Sorry Yanks

**Rosco** · 6th February 2009, 08:10 AM

I stand corrected.

I always thought it was the Yank's predilection for bastardising the English language that gave them the word Aluminum, as against what I previously and incorrectly assumed was the correct and proper spelling ... Aluminium. Low and behold I stumbled upon a wee tad of interesting trivia .....

This metal was discovered by an English bloke ...a Mr Humphry Davy, in 1808. Coincidently he's the bloke who also invented the miner's safety lamp which was named after him. Anyway, initially he decided to call it Alumium and then later decided to change it to Aluminum. This spelling was dutifully adopted by the Yanks, but here's the twist .... it was the Pom's who, in their infinite wisdom, decided it should have an extra "i", to keep it in line with the "ium" elements .... sodium, calcium, potassium etc.

So there you go, whilst the Yanks stuff up some words e.g. sox, jail, tire and so on, they are not guilty in this instance.

Ahhh ..... anyone for Trivial Pursuit ..

**Col.Coleman** · 6th February 2009, 08:18 AM

So he named it wrong then

CC

**solmanic** · 6th February 2009, 08:37 AM

I actually think ALUMIUM is a much better way to spell it! Makes sense with the "ium" suffix and it has one less syllable. Why did Mr Davy change it?

**ivery819** · 6th February 2009, 08:45 AM

@ Rosco

You got it right to start with !

The language we speak and the Americans mangle is ENGLISH.

So the spellings adopted by the English are, by definition, correct and the yanks are wrong.
In their demented rush to deny their English Language Heritage they just happened to fluke the original proposed spelling.

I like this quote from Dr. William H. Cosby Jr:
" It’s standing on the corner. It can’t speak English. It doesn’t want to speak English. I can’t even talk the way these people talk. “Why you ain’t where you is go, ra,” I don’t know who these people are. And I blamed the kid until I heard the mother talk. Then I heard the father talk.
"

**Rosco** · 6th February 2009, 09:23 AM

Originally Posted by ivery819

@ Rosco

You got it right to start with !

The language we speak and the Americans mangle is ENGLISH.

So the spellings adopted by the English are, by definition, correct and the yanks are wrong. ..................

au contraire ........... but only in this instance

Surely the name applied by the English inventor should take precedence, over that imposed by the posturing snobs of the Royal Institution, an august body of so called learned and erudite gentlemen (founded only marginally prior), who took it upon themselves to apply adjustments carte blanche where soever they deemed it appropriate.

**isuzubob** · 6th February 2009, 09:47 AM

Originally Posted by solmanic

I actually think ALUMIUM is a much better way to spell it! Makes sense with the "ium" suffix and it has one less syllable. Why did Mr Davy change it?

I like it so much I'm going to start using it:

Me: "Where can I find the alumium foil?"
Disinterested supermarket employee: "Do you mean aluminium foil?"
Me: "I don't know; is that anything like alumium foil?"

Rob

**werdan** · 6th February 2009, 10:23 AM

I still blame the yanks, only for not keeping up.

**Basil135** · 6th February 2009, 10:37 AM

Originally Posted by isuzubob

Me: "Where can I find the alumium foil?"
Disinterested supermarket employee: "Do you mean aluminium foil?"
Me: "I don't know; is that anything like alumium foil?"

Rob

**hodgo** · 6th February 2009, 10:55 AM

What ever

**Savanahkelpy** · 6th February 2009, 03:00 PM

The rarest metal of them all?,,What else, but,,,Unobtainium,,

,,

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