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British vs. American Spelling

British vs. American Spelling

Old Apr 24th 2012, 1:51 pm
  #16  
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Default Re: British vs. American Spelling

Now I tend to pitch my spelling to my audience, but I never really took much notice of it till the kids started school. When they started getting marked down on spelling tests for using English spellings, I started using the American more. We get a lot of English books, so takes a bit of effort to keep the kids on the right track, but they're doing OK with it now, and even the 6 year old can generally differentiate between the two.

I went in to read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to my daughters class when she was in Kindergarten....I got caught out a few times by totally innocent phrases that meant totally different things here, and had the teachers eyebrows heading for the ceiling!
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Old Apr 24th 2012, 1:52 pm
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Default Re: British vs. American Spelling

I mainly use American, but there are some words that I just can't bring myself to spell the American way so I revert to British for those. Modelling springs to mind. Modeling is just plain wrong!
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Old Apr 24th 2012, 1:55 pm
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Default Re: British vs. American Spelling

Completely off topic, so I apologize profusely, but has anyone seen Thomas the Tank Engine in America? It's just wrong. They should have stuck with the Ringo Starr era! (This thread reminded me of it - I saw it the other day and I just thought it was blasphemy to hear it with an American accent).
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Old Apr 24th 2012, 2:00 pm
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Default Re: British vs. American Spelling

An interesting subject this one and one which got me into a bit of a jam just last week.

I tend to find that I over-compensate for the American spelling of words and correct words that need no such correcting.

Last week for example it was Led (as in past tense of to lead). Which I was spelling as in the metal lead... Needless to say a quirky response to the contact explaining the British issue and I was ok.

Last edited by njmackem; Apr 24th 2012 at 2:09 pm.
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Old Apr 24th 2012, 2:46 pm
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Default Re: British vs. American Spelling

Originally Posted by Bink
Completely off topic, so I apologize profusely, but has anyone seen Thomas the Tank Engine in America? It's just wrong. They should have stuck with the Ringo Starr era! (This thread reminded me of it - I saw it the other day and I just thought it was blasphemy to hear it with an American accent).
Absolutely.
And it should never have been changed from The Fat Controller!!!! Funnily enough, a lot of the American moms I used to see in babygroups thought it was a recent(ish) American invention - they couldn't believe that I had all the books from when I was a kid way back when.....
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Old Apr 24th 2012, 2:52 pm
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Default Re: British vs. American Spelling

My spelling has become a mish mash of both I am totally confused. On the computer I usually spell the American way due to spell checker underlining things.
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Old Apr 24th 2012, 2:53 pm
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Default Re: British vs. American Spelling

Originally Posted by Yorkieabroad
Absolutely.
And it should never have been changed from The Fat Controller!!!! Funnily enough, a lot of the American moms I used to see in babygroups thought it was a recent(ish) American invention - they couldn't believe that I had all the books from when I was a kid way back when.....
It was EPIC!

Semi back on topic. Do you say Mom, or Mum? I've actually managed to get my wife to accept Mum. So much so that she calls her Mom, Mum now! hehehe!
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Old Apr 24th 2012, 2:57 pm
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Default Re: British vs. American Spelling

Originally Posted by Bink
Semi back on topic. Do you say Mom, or Mum? I've actually managed to get my wife to accept Mum. So much so that she calls her Mom, Mum now! hehehe!
My mother is Mam (northern git that I am). My wife is mom or mum to the kids, but mum when I refer to her when I'm talking to the kids.
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Old Apr 24th 2012, 4:29 pm
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Default Re: British vs. American Spelling

Originally Posted by Bink
It was EPIC!

Semi back on topic. Do you say Mom, or Mum? I've actually managed to get my wife to accept Mum. So much so that she calls her Mom, Mum now! hehehe!
"Mom" is not an exclusively American spelling. Those of us from the Midlands have always used Mom as opposed to Mum. I never thought about it until I was in London looking for a greetings card and couldn't find one with Mom on. Guess this just comes down to differing accent pronunciations, like Northerners using Mam.
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Old Apr 24th 2012, 6:37 pm
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Default Re: British vs. American Spelling

Originally Posted by fromthemanorborn
"Mom" is not an exclusively American spelling. Those of us from the Midlands have always used Mom as opposed to Mum. I never thought about it until I was in London looking for a greetings card and couldn't find one with Mom on. Guess this just comes down to differing accent pronunciations, like Northerners using Mam.
I just looked up "mom" in the Oxford English Dictionary, and this is their second definition;

2. U.S. slang. A passive partner in a lesbian relationship. Also: a lesbian who dresses and behaves in a notably feminine way. Cf. mama n.1 2c.
1957 J. M. Murtagh & S. Harris Cast First Stone ii. 30 She was the head pop and all the other moms thought I was hot stuff to get her.
1957 J. M. Murtagh & S. Harris Cast First Stone gloss. 306 Mom, the girl who takes the female role in a lesbian relationship.
1966 S. Harris Hellhole 84 And, at Hudson, I gained a lot because I was Jerry's mom.
1972 B. Rodgers Queens' Vernacular 137 Mom, lesbian who plays up her femininity.

(Hmm.. noticed that three of the four examples are from one author, so maybe this is a bit questionable..)
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Old Apr 24th 2012, 10:11 pm
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Default Re: British vs. American Spelling

I'm the Brit, and I'm mom to my stinky teens, even though they were 10 when we moved here and always used mum before then. I even call my own mum 'mom' now, just habit I guess.

Working in pediatrics and using mom every day to every patient I guess it kinda sticks.

I also use american spellings and terminology for everything.... Causes much amusement among my ex pat and English Facebook friends
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Old Apr 24th 2012, 10:23 pm
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Default Re: British vs. American Spelling

I use only British spelling at work, I am hoping my boss kicks up a fuss, and I will then complain about lack of cultural tolerance and derogatory ethnic slurs. I think there might be a bit of a pay cheque in it.
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Old Apr 24th 2012, 10:25 pm
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Default Re: British vs. American Spelling

Originally Posted by fromthemanorborn
"Mom" is not an exclusively American spelling. Those of us from the Midlands have always used Mom as opposed to Mum. I never thought about it until I was in London looking for a greetings card and couldn't find one with Mom on. Guess this just comes down to differing accent pronunciations, like Northerners using Mam.
When I lived in the Midlands, it seemed that it was pronounced 'Mum' but spelt 'Mom'.
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Old Apr 24th 2012, 10:59 pm
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Default Re: British vs. American Spelling

I use American spellings most of the time, partly because the spell check bugged me too much highlighting all the words I had misspelled. The one I can't abide is Mom, my daughter still calls me Mum and writes Mum on all my cards, she never buys me one that says Mom on the card Pisses me off though when she writes Mum on her school work and they correct it

I did get a comment on my English Lit assignment last week that said "we say brain**** here" can't remember what it was but I had put dump.

I also got a comment a few weeks ago on a different course saying "I don't know what that word means" it was something very English, you would have thought the marker would have googled it though.
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Old Apr 24th 2012, 11:26 pm
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Default Re: British vs. American Spelling

Originally Posted by N1cky
"I don't know what that word means" .
That is a little shameful isn't it. They are saying they are ignorant and lazy; neither seems good for someone evaluating others work.
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