''z'' or ''s'' in the American languag

[nikolaym]

In one of my undergraduate courses (at the university in the US) the TA was marking my paper, and noted all of the British English spelling "mistakes" I've made. I asked her, if there was a particular reason as to why she had put 'z' by crossing out 's' in the word 'organisation' (obviously, I was playing stupid; I am from Europe and learned British English when I learned it as a second language, but lived in the US long enough to know the spelling differences between the two).

The TA responded, that she corrected the spelling errors, as 'organisation' is the British way to spell the word. I asked her what the language of instruction was at the university, to which I received a response that it was English. I then inquired whether it specified that it was American English, and she responded negatively. Then she added, however, that since I was in the US, I "had to use American English" in all my writing.

I told her that I wasn't quite sure to what language my Office spell check was set, but I was sure that it was English, and as such, if it didn't detect an error, I would assume that it was spelled correctly. She backed off after all, and I continued to write using British English spelling.

[Brandon Live Veteran]

How do Americans spell "nuclear"?  Is it "nucular" or something?  I sometimes hear it said that way.  :huh:

:cat:

586783782[/snapback]

Only hillbillies pronounce it that way.

There are two possible reasons that President Bush pronounces it that way:

1) He's stupid.

2) He gets most of his votes from stupid people, and so he tries to "speak their language."

These theories are not mutually exclusive.