The joys and differences between US/CAN spelling...

[warlord 73]

Just one of the many hurdles to jump! In a lot of ways I've always used American spellings. It used to get me in trouble in highschool, but once I got to university nobody cared... probably because a lot of my professors were Americans. I just feel like the U's are strange and unnecessary, but I'll always want to put "re" instead of "er" on a lot of words.

Are you channeling Warlord today??

Maybe? I don't get the reference...

Who what where? I never used the British/Canadian spelling at all, probably mostly based on the childrens show I watched as a kid before the CRTC decided to hijack them with Canadian content. So Seaseme Street was 100% pure American as well as all the other cartoons and shows in the 70's. So that's where I pretty much learned my spellings and phrases from. Plus back then teachers I had didn't care which way you spelt it. Same with metric which I know very little of, everything was still feet and miles and Ferenheight etc. So I grew up with that, and still to this day never learned Celcius other then 0 is freezing, but if someone said it's 20 degrees out in Celcius, I would have a blank face not sure if it's hot or cold or in between.

The "Don't be a suck" thing I think I may have heard before. I think most people say "Don't be a baby" here instead.

The thing I love telling my mother is why would you spell center like centre but not spell enter as entre? I said all you do is add a c in front, so why would you change the end? She always would roll her eyes at me for that.

With the uneeded u in words, to me it sounds like colour would be pronounced col our and not col or. Hence why I don't understand putting in an extra letter without changing the sound...

[thetreble 19]

You are acting as if the English language should all of a sudden become phonetical. English is not a phonetical language and words don't sound how they are necessarily spelt.

[Sprailenes 47]

You are acting as if the English language should all of a sudden become phonetical. English is not a phonetical language and words don't sound how they are necessarily spelt.

I think you mean "fonetical" Amanda.

[ruby_mtl 0]

This thread is so funny to read! Im not sure how much I can relate since I'm a frenchie, but it made me notice that I use canadian spelling, but can also use american spelling. Knowing myself, I'll probably "force" the canadian spelling once I move until somebody gets really offended or I if I could loose my job over it!

[The_Dude 1,142]

There are always things coming up here and again. I will tell you that I have not succumbed to the US form of spelling and don't plan to. I think it would be hard to stop doing something after 20 years of doing it.

The other day a colleague of mine came into our office and I said, "Oh hi Spencer! Tim's been after you..."

He said, "what?"

I said, "Tim's been asking after you..."

He looked at me like a deer in headlights...until a girl at work said to me, "amanda, I don't think any of us know what you mean...is tim chasing after spencer?" I was laughing hysterically!

Pass me a soda please Amanda

I've all but given up on farenheit when I'm talking to my wife about temperatures. I changed the thremometer on my car to read in celcius and various other ones.

Washroom vs restroom, my hunnie says " I am going to the restroom." And I always reply "are you planning on taking a nap in there?"

Oh yes!! It's so funny!! I told Tim that you actually see it spelled up here!

The one he caught me on was the difference between BBQ and grill. Here, we just say BBQ. "Come on over for a BBQ!!" Simply put; we're burning hamburgers outside!! He was real curious when my sister was going to BBQ the salmon we caught. Then after dinner he says..."ohhhhh you meant GRILL the salmon!!" I blinked at him..."yes..what did you think?" He says...it's only BBQ when you put BBQ SAUCE on it!!!! Oh...silly me...of course!!

*shrugs*..I've so much to learn....

The difference between BBQ something and grilling it is what source of flame you use. BBQ requires wood or charcoal whereas grilling is what you do with a gas/propane grill.

[scandal 951]

You are acting as if the English language should all of a sudden become phonetical. English is not a phonetical language and words don't sound how they are necessarily spelt.

I think you mean "fonetical" Amanda.

And I think she meant "spelled", too

About Celcius/Fahrenheit, and metric/imperial in general - I think it may depend on your age. Metric was introduced in Canada in 1975, when I was 10. So I was already starting to think feet/pounds/miles when the change was made. What I have found is that anything metric imposed from without - like the weather report in Celcius or the highway markers in km, tends to "stick" in metric for me. However anything about my personal body which the government could never enforce, has stayed in imperial units. I know my height/weight in feet & pounds, and can't for the life of me remember them in cm. or kg.

I wouldn't be surprised if that remains true even for Canadians born well after 1975.

[thetreble 19]

You are acting as if the English language should all of a sudden become phonetical. English is not a phonetical language and words don't sound how they are necessarily spelt.

I think you mean "fonetical" Amanda.

And I think she meant "spelled", too

While Nevada is joking I see you probably arent...spelt is just fine and proper, actually. That, unfortunately, is part of the British spellings I never got rid of.

[Krikit 1,164]

When you're in a restaurant and want to pay at the end of your meal, do you ask the waiter for your bill, or ask him for your check?

In Canada I always used to ask for the bill. Here I ask for the check.

I asked for the bill the other night and the server said "Oh, you want the check." lol

Washroom vs restroom, my hunnie says " I am going to the restroom." And I always reply "are you planning on taking a nap in there?"

I always get "the look" and have learned to say ladies room. lol. All the people in my husband's family, as well as a ton of other people I have met here, say that the washroom is the laundry room so they'd be looking at me like whenever I asked them where it was.

The one he caught me on was the difference between BBQ and grill. Here, we just say BBQ. "Come on over for a BBQ!!" Simply put; we're burning hamburgers outside!! He was real curious when my sister was going to BBQ the salmon we caught. Then after dinner he says..."ohhhhh you meant GRILL the salmon!!" I blinked at him..."yes..what did you think?" He says...it's only BBQ when you put BBQ SAUCE on it!!!! Oh...silly me...of course!!

I was never so disappointed than when we were in NC and my husband announced we were going to pick up BBQ for dinner. So we get to the place and he orders pulled pork (which I'd never had before), coleslaw, and hush puppies (or something to that effect). I was, like, .... where's the chicken and the ribs and the burgers?

I don't like American BBQ.

[scandal 951]

You are acting as if the English language should all of a sudden become phonetical. English is not a phonetical language and words don't sound how they are necessarily spelt.

I think you mean "fonetical" Amanda.

And I think she meant "spelled", too

While Nevada is joking I see you probably arent...spelt is just fine and proper, actually. That, unfortunately, is part of the British spellings I never got rid of.

Hmm. ok. I learned something new today

I've always knows "spelt" to be a grain.

But looking up in OED

http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/spell_1?view=uk

spell

• verb (past and past part. spelled or chiefly Brit. spelt) 1 write or name the letters that form (a word) in correct sequence. 2 (of letters) make up or form (a word). 3 be a sign of; lead to: the plans would spell disaster. 4 (spell out) explain clearly and in detail.

I see it is accepted in British spelling as the past participle of "spell". I've not seen that used in Canada, however.

[warlord 73]

When you're in a restaurant and want to pay at the end of your meal, do you ask the waiter for your bill, or ask him for your check?

In Canada I always used to ask for the bill. Here I ask for the check.

I asked for the bill the other night and the server said "Oh, you want the check." lol

Washroom vs restroom, my hunnie says " I am going to the restroom." And I always reply "are you planning on taking a nap in there?"

I always get "the look" and have learned to say ladies room. lol. All the people in my husband's family, as well as a ton of other people I have met here, say that the washroom is the laundry room so they'd be looking at me like whenever I asked them where it was.

The one he caught me on was the difference between BBQ and grill. Here, we just say BBQ. "Come on over for a BBQ!!" Simply put; we're burning hamburgers outside!! He was real curious when my sister was going to BBQ the salmon we caught. Then after dinner he says..."ohhhhh you meant GRILL the salmon!!" I blinked at him..."yes..what did you think?" He says...it's only BBQ when you put BBQ SAUCE on it!!!! Oh...silly me...of course!!

I was never so disappointed than when we were in NC and my husband announced we were going to pick up BBQ for dinner. So we get to the place and he orders pulled pork (which I'd never had before), coleslaw, and hush puppies (or something to that effect). I was, like, .... where's the chicken and the ribs and the burgers?

I don't like American BBQ.

When I was young my dad always said bill, though everyone else called it a check. I'd always ask my dad who Bill was, and he would roll his eyes.

I've always called it the Bathroom in both countries and everyone seems to perfectly understand so I've just always stuck with that. I do know my friends in Canada though use the word washroom and it does sound kind of funny to me, but maybe it's because I never hear it common place anymore and now it seems foreign.

I've never been a fan of BBQ or the pulled pork or the BBQ chicken or wings or anything. I swore there were some BBQ restraunts in Canada too that were the same. Thought one when I was growing up was in a restraunt shaped like a barn or something...

[Marilyn. 340]

maybe BBQ/grill is a regional thing because they call it barbecue around here.. like my Bil will call us up and invite us over for a barbecue.. and they usually BBQ chicken and carne asada (thin steak).. they either use a charcoal grill or a propane grill

[trailmix 77]

Hmm. ok. I learned something new today

I've always knows "spelt" to be a grain.

But looking up in OED

http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/spell_1?view=uk

spell

• verb (past and past part. spelled or chiefly Brit. spelt) 1 write or name the letters that form (a word) in correct sequence. 2 (of letters) make up or form (a word). 3 be a sign of; lead to: the plans would spell disaster. 4 (spell out) explain clearly and in detail.

I see it is accepted in British spelling as the past participle of "spell". I've not seen that used in Canada, however.

We commonly use the word spelt in my family.

maybe BBQ/grill is a regional thing because they call it barbecue around here.. like my Bil will call us up and invite us over for a barbecue.. and they usually BBQ chicken and carne asada (thin steak).. they either use a charcoal grill or a propane grill

Yeah, as I mentioned last year, when we first went to a BBQ place here - it was just cooked meat (and I don't believe there was any open flame involved) it is really all about the BBQ sauce - which I totally don't get.

[TimandJoyce 1]

I was never so disappointed than when we were in NC and my husband announced we were going to pick up BBQ for dinner. So we get to the place and he orders pulled pork (which I'd never had before), coleslaw, and hush puppies (or something to that effect). I was, like, .... where's the chicken and the ribs and the burgers?

I don't like American BBQ.

LOL Yeah, Tim was so excited to show me that! I have to admit, it was pretty good! And I love hush puppies!!

I've also discovered I like grits. Now I know I'm talking the southern part of the States with this. Our friend from California can't get them, so Tim likes to send some out to her when he can!

Guess when your living in Rome..you do as the Romans!! It's going to be interesting adjusting to all this.

[JillA 2]

Aren't hush puppies a type of shoe?

[The_Dude 1,142]

maybe BBQ/grill is a regional thing because they call it barbecue around here.. like my Bil will call us up and invite us over for a barbecue.. and they usually BBQ chicken and carne asada (thin steak).. they either use a charcoal grill or a propane grill

Yeah, as I mentioned last year, when we first went to a BBQ place here - it was just cooked meat (and I don't believe there was any open flame involved) it is really all about the BBQ sauce - which I totally don't get.

It's an all to commonly misused term. Like people who refer to any soda/pop as "coke".

Aren't hush puppies a type of shoe?

Depends on where you are. In the south, Hush Puppies is a type of food.