Pain in the English
Pain in the English

Unpacking English, Bit by Bit

A community for questioning, nitpicking, and debating the quirks and rules of the English language.

Pain in the English
Pain in the English

Unpacking English, Bit by Bit

A community for questioning, nitpicking, and debating the quirks and rules of the English language.

Username

Skeeter Lewis

Member Since

March 16, 2012

Total number of comments

165

Total number of votes received

211

Bio

Latest Comments

obliged or obligated?

  • October 25, 2012, 4:01pm

I was about to suggest that Americans enjoy the fancy longer word, for example 'burglarize' instead of 'burgle' but then I realised that we Brits say 'acclimatise' and Americans say 'acclimate'. So I won't.
Yes - I do know there is inconsistency in the spelling above between 'realised', 'burglarized' and 'acclimatized' but that is another kettle of Anglo-American fish...

obliged or obligated?

  • October 25, 2012, 3:52pm

The words 'oblige' and 'obligate' both have a long history but the simple fact is that the Americans seem to prefer 'obligate' and the British 'oblige'.

It is not only I who think....
You are saying, "I think so-and -so and I am not the only one."

Capitalizing After the Colon

  • July 21, 2012, 8:26pm

Yes - nice point, D.A. I should have learned by now never to say 'never', although titles fall under a different category.
At the moment I am reading 'Cuba Libre' by that master of stripped-down English, Elmore Leonard. I do believe I came across a semi-colon. Hallelujah!
Skeeter

Capitalizing After the Colon

  • March 16, 2012, 3:02am

Capitalization is never used, under any circumstances whatsoever, after a colon or a semi-colon in British English.

Questions

Medicine or Medication? October 27, 2012
What’s happening to the Passive? July 30, 2014
The 1900s June 11, 2015