Originally posted by Nemesio
Regardless of its being the preferred spelling, advisor is an
acceptable alternative. Just like colour is an acceptable alternative
to color (or vice versa).
As such, he didn't warrant a public correction and you should
embarrassed that you corrected something as trivial as this
in a thread about puzzles.
Nemesio
That's Bowmann's gig. He corrects others, and never admits error, even when his corrections are wrong, or rooted in his own failings. Some of his corrections are senseless personal attacks, but most are simply curt observations of typing or spelling errors.
Many acceptable alternatives, such as colour for color, are residual "correct" spellings that remain the days when the sun never set on the British Empire. That sun set long ago, however, and the English have lost their priority over a language they've been protecting since they learned to speak from the French in the eleventh century. Prior to that, the English spoke a corruption of German.
Nevertheless, some alternative spellings and pronounciations have become "standard usage" only because correct usage is too difficult for average Americans. These changes should be rejected by knowledgeable people. For example, its has become common to pronounce caramel as if it were spelled carmel, and in some dictionaries sherbet has become sherbert. I oppose these trends. The language may change, but it matters whose alterations become acceptable.
Who is the smartest?
01 Nov '05 09:55
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