Do me a favour, is it flavor or flavour..lol!

[Snip 13]

Hi Guys
I've noticed that Americans spell certain words differently to South Africans.
Like we say flavour, colour, favour, savoury and favourite. Where you say flavor, color, favor, savory and favorite? Anyone know why this is? Is American English different to other countries?

 

[pacanis]

We say flavour, colour, favour, savoury and favourite, too...
We just spell it differently
Canadians use the ou. And for some odd reason, I've seen some folks in the US adopt that spelling, though I have no idea why. Maybe it looks cool

 

[CWS4322]

American Standard English drops the "u."
Canadian Standard English sometimes drops the "u."
British Standard English doesn't drop the "u."

The different Style Guides are a pain. I'm forever having to verify usage issues with punctuation and spelling conventions. And, Canadian spelling conventions and punctuation conventions are a hybrid of US and British. Go figure.

 

[Zhizara]

We say flavour, colour, favour, savoury and favourite, too...
We just spell it differently
Canadians use the ou. And for some odd reason, I've seen some folks in the US adopt that spelling, though I have no idea why. Maybe it looks cool

They think it makes them look cool.

I'm all for gradually eliminating excess letters in words.

Also, punctuating and writing the way we actually talk. We end sentences with prepositions all the time. It's just easier to say. So drop the silly "rule".

Quotation marks. I feel that if the ending quotation mark encloses a sentence, then the period belongs inside. If not, like "word", then leave the ending punctuation outside the quote mark since it applies to the whole sentence. I choose to punctuate that way. It just feels better, because it makes sense.

 

[pacanis]

That's how I tend to punctuate, too, Z.
For instance, tell me in the Queen's English how you pronouce "colour"?
lol

 

[Snip 13]

We say flavour, colour, favour, savoury and favourite, too...
We just spell it differently
Canadians use the ou. And for some odd reason, I've seen some folks in the US adopt that spelling, though I have no idea why. Maybe it looks cool

Lol! You know what I meant :P maybe it's just to be "cool" as you said.

 

[CWS4322]

They think it makes them look cool.

I'm all for gradually eliminating excess letters in words.

Also, punctuating and writing the way we actually talk. We end sentences with prepositions all the time. It's just easier to say. So drop the silly "rule".

Quotation marks. I feel that if the ending quotation mark encloses a sentence, then the period belongs inside. If not, like "word", then leave the ending punctuation outside the quote mark since it applies to the whole sentence. I choose to punctuate that way. It just feels better, because it makes sense.

I disagree. I earn my living as an editor and writer (and, I make a good living when I work [I don't work every day--but I do work from home, and have for 25 years--how much better is that?]--my hourly/per diem rate is more than a university professor makes and close to that MDs make). I work with non-English speakers most of the time. A misplaced comma in a contract can cost a company millions, if not billions, of dollars. Drug inserts that are poorly written can cost peoples' lives and pharmaceutical companies billions. Grammar and punctuation are important. To disregard the same devalues the skills of those who work in the field (I have an M.A. in languages--I paid a lot for that degree and I also spent a lot of time earning that degree. Not only am I proud of my degree, I am confident that when I explain a grammar rule, I know it inside and out). Saying that grammar and punctuation are unimportant devalues the skills that writers and editors have earned and worked hard to earn. That's like saying that now that people can access medical information on the Internet, medical expertise is not valued. Or that civil engineers are no longer needed.

Yes, spoken English is different (more casual) than written, but knowing the rules is still important.

 

[Snip 13]

That's how I tend to punctuate, too, Z.
For instance, tell me in the Queen's English how you pronouce "colour"?
lol

Oh bugger I don't know, colore! I've not met the queen dear :p
Besides we don't mention colour is SA anymore...lol!
Like for eg. African people to apply for this job only would be "affirmative action"
But that's a whole other thread!

 

[Claire]

This is funny. In one of my previous lives I was a typist at the Pentagon. I was favored (or favoured if you prefer) because, although I'm born and raised U.S. citizen, I love to read and could automatically turn my mind to British English (as opposed to American English). NATO documents, at least at that time, had to be in British. I was the only one in the organization who could flip a switch in my brain and change the spelling.

 

[Snip 13]

I think leaving things as is would be better, why turn our beautiful language into something it's not? That is just how I feel, I think it makes our children lazy. They no longer need to think either with computers and "spell check" etc.

 

[pacanis]

If it remained the same over here, Snip, we'd still be talking like the Puritans.

 

[Snip 13]

If it remained the same over here, Snip, we'd still be talking like the Puritans.

I am happy to hear that

 

[Snip 13]

Thank you for the information all. I was a bit concerned that people might think I do not how to spell! When I type spell check keeps correcting me! I thought I was going crazy..lol!

 

[Andy M.]

CWS4322, I understand your point but don't agree with all of it. I've always taken the approach that, regardless of the medium of written communication, the rules are the same. I don't use a lot of acronyms or texting abbreviations. I try to use properly constructed complete sentences and good grammar to the extent I know how.

However, we know our language is a living thing and changes over time whether we like it or not. Proper grammar and punctuation are not taught as thoroughly as they used to be. That makes it happen faster.

Zhizara's comments about extra letters and arcane rules may not be music to your ears but will most likely happen over time. Given the proliferation of texting, I see this accelerating.

 

[pacanis]

CWS4322, I understand your point but don't agree with all of it. I've always taken the approach that, regardless of the medium of written communication, the rules are the same. I don't use a lot of acronyms or texting abbreviations. I try to use properly constructed complete sentences and good grammar to the extent I know how.

However, we know our language is a living thing and changes over time whether we like it or not. Proper grammar and punctuation are not taught as thoroughly as they used to be. That makes it happen faster.

Zhizara's comments about extra letters and arcane rules may not be music to your ears but will most likely happen over time. Given the proliferation of texting, I see this accelerating.

+1

 

[Snip 13]

+1

I know change is inevitable but I am hoping it will not all happen in my time!
It is just really sad to see what the world is becoming. I would have been very happy if I was born 50 years earlier..lol! Not all changes are for the better.

 

[buckytom]

i was taught to spell both ways. the american way in school, and the british way by my dad.

a few years ago, i wrote a fairly long note to my dad in a birthday card, and he mentioned that he had noticed i used the american way. i'm not sure if he was disappointed or not, but after that i decided i would spell things the way he taught me, out of respect.

coolness has nothing to do with it, unless you happen to think it looks cool. then i'm all for it.

 

[ChefJune]

I disagree. I earn my living as an editor and writer (and, I make a good living when I work [I don't work every day--but I do work from home, and have for 25 years--how much better is that?]--my hourly/per diem rate is more than a university professor makes and close to that MDs make). I work with non-English speakers most of the time. A misplaced comma in a contract can cost a company millions, if not billions, of dollars. Drug inserts that are poorly written can cost peoples' lives and pharmaceutical companies billions. Grammar and punctuation are important. To disregard the same devalues the skills of those who work in the field (I have an M.A. in languages--I paid a lot for that degree and I also spent a lot of time earning that degree. Not only am I proud of my degree, I am confident that when I explain a grammar rule, I know it inside and out). Saying that grammar and punctuation are unimportant devalues the skills that writers and editors have earned and worked hard to earn. That's like saying that now that people can access medical information on the Internet, medical expertise is not valued. Or that civil engineers are no longer needed.

Yes, spoken English is different (more casual) than written, but knowing the rules is still important.

Oh boy, do I agree with you! Sadly many folks in school systems (I hesitate to call them "educators") don't. and they are advocating eliminating the teaching of handwriting, elementary mathematics (just use a calculator ) and untold other essential (imho) skills for a well educated person.

 

[tinlizzie]

This very morning I saw a large printed sign on a storefront, warning of its coming closing. It read in part, "Do to the closing..." Sigh.

 

[pacanis]

This very morning I saw a large printed sign on a storefront, warning of its coming closing. It read in part, "Do to the closing..." Sigh.

I hate when I sea stuff like that.