Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site security.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxl!ihnp4!zehntel!dual!amd!decwrl!decvax!genrad!security!wdr 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 DefenceEstablishment 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".