Harry Potter and other books - Americanized!

Rick Johnson   Wed Sep 06, 2006 6:38 pm GMT
<<But its on signs on famous American cuisine sellers such as Mc Donalds, Burger King, etc. Drive thru to be in detail.>>

Drive thru?

Never has there been any greater misnomer than the term "drive thru". Has any one ever tried driving "thru" a McDonalds?

A "Stop at the side" would be a more accurate description I feel!
The historian   Wed Sep 06, 2006 11:34 pm GMT
<<For a similar non-Webster example, take aluminium vs. aluminum. Both were common currency on both sides of the Atlantic in the 19th century, but the former gradually became dominant in the UK and the latter in the US.>>

1. Aluminium is the global standard in terms of spelling.

2. The American way of spelling Aluminium was in fact caused by a spelling misstake!
The non-mistaken   Thu Sep 07, 2006 3:42 am GMT
>>2. The American way of spelling Aluminium was in fact caused by a spelling misstake!<<

Like "misstake"?

Aluminum was preferred by scientists because it's more consistent with other spellings in the field: platinum, argentum, ferrum, etc. The Latin "alumina" from where the word derives has no I in the last syllable.
Ben   Thu Sep 07, 2006 4:29 am GMT
The bloke above has obviously not looked through the periodic table before. What about elements such as Helium, Lithium, Sodium, Potassium, Calcium, Riberium, Magnesium, Barium, Radium, etc.

By the way, there is no such element as 'ferrum' in English. We call it iron with the chemical symbol of Fe.
Tiffany   Thu Sep 07, 2006 4:47 am GMT
I've heard the American usage is the result of a mistake (I'd like to hear the full tale of this). "Aluminum" still came first though as the original name of element.
Guest   Thu Sep 07, 2006 6:04 am GMT
>>The bloke above has obviously not looked through the periodic table before.<<

Ooh, reowww, how catty. But nah, not since high school anyway.

>>What about elements such as Helium, Lithium, Sodium, Potassium, Calcium, Riberium, Magnesium, Barium, Radium, etc.<<

Well maybe it's the other around then. So the British scientists preferred "aluminium" over "aluminum" because it's consistent with those spellings which must make up the majority. That's all I meant.

>>By the way, there is no such element as 'ferrum' in English. We call it iron with the chemical symbol of Fe.<<

You'd think they would've come up with a proper English abbreviation by now. I think Ferrum (or fer in French) as interchangeable with iron when I see Fe.
The historian   Thu Sep 07, 2006 7:24 am GMT
<<Like "misstake"? >>

Yes, like misstake ;)
Ben   Thu Sep 07, 2006 1:09 pm GMT
Not being catty. I am just stating the truth. Aluminum may have the advantage of brevity but it falls short in consistency.
Tiffany   Thu Sep 07, 2006 5:29 pm GMT
How? The only consistent ending I see on the Periodic Table of Elements is -um as the last two letters. "Aluminum" meets that.
Rick Johnson   Thu Sep 07, 2006 6:49 pm GMT
<For a similar non-Webster example, take aluminium vs. aluminum>>

The element was originally named aluminum by British chemist Humphry Davy around the turn of the 19th Century. Other Scientists thought that the name could be improved by sticking an "i" in. Meanwhile, the Yanks had built a multi-million dollar "alumium" industry-replete with signs and industry associations- and so couldn't really be arsed changing!!
Rick Johnson   Thu Sep 07, 2006 6:53 pm GMT
Sorry "alumium" should read "aluminum"- although incidentally "alumium" was the first name Davy gave it!
Teuton_knights   Thu Sep 07, 2006 7:43 pm GMT
The american people cant understand basic English.

you say or course the can, but the answer is no.

A group of bright americans aged 14- 15 took an english exam paper of basic english. (mixed sex)
This was english oral, text and spelling.
The paper came back and all 40 children had failed the test. 0% passrate.
The problem was the paper was for a child aged 11 in the UK.
The same test was given to 40 English kids and the pass rate was 97% with combined exams of oral, spell, and text.
(all boys) 11 year old.

So yes USA have a problem understanding basic english, so I feel sorry for them with romeo and juliet and macbeth.

the test was conducted at a catholic Engish all boys school.
Tiffany   Thu Sep 07, 2006 8:24 pm GMT
LoL - proof? I have seen nothing but a claim. Link something if you'd like your finding to be taken into consideration.
guest   Thu Sep 07, 2006 9:16 pm GMT
<<The american people cant understand basic English.

you say or course the can, but the answer is no.

A group of bright americans aged 14- 15 took an english exam paper of basic english. (mixed sex)
This was english oral, text and spelling.
The paper came back and all 40 children had failed the test. 0% passrate.
The problem was the paper was for a child aged 11 in the UK.
The same test was given to 40 English kids and the pass rate was 97% with combined exams of oral, spell, and text.
(all boys) 11 year old.

So yes USA have a problem understanding basic english, so I feel sorry for them with romeo and juliet and macbeth.

the test was conducted at a catholic Engish all boys school.>>

That is correct!

<<LoL - proof? I have seen nothing but a claim. Link something if you'd like your finding to be taken into consideration.>>

This is nothing to laugh about Tiffany. It is deeply disturbing, and a fact that should not be taken lightly.
Tiffany   Thu Sep 07, 2006 9:50 pm GMT
I have still seen no proof. I can also say that I read a study that polled 50 British children and not one of them knew the capital of Belgium was Brussels, but there is no proof - only my word that such a study exists.

The only thing I find disturbing here is the lack of understanding of what proof is - do you understand now?