tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452100631542614455.post4531578133896648581..comments2010-08-05T22:48:59.946+02:00Comments on The Third Witness: In case you were wondering, ...Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452100631542614455.post-23995611950866083142008-03-20T11:12:00.000+01:002008-03-20T11:12:00.000+01:00Thanks for dropping by, Gavin! You’re right: this ...Thanks for dropping by, Gavin! You’re right: this is a case of veritable <I>déformation professionnelle</I> for me, I’m afraid, as my niche these days involves me in harmonising/harmonizing spellings in texts written by non-native (but frighteningly proficient) professional users of English here in Belgium.<BR/><BR/>As time goes on, I’m becoming increasingly sympathetic to US spelling conventions, as they are usually simpler, more logical, and sometimes even phonetic! The first (and so far only) book I have edited was also published in the USA, and, thanks to many years of reading the original PT, I am very comfortable with American English as well as with my “mother tongue”.<BR/><BR/>In everyday communication, it’s more the different meanings of “the same word” that can cause unintended confusion sometimes. I once heard Joseph Tkach Sr say in a video sermon: “My suspenders are killing me!” – and I didn’t know what to think until I learned that in America “suspenders” are what we Brits call “braces” (i.e. the things men use to hold up their trousers [“pants” to you Americans – no “offense” intended!]) and not the accessory a lady would use for holding up her stockings [or should that be “panty hose”?]. (To be continued...)<BR/><BR/>One encouraging trend is that here in Belgium, where we have three official languages (Dutch, French and German), English is often a unifying factor rather than something that gives rise to conflicts. And, for practical reasons, in everyday communication within the EU institutions, you might say that English is fast becoming the de facto lingua franca of Europe!<BR/><BR/>“Have a nice day!” (and I really, literally, DO “mean that sincerely”). <BR/><BR/>GrahamThe Third Witnesshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07215930025342828429noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8452100631542614455.post-5510499590457334612008-03-20T09:53:00.000+01:002008-03-20T09:53:00.000+01:00"the next exciting instal[l]ment"Graham, I perceiv..."the next exciting instal[l]ment"<BR/><BR/>Graham, I perceive that you are torn, like me, between two spellings... the American (ll) and the British/rest of the world (l). I've tended to default to the former just because most blog readers come from the USA, but in my tetchy old age I notice myself getting bloody-minded about the "proper" spelling, and I let slip a "centre" the other day. <BR/><BR/>One more thing to be conflicted about... ;-)Gavinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03060097218905523899noreply@blogger.com