What is the language "British"?

[jdow]

From: "Mike McCarty" <Mike.McCarty at sbcglobal.net>

> Gene Heskett wrote:
>> On Tuesday 05 September 2006 12:25, Michael P. Brininstool wrote:
>> 
>>>dictionary.com sez basically that fuse is the thing you light to blow
>>>something up and the fuze is an electronic version of same.
>> 
>> 
>> And as a C.E.T. of 34 years, and chasing electrons for a living for 57 or 
>> so, I have yet to see the hot wire device designed to open a circuit when 
>> too much current flows called anything but a fuse, with an 's'.  Thats not 
> 
> Yep.
> 
>> saying it couldn't be so spelled in other locales, but here, there's only 
>> one way to spell it unless the writer failed spelling.
> 
> Then dictionary.com is wrong. A fuze is a device for detonating a
> weapon. A fuse is an electrical device. I've been doing electronics
> for 40 years, and *never* have encountered the term "fuze" to mean
> an electronics component.
> 
> Furthermore, I looked in a "real" dictionary, and that's what it
> verified.

As a precocious kid who has played with electricity and electronics
for over 55 years - "fuse" interrupts electrons or mates objects
together while "fuze" detonates. (A rough check of a '53 ARRL
handbook indicates it figured "fuse" was the object that interrupted
electron flow.)

{^_^}   Joanne (Daddy discovered I could pay attention to his
        instructions and had me doing "stuff" when I was about
        four years old. Then he died and I started doing it ALL
        for myself a couple years later due to impatience with the
        adults around me.)