railroad or railway

[Atlantic Central]

Stewart,

You have no point on the electrical issue since I had allready concided that Americans are poorly behaved in this area.

My opinion on construction matters, based on experiance and education, has at the very least been highly regarded by both my clients and by several courts in this land. My personal success in this area is reward enough and your opinion on that subject is of no value. Just like I said about the BMW vs the Ford, I'm happier with the money in my pocket than with the ego trip of excess or even recogintion beyond those who know first hand the quality of my skills.

I will now ask the question I have resisted up to now. If the UK is so wounderful, why are you here?

I am not a big risk taker personally, but better to live in an open field and chose the safest spot, then be herded in a fenced pen.

My yawn was simply an expression of what I have been saying all along about Europe, no malice, just indifference.

Why is that? Why do you confuse indifference with malice? As I said before, I met with the other tribe, I respect his choices, but have no desire to change my own. You do not know what is better for me, no matter how inlightened you perceive yourself to be.

I, unlike Gene, am not an English teacher and how we came to use which word is of little interest to me. I will leave that discussion to the two of you.

I am however of German heritage, speak a little German, and live in a state heavily settled by German speaking peoples. But ultimately WE chose to be Americans. The problem I see with many immigrants today is an unwillingness to assimilate and become Americans.

Sheldon

[Seasaltchap]

My yawn was simply an expression of what I have been saying all along about Europe, no malice, just indifference.

Sheldon : ... in this, the rest of the world see the US constantly reinventing the wheel for themselves - where others have already been.

I will now ask the question I have resisted up to now. If the UK is so wounderful, why are you here?

I am here to bring you this message - over 50 years a US citizen.

Could we please get to a consensus on "Railway or Railroad"?

Regards

[Atlantic Central]

The consensus on Rail Road, Railroad or Railway is yes, that was settled with my first post, you are the only one not happy with that.

You should understand by now that I don't care a wit what Europeans think, I leaned years ago not to alter my behavor from what I believe based on what others think, here or abroad.

"go along to get along" is a failed concept that has done the world great harm.

Sheldon

[SteamGene]

Stewart,
Bless your heart.
I taught a class on English epistimology for three years. 
Ich kann eine kleine Deutsch sprechen.
Quite frankly I don't think that the Queen's English is any better than how Americans speak English. 
Gene

[Seasaltchap]

Note: the English teacher of the slayer's class at Virginia Tech' is clearly English, and she makes no compromises to "American" per se in her speech! That is how it is taught there: our local High School in Phoenix is the same staffing and discipline.

"Cornishman" Gene :   So, speaking epistimologically can we say - "it may be Railway, and then again, it may be Railroad."

"Queen's English" is a bit of a nonsense that everyone hangs a hat on. Accents are always with us, and are more colloquial (viz. Cornish - "Grocal" = outsider.) than regular speech, they tend to over emphasize the vowel and consonant sounds (viz "R").

Where I see the difference is in the lack of discipline over vowel sounds and the enunciation of certain consonants where in the US "Winner" & "Winter" come out the same; "Latin" is slain by scholars and wordsmiths.

The most original English spoken in the US is understood to be on the islands off the Carolinas - and that is from the 17th/18thC. West Country English sailors.

The point being, that we should be understood when we speak, and knowledge of the widest possible vocabulary, properly pronounced to the rules of vowel sounds and the consonants that discern the word from another, is what is needed. Calling it American, I think is a weak excuse - when it was taught in school as English.

You should understand by now that I don't care a wit what Europeans think, I learned years ago not to alter my behavor from what I believe based on what others think, here or abroad.

"go along to get along" is a failed concept that has done the world great harm.
Sheldon

.... Europeans of different languages live cheek by jowl, where French was once the language of diplomacy, and George Bernard Shaw left his estate to the development of Esperanto as the International Language; now the World is moving in a consensus to English, not American English but English English. More Dutch now speak English than Dutch. (and pity, there are less than 300 true Cornish Language speakers)

I see this as a natural evolution of the world becoming a more universal experience for all mankind.

There needs to be reciprocity not isolationism, English is a rich language of both "Railway" and "Railroad": I am English, and I speak the English, where every adjective is not reduced to "Cool".

Regards

[chucknlead]

My yawn was simply an expression of what I have been saying all along about Europe, no malice, just indifference.

Sheldon : ... in this, the rest of the world see the US constantly reinventing the wheel for themselves - where others have already been.

Are you kidding? This IS the GREATEST country in the world! Are you willing to challenge that old chap? You want to make generalizations about America and Americans? I heard that in the U.K, your smiley faces have bad teeth

I'm sure your teeth are just fine Stewert; being Americanized and all. I just made up a new word; got a problem with that?