To be a little huffy because ds has the word "apologize" on his spellings list?

[Mspontipine]

I am fanatical to the point of obsession appropriately passionate about the use of English and grammar.

This hurts

A little huffy? I'd be livid

I think American spell checkers are trying to take over the world as it is and are regularly making even the sanest of people add random Z's to everything!!

Have forgotten is it meant to be 'apologise'?

Yes fussbucket

I'm with you girl.

American nonsense -

(p.s.- I fly in the face of such rubbish and insist my pupils write fertilise not fertilize, etc.)

Grr yes this is massive pet hate of mine, that american spellcheckers are the norm on phones and computers meaning that the godawful americanised spellings are creeping in over here.
Totally not acceptable that it is in a spelling test! I hope you're going to complain.

That would not be as bad as the word "whith" that my ds came home with the other day. I know TA's can be dyslexic too but, really, did all the kids in the class really have to have this in their spelling book??

Argh, I HATE it.

We are in England, that's not how it's spealt!!! There IS a 'u' in colour and etc and the is no 'z' in apologiSe

Before long you will have theater, checkbook, center, realize, and aluminum. YANBU, it just ain't proper English

I agree. My DB has just had a rant on facebook about people using the word literally when it should be metaphorically.

To be honest most people didn't know what he was talking about. We are also fanatical about the use of the english language but I'm afraid we are fighting a losing battle.

LMAO @ 'spealt'

Nooo never, not while I have a breath left in my body

When my DS3 was in Year 2, he handed me a homework sheet as he came out of class.

They had to describe their favourite toy and then answer a few questions about it.

One of the questions was, "How old was you when you got this toy?"

I showed it to the Head who happened to be walking across the playground and she was livid with the TA who had written and printed the sheets.

"Heads will roll" was an under statement

Marshall your arguments OP - check with the Oxford English Dictionary for UK spelling.
Then let rip.
I feckin' hate US spelling.

Before I came into teaching I used to read undergrad work regularly - American spelling abounded because they were reading research journals which accepted these spellings!

I'm outraged by this.

Haha, I've only just noticed that , you all know what I mean.

It's like Flier, a woman I work with is American and spells it flier. IT'S A FUCKIER FLYER!!!!!!

Actually, the OED supports the "ize" spellings of words like this, because they are closer to the Greek suffix "izo" in the words from which the English words are derived.

That's the same reason that Noah Webster used the "ize" suffix when compiling the first American English Dictionary in 1806.

It's not an error like "whith" and it's not "American nonsense" .

Both spellings are perfectly acceptable

Lady

Both spellings are not acceptable in many school curriculum though...I think that's the point.

That is interesting OneHandWavingFree, did not know this.

Ooh, I was just reading down to say that because someone (you, I think) told me that on here just recently, one hand.

I have to say, though, as reasons go the OED picks a shite one since Greek is transliterated, and obviously you say apologize/apologise exactly the same way.

I wonder if they're consistently teaching -ize? That'd be the really annoying thing, if they get taught different versions with no consistency.

Thanks to all peeps, especially OneHandWavingFree - you have eased my pain slightly with the Greek suffix explanation.

Surely, though, if both are right, one may be slightly righter () than the other. For the purposes of English literacy wouldn't this surely be the "ise" option?

It wasn't me, LRD! I don't roam the boards waiting for someone to criticize the "ize" so I can leap to its defense, I swear! :)

I wasn't accusing you of roaming the boards ... just impressed two different posters knew something as arcane as that.

(I can't spell for toffee, btw.)

Suggest we all order Bill Bryson's 'Mother Tongue' and have a good read - then reconvene for bunfight in a few days.