Those in the UK will have a strong feeling we're wandering into "Mornington Crescent" circles...]

Circle line? Kensington High Street !!!

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by mr ploppy

I've been reading Quadrophenia, and it's a mix of both English and American. Colour is spelt right, but a lot of the words have a letter Z in them instead of an S.

Nothing wrong with "-ize" endings vs."-ise". The Oxford dictionaries prefer "-ize".

[Purple Lady]

Originally Posted by Graham Coulson

... it gives my train of thought a real jolt in coming across a mis-spelt word or bad punctuation or poor grammar, which literally leaps off the page at me!

Originally Posted by carpetmojo

I wonder, have you ever tried reading anything written in the "good old days" when spelling (or grammar come to that) was not codified at all , and you spelt/wrote as you thought ?

Originally Posted by mr ploppy

I've been reading Quadrophenia, and it's a mix of both English and American. Colour is spelt right, but a lot of the words have a letter Z in them instead of an S.

And I always thought spelt was a type of wheat.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Purple Lady

And I always thought spelt was a type of wheat.

That one went right over my head, I'm afraid; what is it about "spelt" that you find objectionable?

[Purple Lady]

Originally Posted by HarryT

That one went right over my head, I'm afraid; what is it about "spelt" that you find objectionable?

It wasn't objectionable, just another of those UK vs US spellings/uses. I don't remember seeing it used that way before - I only knew it as a type of wheat.

[joycedb]

In this increasingly global society, I don't think spelling differences really matter. I can enjoy a book even though the words are "spelt" instead of "spelled". I know what the author means. Same with all the "ize" and "ise" words. Doesn't inhibit my enjoyment one bit.

As for spelt, it's a type of flour. To be honest, I'd never heard of it before I found out I had to avoid gluten in my diet. Apparently, spelt is loaded with it.

Joyce

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Purple Lady

It wasn't objectionable, just another of those UK vs US spellings/uses. I don't remember seeing it used that way before - I only knew it as a type of wheat.

That's interesting. Many past participles in British English are normally spelt with a "-t" ending rather than "-ed". Common ones, off the top of my head, include spelt, smelt, slept, burnt, swept, leapt, dreamt, and innumerable others besides. Would you spell none of these with a "-t" ending?

[cfrizz]

Originally Posted by HarryT

That one went right over my head, I'm afraid; what is it about "spelt" that you find objectionable?

We Yanks have misspelled things on occasion. I always tend to get thrown off when I come across British spelled words. And if I come across any British slang I'm totally lost!

We put things in the trunks of our cars, like spare tires.

We tend to put ed on the end rather than a t.

[Bilbo1967]

I agree with Joyce. I read and enjoy books by American and other non-UK authors, complete with all their 'incorrect' spellings. It's just not a big deal to me.

The only American spelling I do find odd is 'aluminum. Only because it loses the consistency with the 'ium' ending of many other elements.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Bilbo1967

I agree with Joyce. I read and enjoy books by American and other non-UK authors, complete with all their 'incorrect' spellings. It's just not a big deal to me.

The only American spelling I do find odd is 'aluminum. Only because it loses the consistency with the 'ium' ending of many other elements.

There is logic to the American variant of the spelling, too. As Wikipedia notes:

The -um suffix is consistent with the universal spelling alumina for the oxide, as lanthana is the oxide of lanthanum, and magnesia, ceria, and thoria are the oxides of magnesium, cerium, and thorium respectively.

[Bilbo1967]

Originally Posted by HarryT

There is logic to the American variant of the spelling, too. As Wikipedia notes:

Well, there you go!

I learn something new every day - thanks.