What is the difference between 'color' and 'colour' ?

[Paqman]

That, and manufacturing would effectively cease in America, as all hardware and unit measurements are conducted with the English system. Eliminating the system would require an entire country of +300 million to not only retool every aspect of manufacturing, but every piece of hardware within every home and business... Sounds like a great idea for England or France, but keeping logistics in mind, France, for example, is less than the size of just Texas.

The metric system is actually the standard for the world. All science and engineering is already conducted in metric. There are some exceptions, aerospace still uses imperial in production (due largely to US influence) for example. You already use a mish mash of metric and imperial units anyway, and any new technologies will always be metric only.

The US actually only makes up less than 5% of the world's population. You're actually just part of a small minority of non-compliant nations. Realistically, it's pretty likely you'll have to complete your switch to metric one day, and it's only going to be more disruptive in future.

[Evil-Ernie]

I tend to use imperial so I would say I’m 6ft 3inches tall and about 15 stone, I also use pints and gallons to measure liquid (i.e. beer! )

When I studied engineering we used inches and thous (1000ths of inches) in first angle projection, but I do think metric is a more logical system and should be used.

I like the fact we have different spellings in UK English than our transatlantic friends, it makes us a little bit different and there is something quite British about how we insist on using ‘colour’ rather than ‘color’ and ‘s’ as opposed to ‘z’

[julio_cortez]

I also use pints and gallons to measure liquid (i.e. beer! )

I had to "learn" what a pint is exactly for beer, now that I know that it's more or less equal to half a litre, I'm a happy man (and now that I know, I can gladly ask for three to four pints of beer when I'm out with friends, provided that I don't drive of course )

[smellyman]

a good read...

[Richard_T]

I'm British and I use both metric and imperial. But Metric is more accurate and easier to use. someone said on TV that Britain should have gone metric about 300 years ago when most people were illiterate. chemist is a stupid word as well. And welsh is one of the most Phonetic languages around.

[sudoer541]

Here is a list I found on Wikipedia.

I just realized, I have been spelling (almost everything) in UK English.
No wonder why I used to get, ~70% on my spelling in school back in the day.



...colour!!!

[madjr]

on the topic of similar words,

what is the difference between program and programme ?

I've some use the later.

[mips]

on the topic of similar words,

what is the difference between program and programme ?

I've some use the later.

In UK English programme usually refers to radio programme or television programme etc. The US uses the word program for the same thing.

Program is used for computer program or education program by both UK & US English.

[macogw]

I was looking for how to change the terminal's colors, but I found it like 'colours' -
http://tldp.org/HOWTO/Bash-Prompt-HOWTO/x329.html

What is the difference? I see that Firefox can't recognize 'colour' when I type it here.

The Atlantic Ocean.

I'm British and I use both metric and imperial. But Metric is more accurate and easier to use.

I'm American, and when I was a kid and learned metric in school, I thought it was great because of the units being smaller, so I could be more precise. My dad wasn't too happy when I gave him measurements in centimetres though.

[sydbat]

I was looking for how to change the terminal's colors, but I found it like 'colours' -
http://tldp.org/HOWTO/Bash-Prompt-HOWTO/x329.html

What is the difference? I see that Firefox can't recognize 'colour' when I type it here.

The Atlantic Ocean.

Not entirely true. In Canada, colour is the correct way of spelling it. Also, the last letter of the alphabet is pronounced zed, not zee.

So, why are there discrepancies between American English and Proper English? Blame Webster. His mandate was to change both how English was pronounced and often how it was spelled. This was part of the "distancing" from England after the American Revolution.

Another question - why is computer code (when using plain language) written using American English? Simple, many of the languages for programing began in the US. (unless I am wrong about this...in which case, someone please correct me)

Finally, spelling and pronunciation of the English language has become a matter of taste in various parts of the world. The only thing I do not appreciate is the laziness of a growing number of people to use IM speak and / or not spell correctly at all.