For some reason, I have been writing a couple of words recently that end in -gue. Word and Google with their built in spell checkers have alerted me with their ubiquitous squiggly red underlining that the ue in some of those words are unnecessary. Now, I am an above average speller (I am hesitant to claim greatness in a category like this, because as soon as I do I know I'm going to get called out for misspelling something in this very post), so I got a little nervous. Catalogue, for example, is underlined right now, as I write this. Dialogue is another one. Microsoft and Google prefer catalog and dialog, and they look naked, not unlike alway. I usually take heed from the red squiggles, but the green squiggles I usually ignore, because computers still suck at grammar. If they spoke, I would expect them to sound like some FOB Eastern European with their botched syntax but excellent vocabulary.
Since I am considerably less confident in my ability to keep perfect memory compared to a computer, I looked it up with sweat forming on my brow, and sure enough, dialogue and catalogue are the proper spellings. (I also learned that brow is a synonym for gangplank. Who knew?) Although, in both cases, the alternate -ueless spelling is also included as an alternate spelling. I don't remember this happening. My honest-to-God dictionary (as opposed to a virtual one on the internet) that I stole from the Thorn has it the same way, so apparently this other spelling has been out there for some time. Is this like a British/American thing? Am I supporting the pansy Europeans? I hope not, because I like the -ue. I also like tea, and am not ashamed to admit it.
3 comments:
But do you like your tea ice cold and sipped on a porch? Or hot (nasty) and served with whatever it is those crazy Brits serve with tea. That's when you know you've gotten a little too wrong.
How is hot tea nasty?!
Hot tea is the way to go. I have not been able to conform to the Southern custom of drinking sweet iced tea, in part because I feel like I'm taking huge steps towards diabetes with every glass. I take my hot tea straight, but I hear that honey, cream and milk are all possible choices. Darjeeling is my tea of choice.
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