[USMA:34495] Re: spelling

[Phil Chernack]

Oh how Noah Webster is spinning in his grave!  There’s a great book called “The Story of English” by Robert MacNeil that explains the history of English and the world-wide differences in it.  Maybe then it will make sense why we Americans are a little different J   Phil   From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, September 16, 2005 6:35 PM To: U.S. Metric Association Subject: [USMA:34494] Re: spelling   It seems silly to me that we as Americans decide to spell metre differently from the rest of the English speaking world.  As far as I'm concerned the spelling is metre and litre, and centre, and colour, and programme &c.  I see no reason to have two different sets of spellings for English words.   Richard     In a message dated 2005-09-16 19:00:31 Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:                     2005 September 16 Spelling is the subject in 33985 and 33988.  In the USA NBS published Special Publication 330 through 1974 with the spelling metre.  In the 1977 edition the spelling is meter. 330 is the US printing of the English version of Le Systeme international d’Unites. It is my understanding that the Government Printing Office, which publishes NBS documents, asserted that it determines spelling in the documents it publishes and said the spelling is meter. As a result, Chester Page declined to be listed as editor.     Robert Bushnell PhD PE     Secretary ASTM Committee E43 on SI Practice