US English vs Other English

**Arra** · 12-11-2011 01:34 PM

The worst thing is, when you tell them why it doesn't make sense, they're incapable of accepting it. They try to rationalise why it does make sense (example seen above) when the case is clearly against them. Too drubnk to not post this.

**tommo** · 12-11-2011 01:54 PM

Check. Qhen the fuck did cheque become check?

**Arra** · 12-11-2011 02:03 PM

The same time zed became zee?

**Taosaur** · 12-11-2011 02:05 PM

Originally Posted by tommo

Americans have fucked the language up a lot

You lot have no room to talk, Bruce.

A lot of the spelling differences from British to American English are actually re-anglicizations of words and spellings raped into the language by the Normans.

**tommo** · 12-11-2011 02:12 PM

Australian's haven't fucked up the written word at all. We write identically to English people. We just can't talk for shit.

**IndieAnthias** · 12-11-2011 02:29 PM

Originally Posted by tommo

We just can't talk for shit.

well that's rather important, isn't it?

**greenhavoc** · 12-11-2011 03:05 PM

Originally Posted by Dianeva

They try to rationalise why it does make sense when the case is clearly against them.

can i finally use the word irony in its correct context, here

**Arra** · 12-11-2011 03:09 PM

heh?

**khh** · 12-11-2011 05:49 PM

Originally Posted by Dianeva

It's been difficult for me to spell things recently since I've been trying to use the British versions. A lot of words contain 'z' in American, usually words ending in 'ize' which are 'ise' in British. But some are 'ize' in British too. So whenever I encounter a new word, I have to look up whether or not it's 'ise' in British. It doesn't help that Firefox and Word tell me the British versions are wrong, and Word automatically corrects it. I type 'realise', a few sentences later I look up, see 'realize'. Facepalm. I know it can be disabled but I've been to lazy to figure out how. I feel like a little kid learning to spell again.

Just go to Tools -> Language -> Set language, select English (Great Britain) and make it standard. (I'm guessing at exactly what everything is called, as my Word is in Norwegian). Not sure how you fix it in Firefox.

Originally Posted by ninja9578

Don't use Word as a guide.

Microsoft has a history of making up it's own stuff instead of going with what is the cultural norm.

Actually, Word has the best spelling correction I've ever used. It's in no small part thanks to that I now know how to spell most words

**Original Poster** · 12-11-2011 06:52 PM

Tommo Americans aren't the only blokes that king hit english >.>

**Darkmatters** · 12-11-2011 07:30 PM

Quote Originally Posted by Darkmatters
In another generation none of this will matter - textspeak will dominate all. It's already being said that we now live in a "postliterate" age.

khh: "You know they've been saying that since we entered the literate age, right?"

Originally Posted by Darkmatters
Those crazy Brits, that's who. And if you think about it, the filament inside the bulb (er- the lamp if you must) IS on fire!

khh:"This is actually wrong. Fire is a rapid oxidation of materials producing (amongst other things) heat and light. But a light bulb is void of oxygen precisely so the filament won't burn up - which would happen in seconds, were there oxygen present. A light bulb actually works by black body radiation, I believe. Basically you heat up the wire to a very high temperature by passing current through it, and it the energy of this heat then produces significant light in the visual spectrum. Same principle as when iron being forged is glowing red, but hotter. (Video about light bulbs)"

**Original Poster** · 12-11-2011 08:43 PM

Question: How does Have a shower make any sense? How can you have a shower?

**Darkmatters** · 12-11-2011 09:07 PM

Know what's worse than take a shower? Take a shit!

No thanks... I don't want it - think I'll just leave it.

**khh** · 12-11-2011 09:40 PM

Originally Posted by Omnis Dei

Question: How does Have a shower make any sense? How can you have a shower?

Don't you have a shower? I really thought that was pretty much standard in all modern households...

**Taosaur** · 12-11-2011 09:42 PM

Originally Posted by khh

Don't you have a shower? I really thought that was pretty much standard in all modern households...

Exactly. Having a shower is something you do 24/7. Taking a shower is something you do last Saturday of the month whether you need it or not.

**Original Poster** · 12-12-2011 02:17 AM

Right, it makes sense to me to have a shower in the sense that I own a shower but it doesn't make sense for me to say "I'm going to have a shower" when I'm about to shower.

**khh** · 12-12-2011 02:34 AM

Originally Posted by Taosaur

Exactly. Having a shower is something you do 24/7. Taking a shower is something you do last Saturday of the month whether you need it or not.

A shower may either be a spray of water suitable for washing in or the machine that makes it. And while you have the machine constantly, you only have the spray of water it produces while taking a shower, assuming you live alone. So it can make perfect sense.

**Taosaur** · 12-12-2011 02:59 AM

Actually, I often say I'm going to get in the shower, or refer to someone being in the shower, rather than taking or having anything.

**Original Poster** · 12-12-2011 03:04 AM

I say that I'm going to walk into the bathroom, turn on the overhead sprinkler and commence cleansing.

**tommo** · 12-12-2011 03:11 AM

Originally Posted by Darkmatters

khh: "You know they've been saying that since we entered the literate age, right?"

khh:"This is actually wrong. Fire is a rapid oxidation of materials producing (amongst other things) heat and light. But a light bulb is void of oxygen precisely so the filament won't burn up - which would happen in seconds, were there oxygen present. A light bulb actually works by black body radiation, I believe. Basically you heat up the wire to a very high temperature by passing current through it, and it the energy of this heat then produces significant light in the visual spectrum. Same principle as when iron being forged is glowing red, but hotter. (Video about light bulbs)"

It is still fire.... That's why the filament does, eventually, burn out.

I also realised I mostly say "I'm going to shower". Not have or take.

**IndieAnthias** · 12-12-2011 03:12 AM

Damn socialists, thinking you can have something without first taking it...

**khh** · 12-12-2011 03:55 AM

Originally Posted by tommo

It is still fire.... That's why the filament does, eventually, burn out.

No. The mechanism with which a light bulb produces light has nothing to do with fire. The light bulb is in fact filled with non-reactive gasses and sealed airtight to keep it from oxidising. If it oxidises at all, it's slowly and quite unintentional. To call that fire is like watching a car rust and state that it's "fire".

**Darkmatters** · 12-12-2011 04:04 AM

Ok, so why is it called a flashlight then - it doesn't run on flash..

**HeavySleeper** · 12-12-2011 04:17 AM

Originally Posted by Darkmatters

Ok, so why is it called a flashlight then - it doesn't run on flash..

**tommo** · 12-12-2011 04:45 AM

Originally Posted by khh

No. The mechanism with which a light bulb produces light has nothing to do with fire. The light bulb is in fact filled with non-reactive gasses and sealed airtight to keep it from oxidising. If it oxidises at all, it's slowly and quite unintentional. To call that fire is like watching a car rust and state that it's "fire".

It is produced by electrons being inhibited by a material, producing heat and light.
IF it oxidises at all? It does, end of story, do you even buy a new lightbulb when one no longer works?

There has to be some amount of fire, otherwise the filament wouldn't break.