h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The announcement states that 'An American author, writing on an American topic may use American English.'

One of the suggestions for contributing to 'The Guide' was write about your hometown and what you know. I never did that because it simply will not fit in British English. I have contributed to 'The Post'.

For a while I proof read articles for a British Researcher whose Word spell checker only did American English while my version of Word Perfect could do British English. I even switched the language bar on my office computer to English UK. Only one person had a problem with that. The other three just shrugged and ignored the red lines. The fourth should have logged in under his own profile.

Language is not all about spelling, though. There is a mind set that accompanies it. That mind set is of a time and place. For instance, there was a discussion on site about the lyrics to 'American Pie'. If Don McLean wrote that for h2g2, how would the words have been changed?

I agree with Lewis Grizzard, that a person has to be born Southern to say 'Come here'n, ya'll'. And, while I understand that, it still is not what I hear in South Louisiana where Santa's sled is pulled by alligators and bonfires light the levees so he won't get lost in the swamps.

What a wonderful mental picture - Santa's sled pulled by alligators!

It's true.

http://www.louisianagreetings.com/Pages/Christmas/DetailPages/D_C10A.htm

Glad to hear about the alligators . It's good thing Santa's sleigh is magical and can fly, as there wouldn't be much snow on the ground.

Apparently, the alligators can fly too.

http://www.louisianagreetings.com/Pages/Christmas/DetailPages/D_C6LSU.htm

Old fashioned Christmas is a whole other thing, down here.

Maybe not as different as one might think, though. I hear that poinsettias grow wild in Louisiana. Around Boston, they grow in abundance as well, but inside people's homes.

[Yes, we could use a poinsettia smiley]