Dear John, I agree. The difference shown in The Time Style Guide:
'metres, as in distance, poetry etc; meters, as in gas, electricity or parking etc' is a very useful distinction. I generally use metre for length except when I am writing for publications in the USA. A few years ago, I wrote the wool chapter for the Kirk-Othmer Encyclopaedia of Chemical Technology. This was about 50 pages long and it felt quite odd to see meters, millimeters, and micrometers on all of those pages. Otherwise, I only use Meter to mean some sort of device used for measuring. I use the spelling � meter � in applications such as: accelerometer, acidimeter, actinometer, aerometer, alcoholometer, algometer, alkalimeter, altimeter, ammeter, anemometer, atmometer, audiometer, barometer, bathometer, bolometer, calorimeter, cephalometer, chronometer, clinometer, colorimeter, coulometer, craniometer, cryometer, cyclometer, decelerometer, densimeter, densitometer, dilatometer, dosimeter, dynamometer, electricity meter, electrometer, evaporimeter, fluorometer, galvanometer, gas meter, goniometer, heliometer, hydrometer, hygrometer, hypsometer, interferometer, magnetometer, manometer, micrometer, nitrometer, odometer, ohmeter, optometer, pedometer, phonometer, photometer, piezometer, planimeter, plastometer, pneumatometer, polarimeter, potentiometer, pulsimeter, pyranometer, pyrometer, radiometer, refractometer, rheometer, saccharimeter, saccharometer, salimeter, salinometer, seismometer, sensitometer, solarimeter, spectrometer, spectrophotometer, speedometer, sphygmomanometer, spirometer, tacheometer, tachometer, tachymeter, tasimeter, telemeter, tellurometer, tensimeter, tensiometer, thermobarometer, thermometer, thermopile, tintometer, tonometer, vaporimeter, variometer, viscometer, voltameter, voltammeter, voltmeter, volumeter, water meter, watt meter, and watt-hour meter. I even know what some of these meters measure! Cheers, Pat Naughtin CAMS Geelong, Australia on 2002-09-07 23.40, kilopascal at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > 2002-00-07 > > At one time it seemed that movie houses were theaters and live shows were > theatres. But, I've seen some up the newer movie houses calling themselves > theatres. > > Anyway, since in the US the -er spelling is not universal, I don't see any > reason why metre and litre can not be accepted in the US. A very valid reason > was given for the difference between metre and meter and litre and liter. > That reason alone should be reason enough to use the -re spellings for the > metric units. > > I really feel that if the public were to ask why the -re endings, and the > reason was given, there would be no problem in comprehension and most would > see the logic. But, like always those who set the rules are not always the > brightest bulbs in the pack. > > John > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: John Woelflein > To: U.S. Metric Association > Sent: Saturday, 2002-09-07 09:07 > Subject: [USMA:22131] Re: Spelling metres and meters > > > I stand corrected, sir. > > Bill Potts wrote: > > Theatre is actually more common than theater. Centre, on the other hand, > tends to be limited to proper names, such as those of business parks. > > Bill Potts, CMS > Roseville, CA > http://metric1.org [SI Navigator] > > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of > John Woelflein > Sent: Friday, September 06, 2002 17:48 > To: U.S. Metric Association > Subject: [USMA:22123] Re: Spelling metres and meters > > > We also use the -er spelling for words such as theater and center. Sometimes > one sees "theatre" or "centre" but those tend to be seen as snob appeal > here. > Mike Joy wrote: > Pat, > > It seems the US is the only English-speaking nation to use 'meter' which > would have come from early immigrants from Germanic countries. > > Regards > Mike > Perth > > ----- Original Message ! ! ! ----- > From: "Pat Naughtin" > To: "U.S. Metric Association" > Sent: Saturday, September 07, 2002 7:20 AM > Subject: [USMA:22119] Spelling metres and meters > > > | Dear All, > | > | I noticed that the new Style Guide at The Times in London has this to say > | about spelling of the words metre and meter. > | > | 'metres, as in distance, poetry etc; meters, as in gas, electricity or > | parking etc' > | > | I note that here, in Australia, we use metre for distance, but in the USA > it > | is spelled as meter for distance. > | > | My question is: > | > | Do other English speaking nations use the spelling metre or i! ! ! s it > the > USA, > | alone, that uses the spelling meter? > | > | Cheers, > | > | Pat Naughtin CAMS > | Geelong, Australia > | > | > > > > > John > > > > > Do You Yahoo!? > Yahoo! Finance - Get real-time stock quotes > > > > > John > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > ! ! ! Do You Yahoo!? > Yahoo! Finance - Get real-time stock quotes >
