What Happens when you are Double Paid

[nlinecomputers]

That's true. If it's anywhere, Technibble is in Australia.

Yeah, but the user you corrected is in the USA. For our language use, he spelled it correctly.

 

[DataMedics]

And now, a funny song to explain why "check" is the correct spelling:

"Cuz America's always right" hahaha

 

[Moltuae]

I like that there's differences in the way we spell and say things .... it's interesting and sometimes kinda funny.

Being technically minded, especially as a programmer, what irritates me isn't so much the differences as the inconsistencies. In fields such as programming and the sciences, you set out your rules and nomenclatures early on and you stick to them, rigidly. The English language is like a botched piece of code that's been written and altered my a million different imbeciles. All variations of it are littered with irritating inconsistencies.

I get the impression that some of the spelling changes made in American English were an attempt to fix some of those inconsistencies, but I think the English language was already fubar'd to begin with. Remember the school rule: "I before E, except after C", except when it's an exception (like Weird Science, for example). And what about OU and all the different ways those two letters can be pronounced (thorough, through, bough, tough, you, your ...).

I find it funny that we (in the UK) pronounce data as 'day-tah' when in the US it's 'dah-tah', but we tend to pronounce SATA as 'sah-tah'. Yet I'm sure I've heard Americans pronounce it 'say-tah', which, for the sake of consistency, is surely how we should be pronouncing in the UK?

But anyway .... Po-tay-toh / Po-tah-toh (does anyone really say 'po-tah-toh'!?).


I think the confusion or annoyances arise from the fact that all the different variations are called English. American English is no more English than C++ is C#. They're related languages, sure, but different languages nonetheless. English is English, Australian English should be called 'Australian' and American English should be called 'American'.

Or ... we could do what we do with the Chinese languages instead: https://i.imgur.com/g7zZ04W.jpg

 

[nlinecomputers]

I get the impression that some of the spelling changes made in American English were an attempt to fix some of those inconsistencies,

There is literal truth in that statement. Much of changes in spelling can be laid at the feet of Noah Webster who changed the spelling of words based on the often seen mistakes of the time. Add the fact that most textbooks were of British origin and we had just spent a decade fighting them, so there was very much a movement to do things to establish a unique American culture. For example, German almost became the national language of the United States, but English was spoken everywhere, even in the colony of Pennsylvania where that idea had large support.

 

[nlinecomputers]

http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2014/10/noah-webster-moving-away-british-english/

 

[Moltuae]

Interesting.

For example, German almost became the national language of the United States.

I think German almost became the national language of Britain too .... at least if Hitler had his way it would've been!


Ooops, Godwin was right!

 

[Mercenary Roadie]

Calm down, calm down! It was meant as a throwaway comment not the first shot in a spelling war.

Technibble is an international community (based in Australia and moderated mostly by Brits, but I digress) where we mainly speak English. We also understand American.

Ain't no thang.

We Americans speak English, you speak Her Majesties English.

 

[Moltuae]

We Americans speak English, you speak Her Majesties English.

I think you meant "her Majesty's English". We only have one Maj, as far as I'm aware.

I don't think anybody but the Royals speak the Queen's English any more. It's an accent reserved for Hooray Henrys and 50s TV presenters. I'm English but I speak with a northern English accent, one that seems practically unintelligible to much of the rest of the English-speaking world. 50 years ago, speaking like the Queen in northern England may have gotten you more respect or a better job. These days all you're likely to get for speaking like that is the sh!t kicked out of you.

 

[wavey]

I think you meant "her Majesty's English". We only have one Maj, as far as I'm aware.

I don't think anybody but the Royals speak the Queen's English any more. It's an accent reserved for Hooray Henrys and 50s TV presenters. I'm English but I speak with a northern English accent, one that seems practically unintelligible to much of the rest of the English-speaking world. 50 years ago, speaking like the Queen in northern England may have gotten you more respect or a better job. These days all you're likely to get for speaking like that is the sh!t kicked out of you.

I say old chap, steady on!

 

[Mercenary Roadie]

I think you meant "her Majesty's English". We only have one Maj, as far as I'm aware.

I was sure it was spelled wrong but spell check said it was the correct spelling. Should have gone with my first thought.

 

[GTP]

Interesting.



I think German almost became the national language of Britain too .... at least if Hitler had his way it would've been!


Ooops, Godwin was right!

Australia and New Zealand had your back! Not forgetting our "yanky" friends.

 

[GTP]

 

[Moltuae]

I was sure it was spelled wrong but spell check said it was the correct spelling. Should have gone with my first thought.

Nowt wrong with your spelling. And it wasn't my intention to be a grammar Nazi by the way (damn you Hitler and your unavoidable references!)

I think it does highlight the complexity of the English language though and how useless spell checkers are if they're devoid of contextual understanding. Both Majesty's and Majesties are correct spellings. However, the former is possessive (and is the correct one for the context) while the latter is plural. The English language is full of similar sounding words that are used in different contexts (for example, their, they're, there -- your, you're -- two, to, too). Compared with programming languages, most spoken languages are a complex mess of conflicting and inconsistent rules.

 

[Mercenary Roadie]

I didn't think you were being a grammar Nazi and I was sure it was the wrong spelling of what I wanted.

I use Grammarly for Chrome and it's rather good at supplying the correct use of a word.

 

[HFultzjr]

Glad I speak 'merican!

 

[HCHTech]

(does anyone really say 'po-tah-toh'!?)

Fred Astaire does!