New Year's Resolution #1; Improve my spelling

I like this site rather a lot. I like it nearly as much as my well pawed mini Oxford dictionary (New Zealand edition). A pity that really that if doesn't easily differentiate between American English and proper English.

But isn't that what spell check is for? I hear you ask.

Well yes, spell check is all very well unless, like me, you write an speak a slightly obscure dialect of English.

Most spell checks cope very well with American English and proper English, sometimes called UK English. Some even cope with Strine, that is Australian English. Not many spell checks can cope with Kiwi, New Zealand English that is, a.k.a Pakeha English. The number of Te Reo Maori words causes it to have a fit.

Microsoft Office has to be among the most frustrating. It says it is set on New Zealand English but rejects every Maori word or place name and many other well words as well. It doesn't like the word Plunket for example despite 90% of the population being Plunket babies. Better still I don't know what my secretary has done to the setting but it decides to reject the word centre along with every other word ending in re at random intervals as well by suggesting that the American er spelling be used instead.

If you think I am being just a little bit petty today you are probably right. 22ºC with 73% humidity and a white fur coat is not a recipe for a happy cat.

Have a read of this while I try and learn all the exception to the i before e except after c rule.