Should the Tories adopt American Spelling now?

Jopabo · 13 May 2015 at 00:53

American spelling of words like Colour, Favour, Labour, Travelling etc. As I type this they are all underlined red.

I see it so often in forums, Here in this forum, on Twitter, Facebook etc, all from people who wouldn't normally spell it the American way.

I suspect they just post and the auto correct function kicks in, defaults to American spelling.

So is it time for British English to admit defeat spelling wise and adopt American spelling? The Tories could add it to their next bill.

I'm not that fussed either way, just an observation.

Amleto · 13 May 2015 at 00:56

Zefan · 13 May 2015 at 00:56

Or you could just fix the problem on your end.

Rroff · 13 May 2015 at 01:00

I use color a lot without thinking as I do a fair bit of programming where most languages only accept the American way.

Mark3h · 13 May 2015 at 01:00

Should the English language be changed because others butcher it?
Maybe we should refer to the american spelling differences as tax dodging colonial.

unwashed potato! · 13 May 2015 at 01:04

pretty sad to hear that in this day and age that some browsers still don't default to a UK dictionary when installed by a UK user

dunker · 13 May 2015 at 01:04

i was going to say something but lost my train of thought, my goodness these porky scratchings are amazingly good

dunker · 13 May 2015 at 01:16

ahh remembers, no.

Superficial · 13 May 2015 at 01:16

Not to worry we've been getting our own back for years:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/11/fashion/americans-are-barmy-over-britishisms.html?_r=0

https://www.google.co.uk/webhp?sour...B535GB536&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=britishisms

doofer · 13 May 2015 at 01:18

Zefan said:
Or you could just fix the problem on your end.

Wow. Just wow.

The OP must be feeling like a right dumb-ass/arse. Depending on which Dictionary he decides to use..... :cool:

Jopabo · 13 May 2015 at 01:27

doofer said:
Wow. Just wow. The OP must be feeling like a right dumb-ass/arse. Depending on which Dictionary he decides to use.....

Not quite getting you, yep I know my browser is on the default setting. Can't be assed to change it.

My question was should we get the Tories adopt American Spelling now?

[FnG]magnolia · 13 May 2015 at 01:38

Jopabo said:
I see it so often in forums ... all from people who wouldn't normally spell it the American way.

I suspect they just post and the auto correct function kicks in, defaults to American spelling.

Jopabo said:
yep I know my browser is on the default setting. Can't be assed to change it.

Overclockers UK Forums > Life > General Discussion > Should someone else do something because I can't be assed?

arctine · 13 May 2015 at 01:40

Jopabo said:
Not quite getting you, yep I know my browser is on the default setting. Can't be assed to change it.

My question was should we get the Tories adopt American Spelling now?

What exactly are you asking, whether the government should pass a law to make American spelling a legal requirement?

People can use whatever spelling of a word that they please, it's not decided by the conservatives.

spoffle · 13 May 2015 at 01:41

Rroff said:
I use color a lot without thinking as I do a fair bit of programming where most languages only accept the American way.

Don't forget "your" which is just so so easy to fix.

Rroff · 13 May 2015 at 01:43

Easy to fix if it actually occurs to you, which most of the time it doesn't for me.

Your lucky my English is even half way correct given I managed to miss out on most of English teaching at Junior school level :S

EDIT: On which note was down to the Tories meddling with the curriculum and using my school as one of the places to trial it.

Twirlywoos · 13 May 2015 at 02:05

How about you move to America whilst we preserve our spelling and grammar?

spoffle · 13 May 2015 at 02:33

Rroff said:
Easy to fix if it actually occurs to you, which most of the time it doesn't for me.

Your lucky my English is even half way correct given I managed to miss out on most of English teaching at Junior school level :S

EDIT: On which note was down to the Tories meddling with the curriculum and using my school as one of the places to trial it.

You've got to be on the wind up!

What happened to teaching yourself? You taught yourself programming didn't you? If so you can't really blame the government as you've got every chance to continually learn things for yourself.

V F · 13 May 2015 at 02:37

Mark3h said:
Should the English language be changed because others butcher it?
Maybe we should refer to the american spelling differences as tax dodging colonial.

I thought it was us that was butchering it. Totes amazeballs.

G-MAN2004 · 13 May 2015 at 02:50

Absolutely not.

Rroff · 13 May 2015 at 02:56

spoffle said:
You've got to be on the wind up!

What happened to teaching yourself? You taught yourself programming didn't you? If so you can't really blame the government as you've got every chance to continually learn things for yourself.

The level I do use is about 50% self taught - I've never really had the motivation to progress beyond enough to get by.

(In all seriousness I went into a job interview once and they said something like "give us 3 adjectives about yourself" and I'd literally never been taught about adjectives, nouns, etc. and had to bluff my way past the question until I knew what they were getting at).