Quick reply:
True story--I once got pink-slipped from a creative writing class for spelling Colour with a "u" in it, and then proving the teacher wrong with her own dictionary.
Backing up: Although I've lived in the Midwest for most of my life, my family was stationed in Germany/Norway in the formative years of my literary education. We lived off-base, so everything I read had the British-English spellings, not American-English.
Fast forward 13 years. During a creative writing assignment in one of my classes, the teacher was giving one-on-one reviews of some short story drafts we'd been assigned.
"Tekka, I absolutely love your story, and there's only one thing wrong I can point out in the entire thing. There's no "U" in Color." ((Please note how difficult it was for me to type it without the U!))
I frown and point to the ancient orange tome she has in the front of class, a massive dictionary on its own pedestal/stand, of which she is very fond and to which probably sacrifices the students that fail her course at the end of semester.
"Is that YOUR dictionary?" I less than meekly inquire. Perhaps I should have known better than to taunt a tenured teacher....
"You know it is!" she snarls back.
Wordlessly I retrieve the volume and lug it to her desk, opening it to the page, where, directly under "color," the alternate spelling "colour" is also listed. I silently point out my observation, watching her colour darken in embarrassment (or more likely, fury).
Loathing swirls in her piggish little eyes. "Spell it however you want it!" She instructs me to return to my seat, and calls the next student for his evaluation.
Three minutes prior to the release bell, she calls me again to the front of class, and hands me a pink slip to go directly to my assitant principal. Reason? Insubordination. Giggling, I skip to go see the good man for the first time and introduce myself.
After hearing my side of the story, he sends an office aide up to the classroom to fetch the odious little woman, and, after listening to her version in the hall outside, asks her to step in and apologize--TO ME! I was back in class the next day (instead of the usual 3 days and mark on the record), and even better, I still got an A- for the assignment.
Quote:
Woe to the sleep-deprived brain ... I thought you said "It's Farkin' Barbara Streisand. Seriously!"|
Originally Posted by SingStar
And it's not colour or color, armour or armor... It's Färg and Barbröstad! Seriously! |
/laughs at herself until she's pink in the face.
Quote:
The irony is palpable.
|
Originally Posted by Part_Troll
American's get confused so easily by the language. |
Quote:
And to throw a little antipodean style into the mix.....|
Originally Posted by FatherXmas
While we are at it.
Automotive Hood - Bonnet Trunk - Boot Gas - Petrol Truck - Lorry Misc Bathroom - Loo Elevator - Lift Panties - Knickers Briefs - Pants Sweater - Jumper Pants - Trousers Sneakers - Trainers |
Automotive
Hood - Bonnet
Trunk - Boot
Gas - Petrol - Juice
Truck - Lorry - Ute
Misc
Bathroom - Loo - Dunny or crappa
Elevator - Lift
Panties - Knickers - Jocks or Undies
Briefs - Pants - Boxers
Sweater - Jumper - Cardy
Pants - Trousers - Jeans
Sneakers - Trainers - Runners
Quote:
Are all of those straight Australian versions of the given US/British terms?|
Originally Posted by ElysanWhyte
And to throw a little antipodean style into the mix.....
Automotive Hood - Bonnet Trunk - Boot Gas - Petrol - Juice Truck - Lorry - Ute Misc Bathroom - Loo - Dunny or crappa Elevator - Lift Panties - Knickers - Jocks or Undies Briefs - Pants - Boxers Sweater - Jumper - Cardy Pants - Trousers - Jeans Sneakers - Trainers - Runners |
Just going off the fact that many of your Oz versions are common terms in British English as well (but maybe for slightly different things).
Panties/Knickers are female undergarments, but, iirc, in the UK Jocks usually refers to male equivalent and undies is used but isn't gender-specific.
Do Australians call all trousers 'Jeans'? Or just jeans (and possiblt similar clothing - cargo pants?).
Cardy exists in British English as a shortened form of Cardigan - which is similar to a sweater/jumper but features a buttoned opening at the front (similar to a jacket/blazer/shirt).
Is Ute any truck/lorry? The latter terms are for fairly heavy non-articulated goods vehicles, whereas I'd always thought ute (from utility vehicle iirc) was a lighter, more general-purpose vehicle - maybe like a British van/truck.
Just asking more as differences in language variations fascinate me - so I like to try getting them straight in my head.
Still love the early 80's TV shows that the Manchester (England) comedian Mike Harding did after trips to Australia and USA. His disbelief at both the size of Australian spiders hiding under the dunny seat and that Durex* was a leading sticky-tape brand were great: Oh - I see - It's a do-it-yourself job?
As was his (obviously fictitious) tale of buying a creamcake in New York and a dog grabbing the fruit of the top of it - leading to him proclaiming to a shocked shop assistant that he'd just lost his cherry to a dog - it ran off down the road with it!
* It's a brand of prophylactic in Britain.
By my mohawk shall ye know me!
my toons
Funny: Ee-Ai-Ee-Ai-Oh! #3662 * The foul-mouthed Handyman! #1076 * City of Norms #132944
Serious: To Save A Single World (#83744) * Marketing Opportunity (#83747)
Quote:
Beat me to it.
|
Originally Posted by Tokamak
The irony is palpable.
|
Having Vengeance and Fallout slotted for recharge means never having to say you're sorry.
Isn't it always in these threads?
Entertaining though, I give it 3 of 5 stars
Quote:
Wow, wow !|
Originally Posted by NeverDark
Well, why not? I was under the impression that was the point of being French. That, and eating cheese, drinking wine, and wearing berets.
|
People under the age of 100 never wear berets. With the exception of some militaries and a few people at the spanish border.
Quote:
He is, and if he is the one I know, he still plays on freedom.
|
Originally Posted by CoX_Junkie
<qr>
I miss city_life, he was French right? |
Quote:
Maths?|
Originally Posted by Hyperstrike
Whether the metric system is "better" is debatable.
Simpler to learn? Maybe. Because even if a person is a complete dullard, they usually have 10 fingers and/or 10 toes to help them with their maths. ... |
No, no, no, "math" doesn't take an s.
Oh, and while I'm here: neither does "horsepower".
Quote:
I've been Armoured against PK rants for the longest time.
|
Originally Posted by Catwhoorg
Colour me unimpressed with this minor PK rant.
|
This is a service-oriented business, and it's all
about keeping the player happy over the long term.
So you have to listen and pay attention. If a large
portion of your playerbase is screaming about
some change, you be wise to listen. - Raph Koster
Quote:
No, mostly, we speak poorly. |
Originally Posted by AncientSpirit_NA
It's not their fault. They speak English as their primary language.
 You speak American. |
This is a service-oriented business, and it's all
about keeping the player happy over the long term.
So you have to listen and pay attention. If a large
portion of your playerbase is screaming about
some change, you be wise to listen. - Raph Koster
Quote:
I believe a war was fought over this at one point, and the Queen's side lost.|
Originally Posted by Miss_Chief_EU
As the Canadians have rightly said, it's Colour and armour. it's also tyre, not tire, because I tire of the American bastardisation of the Queens English!
 |
Just sayin'.
Arc# 92382 -- "The S.P.I.D.E.R. and the Tyrant" -- Ninjas! Robots! Praetorians! It's totally epic! Play it now!
Arc # 316340 -- "Husk" -- Azuria loses something, a young woman harbors a dark secret, and the fate of the world is in your hands.
Quote:
It's a colloquialism for mathematics. (See link)|
Originally Posted by Zhanate
Maths?
No, no, no, "math" doesn't take an s. |
Some of the reasoning behind it?
Math? Which math?
Geometry?
Trig?
Calculus?
Clicking on the linked image above will take you off the City of Heroes site. However, the guides will be linked back here.
Quote:
Mathematics condenses to 'Maths.'|
Originally Posted by Zhanate
Maths?
No, no, no, "math" doesn't take an s. |
Mathematic condenses to 'Math.'
There is no such thing as a 'Mathematic' class.
Nobody is well-versed in 'Mathematic.'
Correct this discrepancy immediately.
Thank you.
Quote:
This is funny. But you shouldn't confuse the poor Swedish-deprived people about this.|
Originally Posted by SingStar
Hmmm... I think we deffo need a Swedish/viking speaking server!
That way I can moan and rant without anyone getting heltossig! And it's not colour or color, armour or armor... It's Färg and Barbröstad! Seriously! And not lifts or elevators... It's actually Spiraltrappor! |
Armor/armour = rustning
Color/colour = kulör (färg har man i en målarburk, kulör beskriver eh.. kulören på färgen.
)Lift/elevator = hiss
But funny. As for the thread itself, it should be common knowledge that Swedish is the very pinnacle of the worlds languages.
//Jack
The Kickers base.
Those are my principles, and if you don't like them... well, I have others.
-Groucho Marx
You lot say it your way, we'll say it our way.
Try and 'correct' anyone and you'll find out just how full of vitriol and bile the English language can be.
Alpha out.
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Zwillinger
GG, I would tell you that "I am killing you with my mind", but I couldn't find an emoticon to properly express my sentiment.
|
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Captain_Photon
NOTE: The Incarnate System is basically farming for IOs on a larger scale, and with more obtrusive lore.
|
I don't really understand this issue, and some people seem to be all huffy about it.
While this is a typing forum, you can't hear what someone is saying...
Freaking out about misspellings just seems so petty to me.
If you get what they are trying to say... Then WHY does it matter?
Really, You shouldn't care so much about words and how they are spelled. You should care more about what they are trying to say, and how they feel about it.
Quote:
Well, I'd hope that is what most people are thinking anyway.|
Originally Posted by Techbot_Alpha_EU
You lot say it your way, we'll say it our way.
|
After all, it's just a bit of lighthearted fun-poking at language disparity.
Oh, and it's 'jam,' not 'jelly.'
Actually, jam and jelly are two entirely separate things.
Quote:
Heh. I only visited London once, for a long weekend (stationed in Germany in the late 80s, on a 4-day pass). If someone had corrected me like that, I probably would have thanked him or her. I still have problems with "Worcestershire".|
Originally Posted by Dr_Mechano
I distinctly remember shouting at Americans while riding on a tube train in London because for some reason pronouncing leicester (Less-Ter) square as Lie-chest-er really drove me mad.
|
I also recall the desire to ask some young women there for directions. Out of politeness, I would of course have introduced myself.
Tell me, what kind of reaction would I have gotten with "hi, I'm Randy, can you help me?"
Forum Game: Lower the Rep
Quote:
Well, duh. It's a company that sells meat.|
Originally Posted by Part_Troll
Show me someone who doesn't know what Armour is
|
Hot dogs. Armour hot dogs. What kind of kids love Armour hot dogs?
Forum Game: Lower the Rep
Quote:
It's French for love, isn't it?
|
Originally Posted by Part_Troll
Show me someone who doesn't know what Armour is
|
@Golden Girl
City of Heroes comics and artwork
I grin most profusely at the tags for this thread ^^
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Zwillinger
GG, I would tell you that "I am killing you with my mind", but I couldn't find an emoticon to properly express my sentiment.
|
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Captain_Photon
NOTE: The Incarnate System is basically farming for IOs on a larger scale, and with more obtrusive lore.
|
(Can't believe I'm replying to this non-thread)
American's get confused so easily by the language.
Whereas non-native speakers never complain, they just cope.
Look at Sam T -- his posts are full of nicely formed paragraphs, full sentences, fleshed out communications. He doesn't whine about extra u's or using z's instead of s's in words like 'capitalisation'. He just writes and -context- dictates the meaning.
People who chuck a wobbly over extra (or fewer) letters in words, are really engaging in Not Invented Here games. They are whining because they can, not because they are trying to solve any real issue.
Show me someone who doesn't know what Armour is and is confused until someone spells the word 'armor', and i'll show you an average MA team leader, doing L54 boss missions with his level seven tanker ... (who has no plans in this lifetime to take 'taunt')
Capisce?
--
Ex.
Part-Troll, who used to be Excession777, now playing pantomime with people's mindlets.
--