This discussion has been locked.
You can no longer post new replies to this discussion. If you have a question you can start a new discussion

A huge point about why I hate American-spelt words so much.

Early in my life, before 2014 or 2015, I didn't used to feel annoyed looking at the way certain words were spelt in America's viewing because I didn't know what they were about, or the difference between their spellings and Britain's ones, until those years I asked my mother, "What are these spellings about?" She revealed to me that they are spellings used by America, and the others we use are ours, when writing text.

So, because this truth has been permanently known to me... Unfortunately I have this catastrophic problem (and jealousy) with seeing any of the words spelt by Americans, or even people not Americans not getting the real idea of native spelling and easily think the same way as America does, anywhere I go when reading such information on screen. Especially the two kinds of mispelt factors for words can be having "or" than "our", and "ize" than "ise". For example, "favorite" than "favourite", or "realize" than "realise".

But, sadly a lot of people and places always tend to spell these such words and any other possible ones in America's style, which really does annoy me seeing them, and even takes away my interests in things that they may exist in or get used for, especially video gaming, which I tend to think, "Why? Why don't others choose to use British spelt words for me on even the things I otherwise like? As if I don't deserve it?" There's so much odd reasons of a story here why they upset me and still today, even if I am trying to improve, get used to them again or whatever, as if it just never will work at all or not relevant in this case. When I just normally play through a game, for instance Legend of Zelda, since it has so much dialogue to read, the chances of those such "regional words" (which I personally refer to) can appear, depending on what is being said, and quite honestly it can prove very difficult to tell what any of the regional words will pop up to upset me and even distract my otherwise normal understanding in what the info are just generally saying about things in the game and/or what to do next. Yes I know that even America's chosen spellings in words still mean the same thing as Britain's, but even with all the advice from others and my family members that I've been sharing this apocalyptic mental problem of mine all the years, it still does test me, always seeing any words spelt in US style and not the British ones which I'm otherwise comfortable with and personally wish it get used more than US ones for anything, but they don't, sadly. Very disappointing for my system these days now and always, especially in games again. Looking at American spellings and being unintendedly upset by them for no reason is just like seeing ugly demons, along with the way my mind also has seen as a problem for decades - standalone letters such as "e" and "s", which has to look like happy but annoying faces. In fact, like that's always Nintendo's fault for being that way to me, however that would mean it. Complicated to explain why, I know, but hey, this is an autistic site, you know. It means a person's mind not being normal but have special ways of thinking about life.

And before any of you might use regional-based words if you choose to respond here, either type in the words for British format over American for me, or only use standard words not anything to do with regional spelling, UK or US, like commonly "the", "and", "game", whatever. Or if talking about colours, maybe just use "palettes" instead, as that's definitely not in the regional category of words like that "colours" one is. Simple as that. I don't like to get upset here so be careful.

Last thing to note about my problem with US spellings, even though not many of you here might understand anyway - when I see American words, especially the ones with "ize" over "ise", I think of that horrible and not-so-friendly boss character from Streets of Rage 4, called Diva. You haven't seen her? Look up pictures of her in the search engines (just not "G", that's another thing I refuse to accept, so don't mention it here, please). I know she's just another character, but since at first when I discovered seeing her first time, I normally thought, "OK, she's just another character I haven't seen before. No problem I guess." But, as more time passed by... Strangely she's become permanently known to me and a total annoyance even in my thinking, let alone seeing her in action of that "Streets of Rage 4" game itself. The way she looks in expression, with that mean attitude and so on... It really bugs me these days and probably forever more now, without any reasoning. Like I wished I never knew her but I did, as far as the many different people and things in life to discover are concerned. Some OK always, but some not. I really hate that Diva girl now, and it's also why I can't seem to give any trust to dark-skinned people now, either. They always torment me in mental situations, regardless of how I feel and such, positive or otherwise. Long story as well on this bizarre issue I have too, but there. Unless if one of the dark-skinned people could be reasonable to me somehow...but I don't know. Odd ideas the mind likes to run wild on.

Parents
  • The majority of the world people grow up in is Americanised... The shows we watch are American produced, the computer systems a lot of use are American and so on... Blockbuster films are American...

    Many non-British people learn their English from shows and games so it is no surprise that the American style is taking over.

    Just to add... I refuse to use the world season for a collection of episodes, they will always be a series. I wonder if this is due to me attaching Summer, Winter, Autumn and Sprig as seasons and to some stretch food flavourings and adding in yet another explanation for a word is too much to comprehend and decipher in a fast-paced coversation.

  • That's interesting. UK-based Doctor Who fans have been using Season terminology for over forty, maybe fifty years. Which is useful as we can still count forward in one continuity by going from Season 26 to Series 1 for Eccleston - the changed prefix to the number assists massively there! OK, I'll stop making everything about DW now. Actually I can't promise that, but I'll try!

  • I wasn;t able to locate the word Season in the RadioTimes (popular UK guide of the time) for Dr. Who in the 1970s TV listings.

    https://www.doctorwhointheradiotimes.com/

    Has Series in the wording on An Unearthy Child on the yellowed page.

    Wikipedia (not a great site) refers to Season as North America and Series for UK. This is further pulled out on Quora and a couple of other sites that appear reasonably.

    I am disputing that Season has come into the language but I only ever grew up with adverts for Series and TV Listings for Series with terrestrial TV.

    I did see that Season for N. America refers to a period Sept-May, so wonder what happens outside of this time - Based purely on one article so no idea the accuracy.

Reply
  • I wasn;t able to locate the word Season in the RadioTimes (popular UK guide of the time) for Dr. Who in the 1970s TV listings.

    https://www.doctorwhointheradiotimes.com/

    Has Series in the wording on An Unearthy Child on the yellowed page.

    Wikipedia (not a great site) refers to Season as North America and Series for UK. This is further pulled out on Quora and a couple of other sites that appear reasonably.

    I am disputing that Season has come into the language but I only ever grew up with adverts for Series and TV Listings for Series with terrestrial TV.

    I did see that Season for N. America refers to a period Sept-May, so wonder what happens outside of this time - Based purely on one article so no idea the accuracy.

Children
  • It can;t be ruled out that the posters in the fandom may not be UK based which is why 'season' is used.

    In addition to the Radio Times from the 1970s showing 'series' the following trailer from the 1980s at 50s in introduces the program as series-

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ls3nde3hWP4

    I have noticed that season is creeping into remastered trailers, only due to the quality of the intoduction being far ahead of the technology available at the time hence why I am keeping to voice over introductions and magazines from the time.

    https://transdiffusion.org/2017/05/04/tonights-central-and-channel-4-in-1985/

    on a separate note for 1985 (P2/4) it refers to series in the UK TV magazine for Chips - Weed Wars in the top right.

  • My serious card-carrying fandom started in the late 80s and Season was well established as the prefix by then. I suppose it's more endemic to the fandom but it started no later than the late 70s I think. The waters get muddied by where overseas sales maybe started to have an influence... maybe nascent American fandom folded back into the UK fan language early. I also appreciate that it's probably an outlier in that you'd be hard pushed to find any UK-based Who fan even of my age who would use 'series' for anything in that original run (other than to describe the entirety of the history). We only go to 'Series' once we get to the 2005 numbering re-set designed not to alienate the casual audience. It would be interesting to dig deeper into where 'Season' for Who started exactly (as the universal fan default), and when. I probably will....