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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.

  • Yeah...but thanks for giving me even a slight mental hurt today, with your "you can't this or that". My mind is just in such turmoil right now, and even this Summer season certainly doesn't help but make things even worse in jolt and blood boils I receive. -_-' I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do to try and help myself, and that's the way I am.

    Well that is not my intent nor can I help it, on a fundamental level that just is a side effect of being online, you will read things you disagree with and dislike it, people cannot help not being like you and that doesn't necessarily mean they are being rude or nasty. Also no offence "but thanks for giving me even a slight mental hurt today" same. We don't have to continue to interact further after this point and I think it best for both of us if we don't.

  • Yeah...but thanks for giving me even a slight mental hurt today, with your "you can't this or that". My mind is just in such turmoil right now, and even this Summer season certainly doesn't help but make things even worse in jolt and blood boils I receive. -_-' I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do to try and help myself, and that's the way I am.

  • I was using a technique of using humour to lower the tension of what could be taken as criticism. That was why I added a winking face at the end which is a universal sign on discussion boards of something meant in jest.

    I appreciate that you may not understand that usage which was why I apologised in the next post. My intent was not to upset you but try to offer advice on how to deal with the upset you originally talked about.

    We all have our annoyances about things like this (I dislike it when the manufacturer takes a perfectly good bar of chocolate and replaces it with a similar one filled with crunchy bits or whatever - I liked the original and want it back) and if you are content to like with it then I will empathise.

  • 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.

  • TBH I'm %99 I can see Iain was joking with you trying to be friendly, not making fun of your issues.

  • Please don't misunderstand, I do have sympathy, I just find practical solutions are more helpful long term.

  • Yes I know I can't expect this and that, yes I know I will always encounter US spellings...but what else? I don't use many advanced words like you lot do, too. =/ Still my mind is the way it is, you know "you" or anyone else can't change it for me. I only wanted to share the problem and get a bit of sympathy or whatnot.

    But, I can assure one final thing as I already know the deeper truth to everything... This life and its problems are not forever. It will end one day and the real promises ahead for me will be fulfiled. Even all of the US spellings that way will truly be flipped out and auto UK as my preferred sense.

  • I'm sorry, but my problem is a problem. It isn't funny.

    I'm sorry if my response was a problem for you. I was tring to he helpful and defuse that a litte with humour. Hopefully you can see the irony in complaining about the language while failing to write with correct syntax.

    I thought that the information may give you pause to reflect on your problem and in so doing it may be seen in all its irrational glory, thus taking some of its power to cause you anger.

    I think everyone has things of this nature which are more peeves than problems, but if it causes more than modest annoyance then I would recommend getting some therapy to help you exorcise that particular demon, especially when it is something you are likely to encounter many times a day.

    If changing isn't something you are interested in then you can also feed that demon - sites like https://grammarist.com/ have lots of information about the English language that may be satisfying to have complete mastery over.

  • I like this video - " The History of the English Language In Ten Minutes": www.youtube.com/watch

  • 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 can't see Webster's name now without thinking of the phrase 'That pestilential scribbler!' - how the endearingly pompous Sixth Doctor (very much the Frasier Crane of the Docs) describes him in a brilliant audio Doctor Who story called ...ish. Which is all about the evolution of the English language and the endless quest to try and pin it all down when mutations are inevitable and healthy. 

    The Doctor's only really trying to wind up/tease his American companion when he says that. Cue many jokes on the theme of 'divided by a common language'.

    Doctor: 'And it's not ...OR it's ....OUR' Peri: [exasperated] 'Oh, you are...'

    It's bursting with stuff like that. And clevr. And funny. And if it wasn't for 'vive le difference' (and its inevitability) with all the variants, wouldn't exist. So I'll raise a glass to Webster, Johnson, and everyone else - Shakespeare!- who brought something new to the table. The language likes to slip its shackles now and again, let it have its fun...

  • It really bugs me these days and probably forever more now, without any reasoning.
    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

    ...

    The main issue you have is that autistic or not you cannot treat an irrational dislike of something as sacred especially since language evolves over time and a huge majority of people who would default to UK spellings in their head use spellcheckers that default to the US dictionary as an assessibility aid, it's not an incorrect version of English it is just different, also you are going to encounter a lot of Americans posting online. You can't expect people to not use US forms of English and people can't help how they naturally are, you can only ask to be accomodated to a degree that is reasonable and you are never going to be able to eradicate Americanized spellings, so for your own comfort you should work on unpacking and desensitising yourself to them along with your other "after market" prejudices.

  • I find season to be clearer because series is also used to refer to the show/programme as a whole. If you search amazon for "complete series", the results are a mishmash of box sets that are the complete series 12 or whatever and sets of the entire run of the show for all 8 series/seasons.

    Having the same word in the same context potentially mean two completely different things is more confusing than seasons having two other meanings but only one connecting to TV.

    Anyway to the OP, language is a constantly evolving thing and spellings change. Even the idea of relatively standard spellings is quite a recent development. If you're interested, I recently read a book about the history of American English called Made in America by Bill Bryson. It might help you deal better with this if you can hear from a different perspective how these things happen. 

  • 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.

  • Noah Webster, of Webster's Dictionary, tried to simplify English spelling in the newly independent United States. His reforms were partially helped by reaction against Samuel Johnson, of Johnson's Dictionary, who was rabidly anti-American. His simplification was largely successful in changing American spelling away from British spelling, but it was somewhat half-arsed. He succeeded in changing plough to 'plow', but not cough to 'coff', so the Americans were left with a bit of a mongrel system, not traditional nor fully innovative in being spelled as pronounced.

    British English spelling is not beyond reproach, however. Anglo-Saxon was spelled as it was pronounced, there were no silent letters. As pronunciation changed over time, spelling changed at a much slower pace, so the two drifted apart. There are many fossils of Anglo-Saxon and Middle English in Modern English spelling. Why is there a silent 'h' in 'whale'? It is because in Anglo-Saxon the word for the large sea creature was 'hwael', with all the letters pronounced, including the 'h'.

  • I had crafted a beautiful response here and realised I had again, missed the point of the OP. I confess I hadn't read the whole post. I find this topic fascinating but will save it for another time.

    Is there a way in the settings you can change the language to British English?