What is the language "British"?

[jdow]

From: "Timothy Murphy" <tim at birdsnest.maths.tcd.ie>

> Erik P. Olsen wrote:
> 
> 
>> Hm, tried the English (Denmark) version and there is absolutely no Danish
>> in that and it merely looks like another American English variant.
> 
> I looked at English (Irish) some time ago,
> and couldn't find any difference from English (UK).
> 
> The two differences that are sometimes quoted are
> "rere" (for the back of a building)
> and "seperate" for "separate".
> I've always assumed that the latter stems from some Dan Quayle-like teacher
> refusing to admit he (or more likely she) was wrong.

For the record I have several dictionaries here that show both spellings
with neither the preferred spelling. The "e" on the end has fallen off
potatoe only in the days since the Quayle tarring. I learned it with
the potatoe spelling when I was in school in the 40s. It was a 
"Toe May Toe" or "Toe Mah Toe" thing. Both looked (sounded) wrong to
about half the people.

{^_^}