Lori,
    Sorry to confuse you on a Monday. Let me see if I can clear this up.
There are a few words common to both British and American English that are
spelled differently, like words that end in -ize here would end in -ise
there, please don't ask for more examples, it's Monday for me too. I read
both brochures carefully and every word was identical, each letter the same.
Everything was spelled using British English, which would make an American
English teacher cringe if those spellings were submitted on a paper written
in the states.

K


on 3/11/02 12:57 PM, Lori Allen at [log in to unmask] wrote:

> "Perhaps these examples are proof that his hypothesis is correct."
>
> Katie:
> Which examples? I don't get it. (Sorry, its Monday.)  I wasn't referring to
> spoken accents and pronunciation (or even spelling), I was referring to
> intended meaning and usage.  I have a Texas accent, and when I get passed by
> a truck on the road, I don't say "there goes a 'Lorry'".  Nobody in Texas
> would have a clue what a lorry is, even if I did pronounce it with a fake
> British accent.  Both the words lorry and truck are English, and one is not
> better or more intellectual.
> Sure the Brits THINK they are superior (boy do they), so do the French, and
> the Japanese, etc., etc.  Americans think they are superior, too.  Perhaps
> your brochures were all identical, but having been in London and not
> understood what the hell the signage at the theatre said, I would have
> seriously appreciated some "American English". That doesn't make me stupid
> or them more intellectual, it just makes us different.
> Frankly, we did declare independence over 200 years ago.  Language changes
> and ours has been influenced by immigrants and languages from all over the
> world.  That's why I don't get why one has is better or more intellectual.
> It is like apples and pears.
>
> Lori Allen,
> Graduate Student, UMSL
>
> "Well behaved women rarely make history."
> - Anonymous
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On
> Behalf Of Katherine Bolinger
> Sent: Monday, March 11, 2002 11:58 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Languages (formerly using contractions in labels)
>
>
> << Americans like to think they speak the same language as the Brits, but we
> don't. >>
>
> Lori,
> I picked up both the "English" and "American" brochures and did a
> careful proofreading of them -- same language or should I say spellings. I
> found this to be the case at several sites, in this week's Dave Barry column
> in the Chicago Tribune Magazine (which I can't quote directly because the
> recycling cycle is in phase 2 and the magazine is gone) he talked about
> American's thinking the English are more intellectual because they speak
> with English accents and the English thinking Americans aren't so
> intellectual because we don't have English accents.
>
>
>
> <<The Smithsonian Museums do offer brochures in many foreign languages>>
> Ann,
> I was actually thinking of other major museums in large cities --
> Chicago in particular. I look forward to seeing how the Smithsonian handles
> this issue later this month when I finally get to visit D.C.
>
>
>
> Katie Bolinger
> Exhibition development and design MA student

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