Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/08/30

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Subject: RE: [Leica] Re: Silly Question, I guess
From: leica@davidmorton.org
Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 01:47:30 +0100

Herbert & Lee Kanner wrote:

"A few months ago, I violated all the rules of good behavior on the 
rec.photo.equipment.35mm newsgroup by criticizing spelling: I just 
got fed up at seeing "lense."  So, my good natured protest was 
answered by: "Yank, idiot.  That's how it's spelled in the UK.  I've 
been spelling it that way for 50 years."  So, I responded stating 
that the Compact Oxford English Dictionary did not allow that 
spelling.  Answer: "That's a very abridged dictionary."  I came back 
at the guy with a reference to the full multi-volume OED, which had 
only one definition for "lense," namely "to make lean," as in meat."

You were right too. There's no UK dictionary that gives 'lense' as an
acceptable alternative to 'lens'. In UK English to use the spelling 'lense'
for an optical component or device is *always* wrong.

- -- 
David Morton
dmorton@journalist.co.uk

"The more opinions you have, the less you see." -- Wim Wenders.