How would you spell these double spelling words?

Presumably, the adoption of SWOP as the acronym for the Sex Workers Outreach Project has had some effect on the popularity (and propriety) of using that particular spelling.

I would suggest that many people use the mis-spellings "seperate" and "definate" proportionately more often than others use "swop", however legitimately.

From a reader's point of view, "swop" looks wrong, and makes me feel uneasy when I see it. I would only ever recommend that you use the "swap" spelling.

<<From a reader's point of view, "swop" looks wrong, and makes me feel uneasy when I see it. I would only ever recommend that you use the "swap" spelling.>>

I only started to see "swop" about 5 years ago and at first presumed the person was illiterate. I started to see it regularly thereafter and was surprised to see that it was an acceptable spelling variant in the dictionary.

I myself have similarly never seen the spelling "swop" ever before its mention right now, and it likewise looks quite off to me, I must say.

Guest,

"chaos" ==>> "khayos"
"oasis" ==>> "o-aisis"
"quiet" ==>> "quiyt"

Why "khayos"? Why is "kh"?

How do you spell HALLOWEEN, or should I spell it HALLOWE'EN?

Hallowe'en

..and whilst we're about it:

Xmas.

Xmas is a no no! You might as well just say Jesus X, a person who follows the faith as xtian (an "extian"), a christening ceremony as xtening (presumably pronounced as "ex'ning"). The English town in Dorset called Christchurch (or its namesake in New Zealand) might as well be known as Xchurch.

As a matter of fact, X is the initial for the Greek spelling of Christ.

OK....that's great. The Greeks always had a word for it, apparently.

Pity they all spoke English on Saturday evening in Athens (well, the female presenter was 100% Americanspeak) as did the whole of the rest of Europe apart, of course, from France and Monaco. What happened in Belgium then? Brussels actually spoke English! I read that that was a first. Has there been some sort of Franco-Belgo punch up or something?

I didn't see the live broadcast - I had more interesting things to do, but saw some of the highlights last night on E4....for medicinal purpose, yeah? It's so weird..the whole thing is so mega political. Belarus: douze points for Russia! Cyprus: douze points for Greece! etc etc. Talk about neighbourhood watch schemes! But everywhere apart from the aforementioned Francozone, everything but everything was presented and announced in English......the English Language reigned supreme across the whole of Europe (and Israel...) - from Reykjavik to (non European) Jerusalem, from Lisbon to Helsinki and from Sarajevo to Tallinn.

The winning Finnish heavy death metal number may probably be a non starter in the discos of Europe - it often happens. Recently the UK has ended up with politically induced "nul points", but it's number went on to be the most played in all the clubs and discos across the European Continent. I didn't think much of the UK song this time round anyway.....all those stupid shrill schoolgirls in St Trinians outfits? Weird.

Back to the thread:

Why downgrade Christmas to Xmas unless you're texting in which case that's cool? In some parts of the UK Christmas is called Crimbo informally - that's better than Xmas I reckon.

"The winning Finnish heavy death metal number may probably be a non starter in the discos of Europe - it often happens"

It'll be popular with the Continental Europeans but not with the British. The British have a MUCH better taste in music than the Continental Europeans. Lordi are popular in 20 countries already - but people in Britain and the other English-speaking countries have never heard of them.

Yeah; Cliff Richard is great.

The Beatles were great. So are the Arctic Monkeys, Kaiser Chiefs and Oasis.

Artic Monkeys?!?!

I'll give in that Blur were good but Oasis!

Lordi's heavy death metal E/V winner may go down a bomb in Finland and other Continental countries but it will get nowhere in the UK. So far not many, if any, mainstream UK radio/TV stations has played it and there is apparently very little interest. Not that the Finns will give a toss anyway.

Here is something that happened throughout the world (except the United States) at precisely two minutes and three seconds after 01:00hrs on 04 May 2006:

Time and date clocks showed:

01:02:03 04:05:06

This will not happen again for many generations to come.

At six minutes and six seconds after 06:00hrs on 06 June 2006 such clocks will show:

06:06:06 06:06:06

How beastly!