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From: wdr@security.UUCP (William D. Ricker)
Newsgroups: net.jokes.d
Subject: Re: 'Kelly' and 'Pensacoola' - defence o - (nf)
Message-ID: <709@security.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 8-Aug-84 14:34:17 EDT
Article-I.D.: security.709
Posted: Wed Aug  8 14:34:17 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 16-Aug-84 03:26:52 EDT
References: <356@ism780.UUCP> <1033@dciem.UUCP>
Organization: MITRE Corp., Bedford MA
Lines: 39

The Gentleman from Her Majesty's Defence  Establishment
is correct.  The American Heritage Dictionary lists 

	"DE.FENSE (di-fens') (_n._)
	Also _chiefly_British_ DE.FENCE.
	_Abbr._ DEF."

(note: I have renderd bold lowercase letters as FOO [\fBfoo\fP or @b(foo)]
 and Italics as _foo_ [\fIfoo\fP or @i(foo)] )

This may explain why I favour using "defence" as well as colouring my
speech with other Anglisms.  I must have read too much A. Conan Doyle
in my youth.

Given that NetNews flaming spelling is not genteel, one has to wonder
what flaming someone for spelling English as she is writ by those who
invented her, the English, must be.

My philosophical stand is against arbitrary spelling rules anyway.
If we must have a unique spelling for a word -- which makes machine
understanding of the written word easier, if nothing else -- then
let's have a consistent set of rules, which allow unambigous spelling
based on the spoken sound.  Give me phonetic spelling, with a one
character, one phoneme match, or give me freedom.  Or give me a written
language which doesn't pretend to transcribe phonemes (Chinese/Japenese,
for instance, which use the same ideographs but have different associated
tongues.)

If anyone feels I have flamed THEM, please reply personally to: (by mail):

-- 

  William Ricker
  wdr@mitre-bedford.ARPA					(MIL)
  wdr@security.UUCP						(UUCP)
  decvax!genrad!security!wdr					(UUCP)
 {allegra,ihnp4,utzoo,philabs,uw-beaver}!linus!security!wdr	(UUCP)

Opinions are my own and not necessarily anyone elses.  Likewise the "facts".