It happened again. I sat down to write about my catching a huge language gaffe, only to find that it is acceptable usage. In today's installment, the one I was sure was correct is actually in the minority. DANGIT!
On the American Idol finale (I wasn't watching. I saw it, um, in a shop window while I was, ah, on my way to the theatre. Yeah, yeah.. that's the ticket...), there was a big splash screen for some dramatic intro that read:
JUDGMENT DAY
and I said to my wife "did you see that? They spelled 'judgement' wrong!"
To which she replied:
"..."
After Carrie won (I mean, after I returned from the Merry Wives of Windsor premiere), I jumped online and found that my spelling is preferred in the UK, Australia, India, South Africa and Hong Kong. It is pretty much THE spelling in Canada (woot!). But in the US, it's quite frowned upon. One site blamed Noah Webster for this, and has a picture of an ass next to "judgement". Hey, now!
Then we have these guys:
The Alliance for the Preservation of the Correct Spelling of the Word "Judgment"
How uptight do you have to be to create a fictional Society that picks one tiny corner of the English language to obsess over? Puhleeze...
Also found that the Brits/Canucks use "judgment" in legal documents, but "judgement" elsewhere. Huh.
Dictionary.com called me a variant speller. I guess at least it didn't say "deviant speller." And I'm sticking with "theatre", too.
5 comments:
Oh, I hate seeing this word spelled "judgement." Can't say why, but I think somewhere in elementary school I felt proud to have learned that the "CORRECT" spelling was actually sans E, and it became one of those things I loved to catch others in the "wrong" on. Same with "acknowledgement" - ugh! And I also refuse to add an extra L to "traveler," "canceled," and so forth.
First off, you're evn more awesome for using woot.
Secondly, I thought there was a typo you didn't catch in the title.
Thirdly, I was always taught "judgement". Just as I was taught "donut" rather than "doughnut". At least I know about the "ugh" in donut. Err.....doughnut.
There is probably a better place to to post this, but at a local Kroger store, I saw a sign that made me chuckle:
"Perennial of the Week".
Judg that as you will...but it made me think of Subjunctivitis, so that has to be a good thing, right?
And a Doughnut by any other name...still tastes really good. (slobber)...
assailablecool.blogspot.com
We found the same thing years ago through watching "Iron Chef." Sorry that I did not tell you about it sooner.
Among people who work in one, 'theater' sometimes refers to the building, or the auditorium, but 'theatre' is always the art.
such people also sometimes use 'theatre' for stage acting, etc., and 'theater' for the place where movies are shown.
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