What is the language "British"?

[jdow]

From: "Bob Goodwin" <bobgoodwin at wildblue.net>

> Mike McCarty wrote:
>> 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.
>>
>> Mike
> *My ancient dictionary, about as fragile as the dead sea scrolls, even 
> shows pictures of several "fuzes!"  Two have propellers and they 
> obviously screw into the nose of a projectile/bomb.
> 
> "FUZE noun  A mechanical or electrical device that initiates the 
> explosive charge of a shell, bomb, grenade, etc."
> 
> Funk & Wagnalls New College Standard Dictionary  C. 1947

To partially coorborate your 1947 dictionary's definition I have
my grandfather's 1947 Websters business dictionary at hand. Fuse
definition 1 was detonator and definition 2 was electrical interrupter.
Fuze was ONLY detonator.

{^_^}