S Folinsky

I know that in US practice "advise" is a verb and "advice" is a noun. In other words "advise" means the giving of "advice."

However, I have noted a lot of threads seeking "advise." What is the verb and noun forms of the words in the UK? I've never seen this difference noted in the "translation" tables. I am curious due to my practice of not giving "advice" here.

Ozzidoc

You will find "advise" occurring in the same sentence as the grocer's apostrophe

Nutmegger

You see it for the same reason that you are discussing "avise."

SultanOfSwing

Yup - bad spelling is all it is, in UK English 'advice' is what you are given when you ask someone to 'advise' you, as it is in US.

Of course, I could be wrong but that has always been my understanding.

S Folinsky

LOL!

Of course, "red" sounds identical to "read." "Reed" sounds identical to "read." But "red" and "reed" are different sounds. I think a good 15% of my elementary school was spent on spelling.

S Folinsky

As an American, I wasn't sure. However, the Canadians are quite flexible -- they combine the two systems. E.g. US -- "Tire Center" UK -- "Tyre Centre" Canada -- "Tire Centre." BTW, in typing this message, it seems that the forum spell checker uses the US convention. The spell check in Word has no problem with "centre" but it does with "tyre." Go figure.

Octang Frye

My personal pet peeves:

lose/loose
definitely/definately
sponsor/sponcer/sponser etc.

Morans.

Elvira

As an Englishwoman, I often despair of the mangling of our beautiful language...

If thou beest he; But O how fall'n! how chang'd
From him, who in the happy Realms of Light
Cloth'd with transcendent brightness didst out-shine
Myriads though bright: If he Whom mutual league,
United thoughts and counsels, equal hope
And hazard in the Glorious Enterprize,
Joynd with me once, now misery hath joynd [ 90 ]
In equal ruin: into what Pit thou seest
From what highth fall'n, so much the stronger prov'd
He with his Thunder: and till then who knew
The force of those dire Arms? yet not for those,
Nor what the Potent Victor in his rage [ 95 ]
Can else inflict, do I repent or change,
Though chang'd in outward lustre; that fixt mind
And high disdain, from sence of injur'd merit,
That with the mightiest rais'd me to contend,
And to the fierce contention brought along [ 100 ]
Innumerable force of Spirits arm'd
That durst dislike his reign, and me preferring,
His utmost power with adverse power oppos'd
In dubious Battel on the Plains of Heav'n,
And shook his throne. What though the field be lost? [ 105 ]
All is not lost; the unconquerable Will,
And study of revenge, immortal hate,
And courage never to submit or yield:
And what is else not to be overcome?
That Glory never shall his wrath or might [ 110 ]
Extort from me. To bow and sue for grace
With suppliant knee, and deifie his power,
Who from the terrour of this Arm so late
Doubted his Empire, that were low indeed,
That were an ignominy and shame beneath
This downfall; since by Fate the strength of Gods
And this Empyreal substance cannot fail,
Since through experience of this great event
In Arms not worse, in foresight much advanc't,
We may with more successful hope resolve
To wage by force or guile eternal Warr
Irreconcileable, to our grand Foe,
Who now triumphs, and in th' excess of joy
Sole reigning holds the Tyranny of Heav'n.

helwardman

Mine: Potato's

Octang Frye

My doctor told me to "loose weight". And to think, an MD!

I lost an argument about apostrophes and abbreviations the other day.
(I didn't really lose - I just conceded because I couldn't be bothered to fight the stupidity).

Example: CD's. DVD's. LCCN's.

An apostrophe is not required. But, because of the morons out there, it has become accepted to do this.

I despair.

Rumplestiltskin

The two of them? They're going over there to their house too.

If they're not careful over there they'll lose their loose shoes.

traceym

You're all going together to get your coat?

SultanOfSwing

I have to agree - that excessive misuse of apostrophes has become so bad that even in the correct context I balk when I see one

It makes me laugh a little when I see on some contractor's van that he spent who knows how many hundred $$ to have something like "Licenced Plumber's" printed on the side for all to see . Licenced plumber's what? Arse crack probably.

On the whole center/centre thing - is it just me or when a town/village/whatever want to see more classy they'll use the spelling 'Town Centre' on their signs?

dbj1000

Yes, the use of apostrophes is widely misunderstood. In fact, according to a Radio 4 talk I was listening to just yesterday, that has been the case throughout the history of the English language.

However, your example above is not... ideal. Use of an apostrophe in the plural of an acronym is actually (to my consternation) a style choice, and not a matter of strict grammar. Both CDs and CD's are accepted by many publishers, and the choice usually depends on their house style book.

chrisfromusa

To me I was taught that the apostrophe is only used in the possessive case, never in the plural. When I see stuff like that plumber van, I cringe at the site of it, because to me an apostrophe is for the possessive and a contraction, nothing else.

I always get thrown off when I see Brits spelling it odour and mould, and snowplough, as opposed to the American odor, mold, and snowplow. And of course I always thought that foetus was a weird spelling for fetus and encyclopaedia for encyclopedia.