[Arpe]

The one I like is when someone wants, say, a lens to compliment a camera, rather than complement.
I always imagine the lens and camera sitting down together with the lens saying what a fine camera it is, and how fully featured etc.

[SpecialK]

The one I like is when someone wants, say, a lens to compliment a camera, rather than complement.
I always imagine the lens and camera sitting down together with the lens saying what a fine camera it is, and how fully featured etc.

Yeah, I thought the same thing :-)

[Richard Day]

There is only one English language and the definitive dictionary is the Oxford English dictionary.

It is currently 20 volumes in print form and is also available electronically. You can find full information here: Oxford English Dictionary: The definitive record of the English language

There is a simplified and modified derivative of the English language, sometimes referred to as American English, which (I believe) uses Websters unabridged dictionary as the definitive reference. It has been suggested that it was simplified with fewer words and more phonetic spelling in order to help immigrants from non English speaking countries learn the language more rapidly.

Regrettably there is now an awful amount of slang used by both native speakers, for example, I was totally confused when hearing that a BT was in fact a shortening for Black Top, meaning a pavement, which when finally translated into English English, was actually a road!

However, there is still an atrocious amount of poor spelling, grammar and syntax error occurring which, to me, is unforgivable. One I find continuously irksome is the misspelling of amateur, i.e. amature, but then I'm a curmudgeonly, cynical old bar'd (sorry for the abbreviation)!

[TomInJax]

Maybe all y'all just ain't figgered out that their is a hole bunch of ways to prenounce and spel them thar words proper! I gess that y'all is amatures!

[J.Scott]

Let's keep whackin' that hornets nest, Tom!

For some folks it is like fingernails scraping down a chalk board to see words spelled 'incorrectly'. Personally, I enjoy the diversity, complexity and evolution of the English language. I would agree with Richard that the OED is the definitive authority on English spelling, however, even he should know that as newer editions of that tome are printed there are changes to the spelling of certain words. It would be foolhardy to try and draw a line in the sand to say, "from this point forward there will be no further changes to any English word." The reasons around why the changes in spelling occur are far more interesting to me.

[JCSullivan]

centre and center

For some is has one spelling and means different things. For others (we know who we are) well, there's a difference.

Now I'm leaving for the Science Centre to look at the center of the universe.
Bye

[RoxnDox]

I am a) a terrible typist b) spelling not my strong suit c) brain works much faster than my fingers (thank gawd) often post stuff with words missing but I usually get my point across and usually re-read the post after and edit any obvious missing words or misspelled ones.

Now I am going to put on my favorite coloured Tuque go out to Timmies , hoping for a chinook , write them a check for a double double using homo milk , come home make some poutine and sit on my chesterfield trying not be be a hoser eh

Assuming that "Timmies" is a local joint for the procurement of liquid and/or solid nourishment the only question I have is what the heck "poutine" might be. Everything else makes perfect sense (hmm, maybe I shouldn't admit that...).

Jim

[RoxnDox]

Let's keep whackin' that hornets nest, Tom!

For some folks it is like fingernails scraping down a chalk board to see words spelled 'incorrectly'. Personally, I enjoy the diversity, complexity and evolution of the English language. I would agree with Richard that the OED is the definitive authority on English spelling, however, even he should know that as newer editions of that tome are printed there are changes to the spelling of certain words. It would be foolhardy to try and draw a line in the sand to say, "from this point forward there will be no further changes to any English word." The reasons around why the changes in spelling occur are far more interesting to me.

A quote that I just love:

"The problem with defending the purity of the English language is that English is about as pure as a cribhouse whore. We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary."
(James Nicoll, from rec.arts.sf-lovers newsgroup a few yrs back)

[Gooshin]

Assuming that "Timmies" is a local joint for the procurement of liquid and/or solid nourishment the only question I have is what the heck "poutine" might be. Everything else makes perfect sense (hmm, maybe I shouldn't admit that...).

Jim

i'll bite,

poutine is a food.

french fries with cheese chunks/graded over it, then hot gravy poured on top so it all gets melted and mixed together.

so really its french-fry-cheese-gravy-sticks

altho i think originally this is a recepie from France going down through quebec into the rest of canada, personally i dont consider it a "canadian" trait

[Peter Zack]

Ah Gooshin. Thei is the quintessential Canadian comfort food that originated in Quebec sometime around WWII. It's actually made with fresh cheese curds and oh so good. Fast food places use Mozzarella cheese and that's awful. I have many Quebec friends and they all tell me the same history.

Now Timmies is Tim Hortons coffee chain. There are some in the states as well and now part of the Wendy's fast food chain. Very good coffee and similar to Dunkin donuts in the offerings.

Funny post you hoser!

[RoxnDox]

i'll bite,

poutine is a food.

french fries with cheese chunks/graded over it, then hot gravy poured on top so it all gets melted and mixed together.

so really its french-fry-cheese-gravy-sticks

altho i think originally this is a recepie from France going down through quebec into the rest of canada, personally i dont consider it a "canadian" trait

Damn, sounds tasty. I can hear my arteries screaming already, but they'd get overruled by the tastebuds!

Ah Gooshin. Thei is the quintessential Canadian comfort food that originated in Quebec sometime around WWII. It's actually made with fresh cheese curds and oh so good. Fast food places use Mozzarella cheese and that's awful. I have many Quebec friends and they all tell me the same history.

Now Timmies is Tim Hortons coffee chain. There are some in the states as well and now part of the Wendy's fast food chain. Very good coffee and similar to Dunkin donuts in the offerings.

Funny post you hoser!

Muy Gracias, eh!

Jim (not in The Great White North but ya couldn't tell from looking out the window today!)

[JCSullivan]

Hmmm, Peter are you sure about Wendy's. I think on the U.S. side it held true for a while but I thought TH's were bought by the Cannuck side, a couple of years back and are operated separately now.

I should check that out.

[Gooshin]

Now Timmies is Tim Hortons coffee chain. There are some in the states as well and now part of the Wendy's fast food chain. Very good coffee and similar to Dunkin donuts in the offerings.

Funny post you hoser!

how can you possibly say that?

Timmies has some of the worst coffee i have ever drank.

Then again we have a 5000 dollar coffee machine in our office and we buy our own beans.... so my standards are high



about 2 years ago i completly went starbucks for coffee, while it costs more, it doesnt give me stomach aches LOL. Nowdays if i ever get stranded in a timmies and have their coffee, i get immediate stomach aches, they put something in there i'm sure.

[Peter Zack]

Not sure JC but they had a friendly merger a few years back and you can find half and half shops all over the place.

Gooshin? You drink that over priced burnt tasting errr C**p!

Actually when I'm South of the 49th Starbucks is the only place I go. Wanna talk bad coffee? Go south. Sorta like the beer.

Now I've done it. Better go hide while our friends in the United 50 flame the S**t out of me!!

[Gooshin]

Not sure JC but they had a friendly merger a few years back and you can find half and half shops all over the place.

Gooshin? You drink that over priced burnt tasting errr C**p!

Actually when I'm South of the 49th Starbucks is the only place I go. Wanna talk bad coffee? Go south. Sorta like the beer.

Now I've done it. Better go hide while our friends in the United 50 flame the S**t out of me!!

if you go south far enough you'll end up back in canada