Crossword Help Forum
Forum Rules

Jigjag, thanks for another entertaining and amusing market report. I hadn't realised that Mr Wallace - aka Girning Gregg - had had such an interesting life. As I dislike steak as much as I dislike mushrooms, I will never be able to verify the claims about the taste factor. Ivan Napple speaks for many of us when he says 'I've seen enough of … Wallace'.

It is interesting that "Pedants" are mentioned in an article on Page 3 of The Times today. It is about the use of -ize endings by Prince Charles. I prefer -ise.

"-ise" is a no-brainer (if you forgive the expression). All of these words can have "-ise", but not all can have "-ize". If one always uses "-ise" one doesn't have to remember which are which!

Chris

That's a good point. Anything to prevent brain strain for me is useful

jigjag

I was out with friends last night and the subject of Gregg Wallace and his "Supermarket Secrets" came up. Apparently he really WAS a greengrocer. I thought you were making that up to fit the story. Did you know?

In the early 2000s Gregg Wallace and Charlie Hicks presented "Veg Talk" on Radio 4.

Thanks drmorgans. I never heard it. I have only seen him on Master Chef and just assumed he was in the restaurant business.

I thought that was a fair article in the Times. I prefer -ize because it introduces more variety in the letters we use and it is more etymologically sound. The main dictionaries give both forms but Chambers, Oxford and Collins, to mention a few, all prefer -ize. OUP and Penguin books use -ize as well.

The Times used -ize until about the 1960s but changed to -ise so that its journalists would not make mistakes. I also know of a newspaper called the Advertizer, which should really not use a z but it's been that way since the 19th century so maybe it was all right when it started.

On another matter, my day got off to a bad start when I heard a reporter on the BBC talking about HS2 and he said haitch rather than aitch for H every time.

Thanks Orson for your very interesting and informative note. I use -ise, as I thought- ize was American, but it seems British English accepts both.

Oh grunger, of course I knew. As a Pedant , I always aim for accuracy. I do get confused though from time to time, so you don't have to believe everything I say!

By the way, Supermarket Secrets is on tonight, BBC1 11.35.

Malone -if you are looking in, this programme features Ocado and robots, presumably including GW. I am hoping he will slip in your "No Can Do" slogan. Well worth watching.