Neckless and proofless?

[Mister Underhill]

Originally Posted by Aiwendil

For the record, none of my American editions contain the mistake.

My guess is this is probably another one of those U.K. things. Let's face it -- you folks have a long history of creative spelling, to say nothing of your pronunciations.

[The Squatter of Amon Rûdh]

Noah Webster was the man with the creative spellings. I attribute the success of his unilateral spelling reform to the general unavailability of good educational books in early nineteenth-century America. Anyway, I'd rather sound English than Californian so boo and sucks to William B. Ide.

I suspect that in a surprising move you're right about this particular mistake, though. I would like to confirm that it wasn't present in the third edition before I pronounce this a dead end, but apparently this is no more than a slip-up with new technology at GA&U.

[Mister Underhill]

I kid because I love. I've always preferred "grey" to "gray" for instance, which I'm almost certain traces back to Tolkien.

I estimate that one in five people in California does sound English.

[The Squatter of Amon Rûdh]

We love you too. We even named a road after you over in Lympstone.



If it weren't for Tolkien I'd never have heard the word thrawn.

[Morthoron]

Originally Posted by The Squatter of Amon Rûdh

If it weren't for Tolkien I'd never have heard the word thrawn.

And let's not forget "flammifer", "bebothered", "flummoxed", "glede" and "confusticated".

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Mister Underhill

I kid because I love. I've always preferred "grey" to "gray" for instance, which I'm almost certain traces back to Tolkien.

I've always been very confused when people wrote "gray". I always spell it with an "e".


I didn't notice any mistake in my version of TH if it was there, and I don't have the book on me to check. But the first thing I thought upon reading the first post was a choker.

[Alfirin]

For what it's worth I recently discovered I use the british spelling for a LOT of words, including some I wasn't even aware HAD alternate spelling. For example I collect sea shells in particular those of the genus Cyparaea (or more acccuratly those that were in that genus before it was divided up into many smaller genera). I had always known the spelling of the common name of these shells as "cowrie", and that was how I wrote it. however when I got serios I discovered that, in American English it is considered proper to spell it "cowry". I still use the British spelling (To me it just looks better) but I had to learn to do searches under both spellings. I also tend to write "colour" and "theatre".

[Mithalwen]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

I've always been very confused when people wrote "gray". I always spell it with an "e".

I was quite startled on the first morning of my first visit to the States, when I queried why the bus didn't seem to be going where I expected to be told "the bus has been re-routed because it's Labo(u)r Day" You would expect one rout to be enough for a bus.. if not completely unnecessary...

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by Morthoron

And let's not forget "flammifer", "bebothered", "flummoxed", "glede" and "confusticated".

Yeah. Not to mention "coffee","mountain", "forest", and "spider". Oh, those wacky English.

Anyway, I put "neckless" down to a Freudian slip on some editor's part, looking at a colleague across the room whose head appeared to sit directly on his shoulders.