5 ms·

I've honestly just given up using British / Commonwealth English localisations in software. You run into constant little bugs and annoyances, and it's not like

by troad 3y ago

I've honestly just given up using British / Commonwealth English localisations in software. You run into constant little bugs and annoyances, and it's not like I can't decypher the US English version. Please always remember to let your users change regional settings separately and individually for currency, measures, first day of the week, etc.

pathartl 3y ago
ZIP Code was a service mark owned by the USPS. The generic term is a postal code. I've personally seen more and more software use the term postal code, especially anything that handles international addresses.
toyg 3y ago
Ironically, colour (like a few other ou-isms) is actually a modern French influence that took root in Britain but not "in the colonies".
- stevesimmons 3y ago
  In the "colonies" of Australia and New Zealand, "colour" is the accepted spelling.
  - hunter2_ 3y ago
    Many places have states (for example, Mexico) but "the states" typically refers to the ones in the USA. Perhaps the same applies to "the colonies"?
    - brigandish 3y ago
      If you're American, who are generally seen as incredibly parochial (especially by the British), then that may be the case. If you're British, then the colonies really could be any of 75% of the world. As a Brit, I think it's a tad unfair on the yanks to see them as that parochial. As a test, ask any Brit moaning about the NHS and railing against the US private system (these complaints often come together from people who would never consider themselves parochial) whether the health services of Germany, France or the Netherlands are private. They won't have the first clue. Just shows you, all that consumption of worldly and international news by worldly and international types remains strangely parochial, and that's just one example.
- JohnFen 3y ago
  There's quite a few things that are considered "Americanisms" now, but are actually British. After the American revolution, British English continued to change, but many old-timey Britishisms remained frozen in American English. Now, they're thought of as American.
  - piker 3y ago
    Got an example? Sounds interesting.
    - JohnFen 3y ago
      Sure. "Soccer" is one. It started in England as college slang. "Soc" short for "association" from "football association", and "er" added as a jocular formation. That guy is a soccer. Rugby players were similarly called ruggers. Also, more vague but fascinating, is that the American "southern accent" (quotes because there isn't a single southern accent, but most people think of a specific one when they think "southern accent") is largely a "British accent" (quotes for the same reason), but British circa the 1700s. This is actually a fascinating subject, well worth looking into if you're interested in English language history. Also interesting is that the division between American and British English has been growing softer over time, and more and more modern Britishisms are being used regularly by Americans (and vice versa).
      - forgotusername6 3y ago
        Whenever I hear the "British accent of the 1700" I just don't really believe it. There isn't a British accent now. There are many many different accents, all wildly different.
        arp242 3y ago
        They said "a British accent", as in, "one accent among others".
        JohnFen 3y ago
        Right, as I mentioned. Same with American or even Southern American accents. There are a wide variety of distinct ones on both sides of the pond. The various accents do tend to have features in common, though, so you can hear that the various southern accents are part of the same family, and similarly with the various British accents. There are, of course, exceptions to this as well. This bit of linguistic history is really referring to a fairly specific American accent and a fairly specific British accent.
- rodric 3y ago
  Modern French has had little influence on English. As I understand it, the -our forms are evolutions from the Norman French spellings that introduced these Latinate words into English after the Conquest. In the Renaissance, as many words made their way into English directly from Latin, there was something of a desire to Latinize the spellings of these words to their original -or forms. This had some traction in Britain (eg, horror, tremor, governor) but really took root in America.

by troad 3y ago

pathartl 3y ago

ZIP Code was a service mark owned by the USPS. The generic term is a postal code. I've personally seen more and more software use the term postal code, especially anything that handles international addresses.

toyg 3y ago

Ironically, colour (like a few other ou-isms) is actually a modern French influence that took root in Britain but not "in the colonies".

stevesimmons 3y ago
In the "colonies" of Australia and New Zealand, "colour" is the accepted spelling.
- hunter2_ 3y ago
  Many places have states (for example, Mexico) but "the states" typically refers to the ones in the USA. Perhaps the same applies to "the colonies"?
  - brigandish 3y ago
    If you're American, who are generally seen as incredibly parochial (especially by the British), then that may be the case. If you're British, then the colonies really could be any of 75% of the world. As a Brit, I think it's a tad unfair on the yanks to see them as that parochial. As a test, ask any Brit moaning about the NHS and railing against the US private system (these complaints often come together from people who would never consider themselves parochial) whether the health services of Germany, France or the Netherlands are private. They won't have the first clue. Just shows you, all that consumption of worldly and international news by worldly and international types remains strangely parochial, and that's just one example.
JohnFen 3y ago
There's quite a few things that are considered "Americanisms" now, but are actually British. After the American revolution, British English continued to change, but many old-timey Britishisms remained frozen in American English. Now, they're thought of as American.
- piker 3y ago
  Got an example? Sounds interesting.
  - JohnFen 3y ago
    Sure. "Soccer" is one. It started in England as college slang. "Soc" short for "association" from "football association", and "er" added as a jocular formation. That guy is a soccer. Rugby players were similarly called ruggers. Also, more vague but fascinating, is that the American "southern accent" (quotes because there isn't a single southern accent, but most people think of a specific one when they think "southern accent") is largely a "British accent" (quotes for the same reason), but British circa the 1700s. This is actually a fascinating subject, well worth looking into if you're interested in English language history. Also interesting is that the division between American and British English has been growing softer over time, and more and more modern Britishisms are being used regularly by Americans (and vice versa).
    - forgotusername6 3y ago
      Whenever I hear the "British accent of the 1700" I just don't really believe it. There isn't a British accent now. There are many many different accents, all wildly different.
      - arp242 3y ago
        They said "a British accent", as in, "one accent among others".
      - JohnFen 3y ago
        Right, as I mentioned. Same with American or even Southern American accents. There are a wide variety of distinct ones on both sides of the pond. The various accents do tend to have features in common, though, so you can hear that the various southern accents are part of the same family, and similarly with the various British accents. There are, of course, exceptions to this as well. This bit of linguistic history is really referring to a fairly specific American accent and a fairly specific British accent.
rodric 3y ago
Modern French has had little influence on English. As I understand it, the -our forms are evolutions from the Norman French spellings that introduced these Latinate words into English after the Conquest. In the Renaissance, as many words made their way into English directly from Latin, there was something of a desire to Latinize the spellings of these words to their original -or forms. This had some traction in Britain (eg, horror, tremor, governor) but really took root in America.