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Guest
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| Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2005 5:16 am
Post subject: Re: Should I use the British or American spelling? (check/ch |
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On Thu, 17 Mar 2005 06:25:21 GMT, LukeOnder@RioESP.net (Luke ) wrote:
| Quote: | If I am writing an article about paper money, to a world-wide
readership, including an uncertain number of Brits, Americans and
Australians. Which spelling should I use: "cheque" or "check"?
[...] |
When dealing with a term that could confuse the reader, the best
practice is to carefully set up the term you will use, as you will use
it throughout the work, on first reference and then follow that use
throughout the work.
Journalists, for instance, will follow first reference conventions
such as "... Senator John Smith, junior senator from Illinois. Smith
said ...". Lawyers will treat confusing or long labels by a first
reference technique also. For instance: "...the conspiracy of these
bankers operating through the Bank of Cayman Islands deposit account
controlled by the defendant reinsurer ("the Offshore Scam"). In March
of 1984 the Offshore Scam offered to plaintiff ...."
In your case you could do something like "... either demand or
acceptance instruments drawing upon an account at an accredited
financial institution drawee, though such checks (or "cheques") are
sometimes thought of only in the sense of demand instruments. Under
the prevailing U.S. rules of negotiability, the Uniform Commercial
Code, a check is understood to be a demand instrument, but some common
and less strict American use of "check" might include reference to an
acceptance draft, usually taking much longer to negotiate because the
drawer has provided for an endorsement scheme which will prove the
check was not intercepted, as by mail theft or a dishonest caretaker
of an elderly person." That is long winded and might get into more
detail than is wanted, particularly if you only wish to talk about the
complete money supply in a country as including checks, but shows you
have chosen "checks" as the term you will use by choosing it on first
reference. Sometimes being very detailed in defining something
carries a professional aroma to it, so long as it isn't so long winded
or obscure as to carry a stench.
There can also be differences in the rules of negotiability of
instruments in various countries, so it may be that there genuinely
are differences in "checks" and "cheques", and even between British
cheques and Aussie cheques. Maybe a contrast in spelling reflects a
contrast in substance? (I recall something about Welsh and English
currency being different and not necessarily interchangeable as legal
tender somewhere else in this newsgroup.) If I can count on an
American check clearing in 'x' many days based upon the routing chain
between the banks, an aspect of this paper money is that floats of
funds in favor of the bank or 'permissible' kiting time in favor of
the check writer might be different from what I could expect for a
"cheque" that will clear through a British clearing house[1]. Maybe
it matters in your article, maybe not.
[1] Reminds me of a splendid article about the negotiability of cows
which have drafts written on them and are duly tendered to tax
collectors: BOARD OF INLAND REVENUE v. HADDOCK. It is a fictional
work by A.P. Herbert that used to be on-line, but perhaps the Herbert
estate enforced its copyright after the BBC aired the story. The
story isn't available on-line anymore. I'll have to settle for a
delightful qoute:
"The concept of two people living together for 25 years without a
serious dispute suggests a lack of spirit only to be admired in
sheep." - A. P. Herbert
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/a/a_p_herbert.html |
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Mike Lyle
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2005 5:21 am
Post subject: Re: Should I use the British or American spelling? (check/ch |
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Luke wrote:
| Quote: | On Thu, 17 Mar 2005 16:27:19 +0000, JPG <me@privacy.net> wrote:
Don't publishers "translate" books from the US into BrE and vice
versa.
Eg, "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's (Sorcerer's) Stone"?
No doubt, but the article in question is a self-published thing
that I
avail to my clients via the web and in hard-copy form.
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Why didn't you say so before, then? No problem: you write your own
version of the language, and if it's good enough, anybody who matters
will barely notice.
Consider Bill Bryson's very amusing _Short History of Nearly
Everything_. The edition I've just read is so laboriously
Europeanised that it actually distracted me: I'd be happier reading a
straight American version.
(Every bugger on the planet will notice that idiosyncratic -- nay,
eccentric -- use of "avail", though.)
--
Mike. |
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Robert Lieblich
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2005 6:37 am
Post subject: Re: Should I use the British or American spelling? (check/ch |
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Tony Cooper wrote:
[ ... ]
| Quote: | And all this time you thought that American keyboards didn't come with
a "u" key.
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Aha -- *that*'s why Br-ce Springsteen sings "Born in the SA."
--
Liebs |
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John Dean
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2005 7:16 am
Post subject: Re: Should I use the British or American spelling? (check/ch |
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Tony Cooper wrote:
| Quote: | On Thu, 17 Mar 2005 14:51:12 -0000, "John Dean"
john-dean@frag.lineone.net> wrote:
Tony Cooper wrote:
On Thu, 17 Mar 2005 06:25:21 GMT, LukeOnder@RioESP.net (Luke )
wrote:
If I am writing an article about paper money, to a world-wide
readership, including an uncertain number of Brits,
Direct your piece to the decisive Brits. They'll know what to do.
Americans and
Australians. Which spelling should I use: "cheque" or "check"?
If I use the American "check", many Brits who are not aware of the
American spelling of "cheque" may think I'm ignorant. Others may
misunderstand the sentence containing the word. (since "check" has
many meanings).
You should spell the word the way *you* spell the word. If you're
American, spell it "check". You'll be amazed how many Brits are
clever enough to figure out that an American writer uses American
spelling conventions.
Oh, *that's* what they're doing ...
And all this time you thought that American keyboards didn't come with
a "u" key.
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Not only that but I blush to admit I thought British keyboards were the
only ones where the F15 key enabled irony mode.
--
John Dean
Oxford |
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Charles Riggs
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2005 4:21 pm
Post subject: Re: Should I use the British or American spelling? (check/ch |
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On Thu, 17 Mar 2005 16:27:19 +0000, JPG <me@privacy.net> wrote:
| Quote: | Don't publishers "translate" books from the US into BrE and vice versa.
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Can someone answer this question? I don't think these translations
happen often, but I could be wrong.
| Quote: | Eg, "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's (Sorcerer's) Stone"?
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That one, yes, but what about books AUEers might want to read?
--
Charles Riggs
There are no accented letters in my email address |
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Charles Riggs
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2005 4:21 pm
Post subject: Re: Should I use the British or American spelling? (check/ch |
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On Thu, 17 Mar 2005 21:51:56 GMT, Tony Cooper
<tony_cooper213@earthlink.net> wrote:
A wee tale.
Not bad, Coop, not bad.
--
Charles Riggs
There are no accented letters in my email address |
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Daniel James
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2005 6:49 pm
Post subject: Re: Should I use the British or American spelling? (check/ch |
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In article news:<39ue7pF60luvgU1@individual.net>, Mike Lyle wrote:
| Quote: | Consider Bill Bryson's very amusing _Short History of Nearly
Everything_. The edition I've just read is so laboriously
Europeanised that it actually distracted me: I'd be happier reading a
straight American version.
|
Is the American version different? Bill Bryson himself is fairly
laboriously Europeanized (thanks, in part, no doubt, to the estimable
Mrs.Bryson) that it may just be "his style".
| Quote: | (Every bugger on the planet will notice that idiosyncratic -- nay,
eccentric -- use of "avail", though.)
|
... and some of us who aren't buggers, too ...
Cheers,
Daniel. |
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Daniel James
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2005 6:49 pm
Post subject: Re: Should I use the British or American spelling? (check/ch |
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In article news:<4239c42d.44252662@news.individual.net>, Luke wrote:
| Quote: | As I said, check has many meanings.
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Oops. So you did. I somehow overlooked that.
| Quote: | "Check the check and write out a check" The mind boogles -
especially if you've had a spot too much wine... <g
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The trick is not to spill it - those spots can be a devil to wash out.
Cheers,
Daniel. |
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Guest
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| Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2005 8:52 pm
Post subject: Re: Should I use the British or American spelling? (check/ch |
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Luke wrote:
| Quote: | If I am writing an article about paper money, to a world-wide
readership, including an uncertain number of Brits, Americans and
Australians. Which spelling should I use: "cheque" or "check"?
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1) Be consistent.
2) Write out the name of the element "Al" to
determine which spelling system to use.
GFH |
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Rio
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2005 8:52 pm
Post subject: Re: Should I use the British or American spelling? (check/ch |
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On Fri, 18 Mar 2005 11:49:39 GMT, Daniel James
<wastebasket@nospam.aaisp.org> wrote:
| Quote: | In article news:<39ue7pF60luvgU1@individual.net>, Mike Lyle wrote:
Consider Bill Bryson's very amusing _Short History of Nearly
Everything_. The edition I've just read is so laboriously
Europeanised that it actually distracted me: I'd be happier reading a
straight American version.
Is the American version different? Bill Bryson himself is fairly
laboriously Europeanized (thanks, in part, no doubt, to the estimable
Mrs.Bryson) that it may just be "his style".
(Every bugger on the planet will notice that idiosyncratic -- nay,
eccentric -- use of "avail", though.)
.. and some of us who aren't buggers, too ...
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No dount you (Mike or Daniel) can tell us all a shorter word that has
the same meaning... If not, I'll happily continue to make good use of
the word "avail".
Luke |
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Rio
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2005 8:54 pm
Post subject: Re: Should I use the British or American spelling? (check/ch |
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On Thu, 17 Mar 2005 22:21:38 -0000, "Mike Lyle"
<mike_lyle_uk@REMOVETHISyahoo.co.uk> wrote:
| Quote: | Why didn't you say so before, then?
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So that I'd waste lots of your time.
Luke |
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Guest
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| Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2005 8:56 pm
Post subject: Re: Should I use the British or American spelling? (check/ch |
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Luke wrote:
| Quote: | On Thu, 17 Mar 2005 12:14:10 GMT, Daniel James
wastebasket@nospam.aaisp.org> wrote:
In article news:<42391f4a.2034839@news.individual.net>, Luke wrote:
If I am writing an article about paper money, to a world-wide
readership, including an uncertain number of Brits, Americans and
Australians. Which spelling should I use: "cheque" or "check"?
I think most of us Brits are aware that Americans can't spell [1]
grin
However ...
The American usage of "check" for a restaurant bill, for example,
is
unknown in the UK. That is: we recognize the word as an Americanism
and
understand its meaning, but we don't use it that way ourselves.
The American use of the word "check" for what the NSOED describes
as a
"mark made against an item in an account or list indicating that it
has
been verified or noted" will strike many Brits as strange -- we
always call
that a "tick".
I think semantic differences of that sort are more likely to cause
problems
for your readers than differences in spelling.
As I said, check has many meanings. I get very confused when I go
into
a restaurant in America and at the end of the meal, my other half
askes me to "Check the check and write out a check" The mind boogles
-
especially if you've had a spot too much wine... <g
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You know of a restaurant in America that takes checks? Where is this
singular establishment? |
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Rio
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2005 8:57 pm
Post subject: Re: Should I use the British or American spelling? (check/ch |
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On Thu, 17 Mar 2005 21:51:56 GMT, Tony Cooper
<tony_cooper213@earthlink.net> wrote:
xicans.
| Quote: |
The English are the worst. You do a deal with them and they send the
wrong bridge and don't include the river.
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The river is for sale too, if you want it...
Luke |
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Rio
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2005 9:10 pm
Post subject: Re: Should I use the British or American spelling? (check/ch |
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On Thu, 17 Mar 2005 22:16:26 GMT, nullportal@verizon.net wrote:
| Quote: | On Thu, 17 Mar 2005 06:25:21 GMT, LukeOnder@RioESP.net (Luke ) wrote:
If I am writing an article about paper money, to a world-wide
readership, including an uncertain number of Brits, Americans and
Australians. Which spelling should I use: "cheque" or "check"?
[...]
When dealing with a term that could confuse the reader, the best
practice is to carefully set up the term you will use, as you will use
it throughout the work, on first reference and then follow that use
throughout the work.
Journalists, for instance, will follow first reference conventions
such as "... Senator John Smith, junior senator from Illinois. Smith
said ...". Lawyers will treat confusing or long labels by a first
reference technique also. For instance: "...the conspiracy of these
bankers operating through the Bank of Cayman Islands deposit account
controlled by the defendant reinsurer ("the Offshore Scam"). In March
of 1984 the Offshore Scam offered to plaintiff ...."
In your case you could do something like "... either demand or
acceptance instruments drawing upon an account at an accredited
financial institution drawee, though such checks (or "cheques") are
sometimes thought of only in the sense of demand instruments. Under
the prevailing U.S. rules of negotiability, the Uniform Commercial
Code, a check is understood to be a demand instrument, but some common
and less strict American use of "check" might include reference to an
acceptance draft, usually taking much longer to negotiate because the
drawer has provided for an endorsement scheme which will prove the
check was not intercepted, as by mail theft or a dishonest caretaker
of an elderly person." That is long winded and might get into more
detail than is wanted, particularly if you only wish to talk about the
complete money supply in a country as including checks, but shows you
have chosen "checks" as the term you will use by choosing it on first
reference. Sometimes being very detailed in defining something
carries a professional aroma to it, so long as it isn't so long winded
or obscure as to carry a stench.
There can also be differences in the rules of negotiability of
instruments in various countries, so it may be that there genuinely
are differences in "checks" and "cheques", and even between British
cheques and Aussie cheques. Maybe a contrast in spelling reflects a
contrast in substance?
|
Yes, that's a good point, and I think it's another justication for
writing "bank checks (or cheques)". The natue of the work in question
is such that the reader may well enter the document at any point
(rarely at the beginning), so establishing conventions at the
beginning, in this case, is not much help. So I think I'll write "bank
checks (or cheques)" everywhere that this form of paper money is
mentioned in the work.
Thanks for your input.
Luke |
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Peter Duncanson
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2005 9:11 pm
Post subject: Re: Should I use the British or American spelling? (check/ch |
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On Fri, 18 Mar 2005 14:12:07 GMT, LukeOnder@RioESP.net (Rio) wrote:
| Quote: | On 18 Mar 2005 05:56:12 -0800, rrhersh@acme.com wrote:
You know of a restaurant in America that takes checks? Where is this
singular establishment?
If I told you, I'd have to kill you. ;-)
Please check your weapons at the door. |
--
Peter Duncanson
UK (posting from a.e.u) |
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