Spelling with a "u"

[OskiO]

Just have to pipe in here and say it erks me when people spell color with a "u." I don't know why, not that I'm against different spellings/languages/cultures, it just looks funny. Like you didn't study too well in grade school. :)

Anyway, I think 16 bit is just fine. We have a long wish list of processor power and memory to get through before 32 bits would be a true benefit.

C

[KTamas]

Just have to pipe in here and say it erks me when people spell color with a "u." I don't know why, not that I'm against different spellings/languages/cultures, it just looks funny. Like you didn't study too well in grade school. :)

Anyway, I think 16 bit is just fine. We have a long wish list of processor power and memory to get through before 32 bits would be a true benefit.

C
Colour = british english
Color = american english

This is that simple :roll:

[OskiO]

This is that simple :roll:

Actually, I knew that. It just always makes me do a double-take. It got me thinking though about where this all came about. Did a google search and found an interesting theory if not the actual history itself.

http://webster.commnet.edu/grammar/spelling.htm

Check out the paragraph about British Spellings.

[Menneisyys]

Just have to pipe in here and say it erks me when people spell color with a "u." I don't know why, not that I'm against different spellings/languages/cultures, it just looks funny. Like you didn't study too well in grade school. :)

:mrgreen:

Here in Europe, it's mostly British English that is taught in public schools; this is why Europeans also tend to use the British spelling.

[KTamas]

Just have to pipe in here and say it erks me when people spell color with a "u." I don't know why, not that I'm against different spellings/languages/cultures, it just looks funny. Like you didn't study too well in grade school. :)

:mrgreen:

Here in Europe, it's mostly British English that is taught in public schools; this is why Europeans also tend to use the British spelling.
So that's why my english teacher hates me! Because i always speak american english! :lol: :roll:

[Menneisyys]

Just have to pipe in here and say it erks me when people spell color with a "u." I don't know why, not that I'm against different spellings/languages/cultures, it just looks funny. Like you didn't study too well in grade school. :)

:mrgreen:

Here in Europe, it's mostly British English that is taught in public schools; this is why Europeans also tend to use the British spelling.
So that's why my english teacher hates me! Because i always speak american english! :lol: :roll:

You may have a point :) Have you ever met an English teacher here in Europe that taught American English? (american spelling etc?)

[Sven Johannsen]

Seems to me the British were speaking English long before anyone on this side of the Atlantic was.

[KTamas]

Just have to pipe in here and say it erks me when people spell color with a "u." I don't know why, not that I'm against different spellings/languages/cultures, it just looks funny. Like you didn't study too well in grade school. :)

:mrgreen:

Here in Europe, it's mostly British English that is taught in public schools; this is why Europeans also tend to use the British spelling.
So that's why my english teacher hates me! Because i always speak american english! :lol: :roll:

You may have a point :) Have you ever met an English teacher here in Europe that taught American English? (american spelling etc?)
If you find one, please call me immediatelly :D :lol:

[Jason Dunn]

<tweeeet>

Referee blows whistle for grostesque over-nested-quoting!

This thread is really a winner! :lol:

[disconnected]

I think that would be "irks", if we're being picky about spelling. :)

[Duncan]

In British english (which came first of course) color is always wrong. In American english both color and colour are correct* (even if the 'or' ending is most common). As such - spelling the word colour gives you the best chance of being right in the most circumstances. :)

*the 'or' ending was an editorial decision by an early dictionary developer - it is not a hard and fast rule.

[Jonathon Watkins]

I think that would be "irks", if we're being picky about spelling. :)

And here at PPCT we almost always *are*. :roll: :)

[Jonathon Watkins]

Seems to me the British were speaking English long before anyone on this side of the Atlantic was.

Well said that man! :mrgreen:

[dean_shan]

I'm a little weird. I spell all those words the American way (i.e. color not colour) but I do spell humour the British way (i.e. not humor). Needless to say spell check says I'm wrong every time.

[Darius Wey]

Just have to pipe in here and say it erks me when people spell color with a "u." I don't know why, not that I'm against different spellings/languages/cultures, it just looks funny. Like you didn't study too well in grade school. :)

What about our use of "s" instead of "z" in words like "realise", "initialise", etc.? And for the record, us Commonwealth chums treat company names as a group noun, not a singular noun. Hence our copious use of plural verbs after what American English would see as a singular noun. So the next time you see Jonathon and I do that in a front page post, you'll know why. ;)

Seems to me the British were speaking English long before anyone on this side of the Atlantic was.

:beer:

You know, I was meant to have a front page OT post on this whole English issue appear on Friday afternoon. Guess I'll scrap it now. :P

[OskiO]

I think that would be "irks", if we're being picky about spelling. :)

I was waiting to see how long it was before someone got my joke... :lol:

[Jonathon Watkins]

You know, I was meant to have a front page OT post on this whole English issue appear on Friday afternoon. Guess I'll scrap it now. :P

Nah, go for it at the weekend! :devilboy:

Let the 'clarifications' cease! :p

[Darius Wey]

Nah, go for it at the weekend! :devilboy:

Let the 'clarifications' cease! :p

Very well. It's Saturday in a few hours. I'll sleep on it and think of something inspiring and then we can have a good ol' front page English debate once and for all. :P

[Kati Compton]

What about our use of "s" instead of "z" in words like "realise", "initialise", etc.? And for the record, us Commonwealth chums treat company names as a group noun, not a singular noun. Hence our copious use of plural verbs after what American English would see as a singular noun. So the next time you see Jonathon and I do that in a front page post, you'll know why. ;)

I'm fine with it - PROVIDED no "s instead of z" person gets snooty at me for saying "zee" instead of "zed". I mean, really - shouldn't those that actually *use* the last letter of the alphabet be the ones that get to pick its name? ;)

That's my only pet peeve about the different spelling systems.

[Kati Compton]

Incidentally, I say "movie theatER", but the art where people act on stage is the "theatRE"... So I'm really confused.

Of course, no more confused than my Canadian friend that pointed out that she only understands outdoor temperature in C, but only understands body temperature in F.

[Duncan]

Incidentally, I say "movie theatER", but the art where people act on stage is the "theatRE"... So I'm really confused.

In the UK we call them (the places we watch films) cinemas. So - no problem.

[Jason Dunn]

Of course, no more confused than my Canadian friend that pointed out that she only understands outdoor temperature in C, but only understands body temperature in F.

It's a popular culture thing. We (Canadians) consume the same pop entertainment as you do, and as such I think of my height in inches, weight in pounds, but think about speed in KM/h and temperature in Celsius, because that's what we use day to day. :-)

[Jonathon Watkins]

Of course, no more confused than my Canadian friend that pointed out that she only understands outdoor temperature in C, but only understands body temperature in F.

Ha. I think in meters and cm for short dispances, but am used to house room sizes in feet and inches and car journey lengths and speeds in miles. :huh:

Works for me. :lol:

[G M Fude]

I'm fine with it - PROVIDED no "s instead of z" person gets snooty at me for saying "zee" instead of "zed".
But it's not universal in the US, is it? The S&M biker character in Tarantino's film Pulp Fiction had the name "Z" and called himself Zed.

[Darius Wey]

Ha. I think in meters and cm for short dispances, but am used to house room sizes in feet and inches and car journey lengths and speeds in miles. :huh: Works for me. :lol:

Eh? I'm 100% metric all the way. I have great difficulty working out ft/in. and miles too. Just the thought of it makes me herniate.

[KTamas]

Of course, no more confused than my Canadian friend that pointed out that she only understands outdoor temperature in C, but only understands body temperature in F.

Ha. I think in meters and cm for short dispances, but am used to house room sizes in feet and inches and car journey lengths and speeds in miles. :huh:

Works for me. :lol:
I just don't get how can you live w/o the metric system ;)

[lekim2]

Me, I work in metric all day everyday, but come from a country where, until only recently, we had sign posts with distances in kilometres (with the odd exception) but speed limits in miles per hour.

I'm no history buff, but if Webster was simplifying things, why only drop the 'u'? Wasn't the 'u' was introduced as an affectation when being 'French' was de rigeur in England and so never travelled the Atlantic?

[Jon Westfall]

I'm fine with it - PROVIDED no "s instead of z" person gets snooty at me for saying "zee" instead of "zed".
But it's not universal in the US, is it? The S&M biker character in Tarantino's film Pulp Fiction had the name "Z" and called himself Zed.

Officially that character's name was "Zed", not just the letter Z. Its pretty universal here to use Zee instead of Zed. I'd say that probably 80% of U.S. residents are unaware of the Zed pronounciation.

But that primarily is because when you're a U.S. citizen, you don't need to worry about the rest of the globe... :roll:

[rocky_raher]

I'm 100% metric all the way.

Metric is used exclusively in space travel. Notice that on "Star Trek: Enterprise" and most other sci-fi series, distances to the enemy spaceship are always given in kilometers.

Also, whenever a flying saucer lands, the little green man says, 'Take me to your liter."

[MacBirdie]

Almost all of my English teachers were What'sMoreConvenientAtTheMoment English teachers, who tought British spelling, American pronounciation and had a very neutral "Pure" English accent ;)
One on the other hand was very British and one was 100% American for a change.

However Rosemary Church, the CNN presenter, has the most gorgious Australian accent on the planet. :) Brings back "Beyond 2000" TV show memories.

"What color is that new cinema, mate?" :mrgreen:

Oh, and I'm 100% metric too but have a converter for all those bizarre inches/pounds in manufacturers' PDA specs though. :D

[Fuego]

No one seems to have actually pointed out that color and colour are pronounced differently ;)

[Jonathon Watkins]

No one seems to have actually pointed out that color and colour are pronounced differently ;)

Hey, in the US ALL words are pronounced differently. :wink:

[Jonathon Watkins]

Of course, no more confused than my Canadian friend that pointed out that she only understands outdoor temperature in C, but only understands body temperature in F.

Ha. I think in meters and cm for short dispances, but am used to house room sizes in feet and inches and car journey lengths and speeds in miles. :huh:

Works for me. :lol:
I just don't get how can you live w/o the metric system ;)

Ummm, personally I Do use the metric system as I grew up in Holland for a while. I had to learn miles for driving in the UK and all house room sizes are usually quoted in feet. As I'm looking to buy a house, I now think in feet about room sizes so I can compare all the houses. Odd, but it works. :)

[Jonathon Watkins]

Also, whenever a flying saucer lands, the little green man says, 'Take me to your liter."

:lol: :twak: 0X

[Kar98]

You may have a point :) Have you ever met an English teacher here in Europe that taught American English? (american spelling etc?)

Yeah :) Andrea from Norleens.

I know, I know, old thread.

[SteveHoward999]

[quote="Kati Compton"]
I'm fine with it - PROVIDED no "s instead of z" person gets snooty at me for saying "zee" instead of "zed". [quote]


I actually met a woman a few weeks ago when I was teaching who had never heard the use of Zed ... so when I was telling her to hit "Control Zed" on the keyboard she had no idea what I meant :-)

In Britain saying Zee is considered childish - it is what a small child might call Zed before learing the proper name, or he might say zuh.

[jpf]

When I moved from UK to USA, I was amazed at how poorly English was written (spelling and literacy in general). I remember complaining to my wife that adverts seemed to be aimed at children. I was later told that a lot of stuff is aimed at the level of comprehension that an eighth grade education would provide.
Since then I've found NPR!

[SteveHoward999]

When I moved from UK to USA, I was amazed at how poorly English was written (spelling and literacy in general). I remember complaining to my wife that adverts seemed to be aimed at children. I was later told that a lot of stuff is aimed at the level of comprehension that an eighth grade education would provide.
Since then I've found NPR!

Too much of it is written by people who apparently didn't reach 8th-grade English. How about some typical examples from the multitute of billboards? ...


"Chicken nuggets $399" .... looks like 399 dollars, but MEANS $3.99


"Get a tan for .65c a day" ... looks like 0.65 cents per day but means 65 cents, or $0.65.


Visitors from Britain, don't go searching for the Discovery Channel when you see how cr*p the rest of American tv is. Typical Siscovery channel programs are something like this

2 hour 'special'.
Opens with 3 minutes telling you what you are going to see.
Cut to 4 minutes commercials.
Cut back to 2 minutes teling you that you've just been told what you will see.
Another minute detailing what you are going to see.
3 minutes of programme.
2 minutes of what you will see after the break.
Cut to 5 minutes of commercials.
Return for 2 minutes telling you what you just saw.
1 minute of what you are about to see.
3 minutes of programme.
2 minutes of what you are going to see after the break ...


Repeat until 2 hours has passed.

If you have somehow managed to stick through the program, you might have squeezed in 20 - 25 minutes of actual programming, but you won't feel educated, and you will find yourself begging for Channel 4 repeats of Brookside!!!!!!

More likely you will have channel-hopped your way around 5 other programmes at the same time, missed all the good bits (both of them) and taken up pushing bits of bamboo underneath your fingernails for entertainment.

[Fuego]

... and you will find yourself begging for Channel 4 repeats of Brookside!!!!!!
Steady on!
... and taken up pushing bits of bamboo underneath your fingernails for entertainment.
That's better.