graydar

[wowenglish1]

I would like to know the meaning of the next sentence.
Grandma has graydar!

 

[5jj]

She has 'gray' + 'radar' = 'graydar'; she has a sensing system for gray hair.

Joke:-D.

 

[konungursvia]

She has 'gray' + 'radar' = 'graydar'; she has a sensing system for gray har.

Joke:-D.

Wow, I've never seen a real Brit use American spelling. :lol:

 

[SoothingDave]

There's no such thing as "redar." ;-)

 

[konungursvia]

There's no such thing as "redar." ;-)

REDAR - What does REDAR stand for? Acronyms and abbreviations by the Free Online Dictionary.

 

[5jj]

Wow, I've never seen a real Brit use American spelling. :lol:

I had to force myself to do it, but BrE spelling just wouldn't have worked. :-(

 

[Tdol]

And it is a variation of gaydar, so the spelling looks better in AmE.

 

[Tdol]

Wow, I've never seen a real Brit use American spelling. :lol:

I tried to do it as an experiment for a week, but gave up after a couple of days as it was so difficult.

I have seen computer programmers write color because they've got used to doing it when coding.

 

[konungursvia]

I grew up on British spelling too, but I have to admit I prefer American spelling, objectively, and sometimes use it.

 

[Hedwig]

The ESL users opinion: I use Br spelling, since it's what I learnt at school, but I've noticed myself slipping into Am spelling, especially when I've been corresponding a lot with Americans. Happens with vocabulary, too.
The little quirks of globalisation. zation.

 

[konungursvia]

But the -ize ending is an Oxford convention, based on Greek and Latin, and isn't strictly American.

 

[Hedwig]

But the -ize ending is an Oxford convention, based on Greek and Latin, and isn't strictly American.

That's right. But I the -ise ending is very usual in the UK and unusual (if not unseen) in AmE.
I wus jest braggin abaut mi oll-encomppasing speling sckils. Hee, hee!

 

[SoothingDave]

For what it's worth, I prefer the "grey" spelling of the color. I don't mind most British spellings except for "tyre" which just looks really odd.

 

[konungursvia]

For what it's worth, I prefer the "grey" spelling of the color. I don't mind most British spellings except for "tyre" which just looks really odd.

Yes, I have a dislike for "tyre" and "gaol" (thank goodness Elvis wasn't a Brit, or he'd have written "gaol-house rock."

Generally, the Americans "corrected" a few oddities in English spelling that were failed attempts at obedience to French tradition.

Couleur > colour
Honneur > honour

Whereas in Latin and Spanish, we have spellings which appear closer to our English pronunciations:

Color
Honor

I like it that the Americans streamlined these, with a very thoughtful and moderate hand. (Hope they can recover some sense of moderation this century).

 

[emsr2d2]

Ah, how personal opinions differ.

I'm no longer terribly bothered by honor/color etc, and occasionally I'll let -ize slide by, but "tyre" is the only correct spelling for me! If I see "tire" written by a BrE speaker, I immediately jump to the conclusion that they simply can't spell, not that they've chosen to use the AmE spelling.

 

[Tdol]

I grew up on British spelling too, but I have to admit I prefer American spelling, objectively, and sometimes use it.

It is a more logical system in most cases, but it's very hard to change.

 

[BobK]

...

I have seen computer programmers write color because they've got used to doing it when coding.

:up: ...And a few other words ('center' is one). They're called 'reserved words' - words that have a special meaning for the compiler. (I wonder whether it's impossible - for some technical reason that I don't understand - to invent a compiler that correctly parses say 'center' or 'centre'... (etc). I guess it's just unnecessary, because most promrammers - not dilettantes like me - have learnt the hard way.

b

 

[konungursvia]

:up: ...And a few other words ('center' is one). They're called 'reserved words' - words that have a special meaning for the compiler. (I wonder whether it's impossible - for some technical reason that I don't understand - to invent a compiler that correctly parses say 'center' or 'centre'... (etc). I guess it's just unnecessary, because most promrammers - not dilettantes like me - have learnt the hard way.

b

You could always run a macro to search and replace before compiling, I guess.

 

[Tdol]

:up: ...And a few other words ('center' is one). They're called 'reserved words' - words that have a special meaning for the compiler. (I wonder whether it's impossible - for some technical reason that I don't understand - to invent a compiler that correctly parses say 'center' or 'centre'... (etc). I guess it's just unnecessary, because most promrammers - not dilettantes like me - have learnt the hard way.

b

I meant that I have seen these spelling used by them outside coding- using it every day in work, it becomes a habit they take home with them. I have seen our own webmaster do it. ;-)