Extraneous U's

[Arti3]

Would be an awesome band name, amiright?
Don't answer that.
What are some words that can have an extra u in them (from an Americans perspective)?
Some: colour, flavour, bourgeoisie (I kid, I kid)

[The Extinguisher]

I always use extraneous u's. (and yes, it coumpletely would be)

After every o I always put in anouter letter. The u, ouf course. It makes wourds sou much moure elegant and beautiful.

[Arti3]

I coumpletely see what you tried to oubfuscate from me: you put u's after every o(u).
And the couw says mouou.

[Temotei]

Sounds like a thread jumping off of the grey vs. gray thread. :smallamused:

Armour can have it. I prefer armor.

[llamamushroom]

My favourite way of spelling anything is with an extra 'u' - it is what separate's the honourable British from you filthy Americans. :smalltongue:

[Boo]

If only Canada had a proper programme for learning Queen's English. No really.

[Cobra_Ikari]

You forgot "from".

Or...rather...

...youu fourgout "froum". :smalltongue:

[averagejoe]

Sounds like a thread jumping off of the grey vs. gray thread. :smallamused:

Armour can have it. I prefer armor.

And I prefer amour. :smallcool:

[Rauthiss]

And I prefer amour. :smallcool:

*removes glasses*

YYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!

[Castaras]

Armour
Colour
Honour
Labour
Favourite
Humour
Mould
Moustache (Added O instead of u :smallwink:)
Dialogue
Analogue

There's a few I can remember.

[Nameless]

Armour
Colour
Honour
Labour
Favourite
Humour
Mould
Moustache (Added O instead of u :smallwink:)
Dialogue
Analogue

There's a few I can remember.

Prologue. :D *feels involved*

[Rauthiss]

Epilogue. Yay~

[Nameless]

Epilogue. Yay~

Monologue! *glee*

[Ashen Lilies]

People spell words like 'epilogue' without a 'u'? What kind of- wha- why- this- This is Madness! :smallfurious:

*preemptively hurls self into well*

[Cyrion]

People spell words like 'epilogue' without a 'u'? What kind of- wha- why- this- This is Madness! :smallfurious:

*preemptively hurls self into well*

I don't know if it's the true etymology, but prolog may be related to prolegomenon- a synonym for introduction (noticably lacking in u-age), and thus the addition of the u is madness.

I've always thought the second u in vacuum is unkind. And why do we pronounce vacuum with two syllables but continuum usually gets three?

And to steal from George Bernard Shaw (but having nothing to do with u's) how do you pronounce "ghoti"? Same way you do "fish". It's the gh from enough, the o from women and the ti from nation.

[KuReshtin]

I've always thought the second u in vacuum is unkind. And why do we pronounce vacuum with two syllables but continuum usually gets three?


I usually pronounce 'continuum' with four syllables.

[Thursday]

I usually pronounce 'continuum' with four syllables.

Like all civilised peoples

[Ikialev]

I pronounce it with only one syllable. It's manlier this way.

[Cobra_Ikari]

Armour
Colour
Honour
Labour
Favourite
Humour
Mould
Moustache (Added O instead of u :smallwink:)
Dialogue
Analogue

There's a few I can remember.

Is "mould" referring to shaping? Or the fuzzy green stuff?

Also, that's how moustache is spelled in America, too. And all the -logues are spelled the same here as well. Crazy British people... =P

[KuReshtin]

One word that has way too many extraneous letters: Queue
I'm just saying. It seems a bit excessive to have two silent u's and two silent e's at the end..

[megabyter5]

British people spell things their own way because they're too proud to back down. I'm pretty sure pride is the only emotion they can display in public, so at least they leave it at that. Trust me, as an American born in England I have the perfect perspective to comment on this.

[Totally Guy]

I think you'll find that British people tend to use British spellings is because British people tend to use British Spellings.

Similarly I'd suppose that American people tend to use American spellings because American people tend to use American Spellings.

[Cobra_Ikari]

I think you'll find that British people tend to use British spellings is because British people tend to use British Spellings.

Similarly I'd suppose that American people tend to use American spellings because American people tend to use American Spellings.

Dude, you totally lost me there.

[Nameless]

British people spell things their own way because they're too proud to back down. I'm pretty sure pride is the only emotion they can display in public, so at least they leave it at that. Trust me, as an American born in England I have the perfect perspective to comment on this.

You never know when one of us Brits are angry. You’ll be standing there watching us two hours later asking yourself. “Is… is he angry or what?”. Nut you’ll know when we’re REALLY angry. When we REALLY get peed off we go, “Hm… I’m gonna write a letter…”

[Fawkes]

People spell words like 'epilogue' without a 'u'? What kind of- wha- why- this- This is Madness! :smallfurious:

*preemptively hurls self into well*

Dialog and analog are accepted American spellings.

Epilog, prolog, and monolog are technically allowed, but not usually used. Firefox is actually giving me the little red line for them, but they appear as alternate spelling in several dictionaries.

[Totally Guy]

Dude, you totally lost me there.

If I was at work and I started writing a letter to other British companies and I decided to write in American spellings then eventually I'd be told that I should be writing in British spellings because to not do so is odd. It would probably look a little unprofessional too.

Within the system you are currently in the expected behaviour reinforces itself.

The whole thing is a tautology.

The American football vs. Soccer debate? Tautology. The popular game stays popular because the fans are introduced into a society where the popular game is already popular.

[Dogmantra]

I couldn't care less about whether or not people use Us, but what really grinds my gears is that a couple of years ago I was told that spelling it "sulfur" (the only way I'd ever seen it spelt, from Heroes 3) was wrong and now I'm getting told that "sulphur" is wrong.

I'm going to go ahead and spell it "soulphfour" in protest.

[Fawkes]

I couldn't care less about whether or not people use Us, but what really grinds my gears is that a couple of years ago I was told that spelling it "sulfur" (the only way I'd ever seen it spelt, from Heroes 3) was wrong and now I'm getting told that "sulphur" is wrong.

They're both correct, whoever corrected you was wrong.

[Arti3]

I couldn't care less about whether or not people use Us, but what really grinds my gears is that a couple of years ago I was told that spelling it "sulfur" (the only way I'd ever seen it spelt, from Heroes 3) was wrong and now I'm getting told that "sulphur" is wrong.

I'm going to go ahead and spell it "soulphfour" in protest.
Or scoulphfour, maybe soulph4

[Dogmantra]

They're both correct, whoever corrected you was wrong.

Well the UK spelling is with a ph, but since US English is the industry standard, all chemistry exams are in US English, with the f and frig this.


soulph4
I'm doing this.

[Shas aia Toriia]

Well the UK spelling is with a ph, but since US English is the industry standard, all chemistry exams are in US English, with the f and frig this.

It is much too hard to keep track of whether 'standards' are US or British.
It seems like they're constantly changing, too.

[Brother Oni]

It is much too hard to keep track of whether 'standards' are US or British.
It seems like they're constantly changing, too.

Actually chemical naming standards are set by International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry and in their infinite wisdom, they've decided to set the spelling to sulphur sulfur. :smallannoyed:

[Yrcrazypa]

My favourite way of spelling anything is with an extra 'u' - it is what separate's the honourable British from you filthy Americans. :smalltongue:

Try reading Middle English sometime, it's nearly impossible. :P Both versions of English aren't any more or less correct. If I recall correctly, neither were closer to the 'original' form of English, and it was actually some (comparatively) smaller country that was closer to the original form. Someone with better knowledge of this type of thing than me can elaborate.

[Thursday]

You never know when one of us Brits are angry. You’ll be standing there watching us two hours later asking yourself. “Is… is he angry or what?”. Nut you’ll know when we’re REALLY angry. When we REALLY get peed off we go, “Hm… I’m gonna write a letter…”

And don't you find sometimes its hard to remember you're doing it?
-I have an Irish friend who has taken to translating me...

'Yeah, we could do that, why not?' Means 'thats a great idea! Brilliant!'
'hey that wasn't half bad, was it?' means OMG thats totally awesome OMG!!!

Maybe I'm too English.

[Brother Oni]

I remember reading a story (I think about the Korean War) where a British commander was under attack and sent a message to his American counterpart, saying 'things are a bit sticky'.

Translated to American-speak, what he actually said was "Situation urgent. Send reinforcements immediately".

[Dogmantra]

I have this saved on my computer for any time someone says that either way of spelling is more "pure":

Swa wæs Biowulfe, þa he biorges weard
sohte, searoniðas; seolfa ne cuðe
þurh hwæt his worulde gedal weorðan sceolde.
Swa hit oð domes dæg diope benemdon
þeodnas mære, þa ðæt þær dydon,
þæt se secg wære synnum scildig,
hergum geheaðerod, hellbendum fæst,
wommum gewitnad, se ðone wong strude,
næs he goldhwæte gearwor hæfde
agendes est ær gesceawod.

[Atelm]

My favourite way of spelling anything is with an extra 'u' - it is what separate's the honourable British from you filthy Americans. :smalltongue:

This, pretty much. :smallamused:

[Worira]

I have this saved on my computer for any time someone says that either way of spelling is more "pure":

Swa wæs Biowulfe, þa he biorges weard
sohte, searoniðas; seolfa ne cuðe
þurh hwæt his worulde gedal weorðan sceolde.
Swa hit oð domes dæg diope benemdon
þeodnas mære, þa ðæt þær dydon,
þæt se secg wære synnum scildig,
hergum geheaðerod, hellbendum fæst,
wommum gewitnad, se ðone wong strude,
næs he goldhwæte gearwor hæfde
agendes est ær gesceawod.


Biowulfe is a cool name.

[bosssmiley]

Actually chemical naming standards are set by International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry and in their infinite wisdom, they've decided to set the spelling to sulphur sulfur. :smallannoyed:

I smell the garlic-reeking influence of the perfidious French in this decision. Typical froggy "hijack the talking shop" gambit (see also FIDE (http://www.fide.com/), FIFA (http://www.fifa.com/)) :smallconfused:

Oh, and the 'u' controversy. That was due to an overproduction of tiny horseshoes by a Birmingham ironworks in Britain in the 18th century. Dr Johnson, a shareholder in the company involved, edited his dictionary to include more 'u's, and then suggested the surplus horseshoes be sold to the printers as type. Noah Webster, not being a shareholder in said company, didn't.

True story. No make up. :smallwink:

[raitalin]

One word that has way too many extraneous letters: Queue
I'm just saying. It seems a bit excessive to have two silent u's and two silent e's at the end..

This. The first time I saw it in print I was like: "Kyoo-way? Kwee? What the **** is that?"

I heartily recommend everyone get behind me in just spelling it "cue", like in billiards.

[Raistlin1040]

This. The first time I saw it in print I was like: "Kyoo-way? Kwee? What the **** is that?"

I heartily recommend everyone get behind me in just spelling it "cue", like in billiards.

I see what you did there.

[Thufir]

I smell the garlic-reeking influence of the perfidious French in this decision. Typical froggy "hijack the talking shop" gambit (see also FIDE (http://www.fide.com/), FIFA (http://www.fifa.com/)) :smallconfused:

Heh. Reminds me of that episode of Yes, Prime Minister:

"Don't we ever get our way with the French?"
"Oh, sometimes."
"When was the last time?"
"Battle of Waterloo, 1815..."

More on topic: Sulphur, queue. I will accept no substitutes for these spellings.
Oh, and maths has an s on the end.

[CrimsonAngel]

In first grade, I spelled color 'colour' on a spelling test. The teacher gave me the points.

[Dogmantra]

In first grade, I spelled color 'colour' on a spelling test. The teacher gave me the points.

I love your first grade teacher. I had to stay in at break time to correct the word "color" to "colour" when I was in primary school.

The sad thing is, I knew how to spell colour, I was just writing about a Gameboy Color, which is spelt without the U...

[Dragonrider]

I have this saved on my computer for any time someone says that either way of spelling is more "pure":

Swa wæs Biowulfe, þa he biorges weard
sohte, searoniðas; seolfa ne cuðe
þurh hwæt his worulde gedal weorðan sceolde.
Swa hit oð domes dæg diope benemdon
þeodnas mære, þa ðæt þær dydon,
þæt se secg wære synnum scildig,
hergum geheaðerod, hellbendum fæst,
wommum gewitnad, se ðone wong strude,
næs he goldhwæte gearwor hæfde
agendes est ær gesceawod.

Hon, that's a different language. :smalltongue:



Dialogue
Analogue

I've always spelled them that way even though Microsoft Word is always telling me to take the UEs off. They look naked without the endings.


Prologue. :D *feels involved*

Epilogue. Yay~

Yeah, Americans spell it this way, too, as I think someone may or may not have noted above. :smalltongue:


Also, that's how moustache is spelled in America, too. And all the -logues are spelled the same here as well. Crazy British people... =P

Only you're about 1/4 right. "dialog" and "analog" don't have UEs, and "mustache" is officially spelled without the O.



Americans also don't double some Ls that I'm pretty sure Brits do - as in "traveler" and "woolen" instead of "traveller" and "woollen".

[Felixaar]

People spell words like 'epilogue' without a 'u'? What kind of- wha- why- this- This is Madness! :smallfurious:

This is Extraneous U's!


*preemptively hurls self into well*

Good choice :smallbiggrin:

And personally, I think "Extraneous U" would be a better name for a University than a band.

[Thufir]

And personally, I think "Extraneous U" would be a better name for a University than a band.

It really would, and I may use the idea in a shipfic...
(Hmm, Professor Thufir, BSc(Ncl), BA(Ox), MMath(Ncl), MSc(Cam), MA(Ox), PhD(Ncl), PhD(Ox), PhD(Extraneous), DMath(Cam) or something)

[Fawkes]

Oh, and the 'u' controversy. That was due to an overproduction of tiny horseshoes by a Birmingham ironworks in Britain in the 18th century. Dr Johnson, a shareholder in the company involved, edited his dictionary to include more 'u's, and then suggested the surplus horseshoes be sold to the printers as type. Noah Webster, not being a shareholder in said company, didn't.

I'm gonna start telling people this story.

[Dogmantra]

Hon, that's a different language. :smalltongue:

IT'S MORE PURE!

[Totally Guy]

Americans also don't double some Ls that I'm pretty sure Brits do - as in "traveler" and "woolen" instead of "traveller" and "woollen".

There's also Jewelry and Jewellery. Usually pronounced with the extra syllable.

[Aedilred]

Aluminum/Aluminium. On this the Americans are "correct", as "aluminum" was the original name for the element before it was converted to have a "-ium" ending so that it would match other elements.

British English retains a lot of Greco-Roman diphthongs that American English has abandoned:

Paediatrician
Foetus
Encyclopaedia
Mediaeval
etc.

These are gradually falling out of use, though, firstly because they strictly require a special character which no-one can be bothered to hunt down in their word processor, and because the American versions are more ubiquitous online. "Mediaeval" is only really seen in the hands of real pedants any more, for instance.

The "-ise/-ize" ending causes a lot of controversy. Both are generally accepted, although "-ize" is technically the British one and should always be acceptable over here. In practice, though, it's commonly assumed that "-ize" is the American spelling and such endings are often "corrected" to "-ise" to be more British.

The dropping of "u"s in American English was done deliberately as part of the Americanisation movement in the late 18th-early 19th century, I believe, to try to establish a distinct national identity. There was even a movement to try to alter the accent. Contrary to popular opinion, spelling had already been standardized, as Johnson's dictionary was published in 1755, twenty years before the Declaration of Independence, although as with all things it was probably only just catching on at the time, so actual spelling would likely still have been poor.

[Dogmantra]

Aluminum/Aluminium. On this the Americans are "correct", as "aluminum" was the original name for the element before it was converted to have a "-ium" ending so that it would match other elements.

I thought it was the other way around and dude who discovered it wanted to call it aluminum, changed his mind so that it matched the others, then changed his mind back. Heh, how indecisive.

[Hazyshade]

It really would, and I may use the idea in a shipfic...
(Hmm, Professor Thufir, BSc(Ncl), BA(Ox), MMath(Ncl), MSc(Cam), MA(Ox), PhD(Ncl), PhD(Ox), PhD(Extraneous), DMath(Cam) or something)

It's trad. to use the abbrvd. Latin form of the Uni. name (with the -iensis ending), so Oxon. from Oxoniensis and Cantab. from Cantabrigiensis are standard. Newcastle would be Novocastriensis, so... Novoc...? And since extraneus is a Latin word already - Extraniensis?

Professor Thufir, BSc(Novoc.), BA(Oxon.), MMath(Novoc.), MSc(Cantab.), MA(Oxon.), PhD(Novoc.), PhD(Oxon.), PhD(Extran.), DMath(Cantab.)

I'm assuming you did mean Oxford. If you intend to have your BA, MA and PhD granted by an actual ox, then I beg your pardon, I meant no disrespect and think we should love all animals equally.

[Thufir]

It's trad. to use the abbrvd. Latin form of the Uni. name (with the -iensis ending), so Oxon. from Oxoniensis and Cantab. from Cantabrigiensis are standard. Newcastle would be Novocastriensis, so... Novoc...? And since extraneus is a Latin word already - Extraniensis?

Professor Thufir, BSc(Novoc.), BA(Oxon.), MMath(Novoc.), MSc(Cantab.), MA(Oxon.), PhD(Novoc.), PhD(Oxon.), PhD(Extran.), DMath(Cantab.)

I'm assuming you did mean Oxford. If you intend to have your BA, MA and PhD granted by an actual ox, then I beg your pardon, I meant no disrespect and think we should love all animals equally.

Ah. You're right about Oxon, I've seen that one before, don't know about Newcastle (Though I have seen it). EDIT: Wikipedia to the rescue! It's N'cle.
I just liked the idea of having an Extraneous PhD.