Spelling

[SaviorX]

What aboot the Canadian English?

i will never understand where this ridiculous notion that Canadians have an accent similar to a Scottish (or something) accent...maritimers maybe...

i am from BC and live in Alberta (and know people in Ontario) and EVERYONE says 'abowt'

 

[Justin]

What aboot the Canadian English?

i will never understand where this ridiculous notion that Canadians have an accent similar to a Scottish (or something) accent...maritimers maybe...

i am from BC and live in Alberta (and know people in Ontario) and EVERYONE says 'abowt'

sorry m8, it's South Park's fault for telling us you say aboot and eh as in AA would be AAA

 

[Shoonay]

What aboot the Canadian English?

i will never understand where this ridiculous notion that Canadians have an accent similar to a Scottish (or something) accent...maritimers maybe...

i am from BC and live in Alberta (and know people in Ontario) and EVERYONE says 'abowt'

These guys told me aboot it:
http://www.youtube.com/user/LifesAGlitchTV

But on a serious note, no offence mate, I know I don't know anything about Canada.
I simply know that there are a few different dialects here in Poland (I'm using the Silesian dialect), and when people using different dialects meet, their pronunciation of some words differ.
So, I'm guessing this is also possible in other countries too.

 

[rkauer]

I simply know that there are a few different dialects here in Poland (I'm using the Silesian dialect), and when people using different dialects meet, their pronunciation of some words differ.
So, I'm guessing this is also possible in other countries too.

Pretty true. I live in the Southern state of my country and I know we have a heavy accent. LOL, even people from the capital of state talk in a different way, mind you the rest of the country!

 

[AmiNeo]

I think dialects will pretty much differ strongly every 20 - 40 miles or so. Certainly seems to be the case here in the UK.

 

[AmiNeo]

For all you guys fussed about correct grammar. Heres something that I recently stumbled across on the web... It may spark interest and further debate

http://www.englishspellingsociety.org/journals/j21/usforuk.php

This guy seems to be under the impression that US spellings are more grammatically correct and evolved. His main argument seems to be that its easier to learn and more widespread so we (Britain) should cave.
Just seems like a long winded, well written rant to me I will never accept aluminum as a word, rofl.



Could have been one for the Amirant section but thought it belonged here more.

 

[robinsonb5]

His main argument seems to be that its easier to learn and more widespread so we (Britain) should cave.

Don't forget about it being more morphophonemic. If *that* won't convince the man on the street, nothing will!


This has been around a *long* time - but it always makes me grin:

A Plan for the Improvement of English Spelling by Mark Twain

For example, in Year 1 that useless letter "c" would be dropped to be replased either by "k" or "s", and likewise "x" would no longer be part of the alphabet. The only kase in which "c" would be retained would be the "ch" formation, which will be dealt with later. Year 2 might reform "w" spelling, so that "which" and "one" would take the same konsonant, wile Year 3 might well abolish "y" replasing it with "i" and Iear 4 might fiks the "g/j" anomali wonse and for all. Jenerally, then, the improvement would kontinue iear bai iear with Iear 5 doing awai with useless double konsonants, and Iears 6-12 or so modifaiing vowlz and the rimeining voist and unvoist konsonants. Bai Iear 15 or sou, it wud fainali bi posibl tu meik ius ov thi ridandant letez "c", "y" and "x" -- bai now jast a memori in the maindz ov ould doderez -- tu riplais "ch", "sh", and "th" rispektivli. Fainali, xen, aafte sam 20 iers ov orxogrefkl riform, wi wud hev a lojikl, kohirnt speling in ius xrewawt xe Ingliy-spiking werld.

 

[Merlin]

US spellings are more grammatically correct and evolved

If that's true, then how do you explain

"We need to be leveraging our knowledge base to secure successful outcomes for our customer value proposition and income stream."

Harvard has a lot to answer for in mangling English..... is 'leveraging' an actual word?

This post was brought to you by the letter U, as in colour, Honour, etc.....

 

[ShambleS1980]

Noo dont stop the americans spelling like they do. My spelling is appauling and the only people I can defend my spelling against are americans.

I rarley capitalise my "I" when refering to my self, I never know whether the weather is nice or wether the whether is nice. Half the time il start paragrapsh when i shouldnt.

AND i will capitalize a whole word when i think its importaint. I think i have finaly figured out the "full" words, But generaly i just assume they only have 1 L at the end of them instead of the two i imagine they need. "delightful".
now some of the mistakes in this post will infact be deliberate. But the vast majority will just be because thats how i am and i simply do not care that much lol.
Id love to say im welsh and thats my1st language, and we write phornetically. But honestly.. I forget that too and end up using english spelling rules when im writing welsh making it totaly incomprehendable.

In summary. I definatly live in a glass house, so i cant throw any stones, But so do the americans But they cant say english is a second language so i have 1 up on them. so please dont change them or i will be left alone in my glass house getting pelted with rocks all day. and that could be a pane <--- Pun

 

[AmiNeo]

Noo dont stop the americans spelling like they do. My spelling is appauling and the only people I can defend my spelling against are americans.

I rarley capitalise my "I" when refering to my self, I never know whether the weather is nice or wether the whether is nice. Half the time il start paragrapsh when i shouldnt.

AND i will capitalize a whole word when i think its importaint. I think i have finaly figured out the "full" words, But generaly i just assume they only have 1 L at the end of them instead of the two i imagine they need. "delightful".
now some of the mistakes in this post will infact be deliberate. But the vast majority will just be because thats how i am and i simply do not care that much lol.
Id love to say im welsh and thats my1st language, and we write phornetically. But honestly.. I forget that too and end up using english spelling rules when im writing welsh making it totaly incomprehendable.

In summary. I definatly live in a glass house, so i cant throw any stones, But so do the americans But they cant say english is a second language so i have 1 up on them. so please dont change them or i will be left alone in my glass house getting pelted with rocks all day. and that could be a pane <--- Pun

No, we need to SMASH your comfort zone. Even if it is a PANE in the GLASS.

---------- Post added at 22:52 ---------- Previous post was at 22:45 ----------

Harvard has a lot to answer for in mangling English..... is 'leveraging' an actual word?

Not according to Cambridge dictionary... Or my Linux UK spell checker. Although, leverage and leveraged are. Ironically the red wavy line under 'leveraging' disappears when I switch to US dictionary oh:

 

[desiv]

Noo dont stop the americans spelling like they do.

Blame SPELLCHECK!!!!

Case in point...

I was on an interview panel this last week to hire desktop support positions.
We had a decent interview with someone; I was reading his resume.

He has experience with IBM, Dell, and Compact computers.
Hmmm.. IBM, Dell, and little computers???

He also has experience with Cannon copiers/fax machines..
OK. That could be dangerous...

He is also familiar with Windows operating systems, from 3.1 threw Windows 7.

oh:

This is on a resume!! I am totally OK with errors in e-mails and such, but.. a resume???
<sigh>

desiv
(p.s. And that doesn't mean we won't hire him.. I haven't finished scoring yet.. ;-) )

 

[SaviorX]

anyone with actual real experience with Compaq computers knows how to spell Compaq.....

and Canon....

the fact of the matter is if you have been *playing* around with computers for the last 10 years and think you know anything...IBM, Dell and Compaq are easy names to throw out....not that by todays standards they mean anything more than working on random systems with random parts (which can be far more complicated than just going to Compaq, Dell or IBM support sites and downloading appropriate updated drivers, etc...)

with a resume like that i would definately be curious about thier actual education/training.....

 

[Fizzy]

Spelling checkers are a pain, and auto correct - if auto correct keeps on correcting my typing of THE as TEH, I won't develop the correct muscle memory will I?

Also spotted this poem somewhere (hopefully not on here ) which I found amusing.

Eye have a spelling chequer,
It came with my Pea Sea.
It plane lee marks four my revue
Miss Steaks I can knot sea.

Eye strike the quays and type a whirred
And weight four it two say
Weather eye am write oar wrong
It tells me straight a weigh.

Eye ran this poem threw it,
Your shore real glad two no.
Its vary polished in its weigh.
My chequer tolled me sew.

 

[Station240]

We had a decent interview with someone; I was reading his resume.

He has experience with IBM, Dell, and Compact computers.
Hmmm.. IBM, Dell, and little computers???

He also has experience with Cannon copiers/fax machines..
OK. That could be dangerous...

He is also familiar with Windows operating systems, from 3.1 threw Windows 7.

oh:

Never assume he was the one that stuffed it up either, could be some helpful soul who offered to rewrite it a little and they ran it through the spell checker.

If a Food Processor grinds up food, what does that imply a Word Processor does then ?

 

[desiv]

Never assume he was the one that stuffed it up either, could be some helpful soul who offered to rewrite it a little and they ran it through the spell checker.

Yep, that won't be why we don't (if we don't) offer him the position.
Although, it does show a weakness in the "attention to detail" category. ;-)

desiv

 

[AndyLandy]

Never assume he was the one that stuffed it up either, could be some helpful soul who offered to rewrite it a little and they ran it through the spell checker.

Yep, that won't be why we don't (if we don't) offer him the position.
Although, it does show a weakness in the "attention to detail" category. ;-)

desiv

In my experience of reading CVs (résumés) and interviewing people for jobs, it's not about absolutes, but more how your CV stacks up relative to all the other submissions that we've received. If you made a couple of schoolboy spelling errors on your CV, but everyone else's is in txtspk, you'll be the one who gets the interview.

 

[Justin]

we used to insist all applications were in black ballpoint only, then we wouldn't even read any that were printed or in blue ink etc.

it was a quick way of wittling out the ones that couldn't follow instruction.

 

[AndyLandy]

we used to insist all applications were in black ballpoint only, then we wouldn't even read any that were printed or in blue ink etc.

it was a quick way of wittling out the ones that couldn't follow instruction.

That's assuming, of course that you rate "following arbitrary instructions" as more important than any other skills.

My favourite advice though, is this: "Make sure you only employ lucky people, throw 50% of your applicants' CVs straight into the bin"

 

[Justin]

i think it shows more than just an ability to follow instruction, it also shows they can read, make an effort to find a black ballpoint, and that they care about what they are presenting

 

[ShambleS1980]

but surley if some one went out of theire way to get a big purple crayon to just defy your request you would have to read the cv to see what makes them so confident that the rest of theire attributes will more than compensate for the initial joke.