What is the language "British"?

[Bob Goodwin]

Grumpy wrote:
> On Wednesday 06 September 2006 18:49, William Case wrote:
>   
>> On Wed, 2006-06-09 at 20:04 -0400, Gene Heskett wrote:
>>     
>>> On Wednesday 06 September 2006 15:03, Bob Goodwin wrote:
>>>       
>>>> 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
>>>>         
>>> Darn, first braggart hasn't a chance in this company.  My Websters is 11
>>> years newer. :(
>>>
>>>       
>>>> Thunderbird Compose spell checker can't deal with Fuze though!
>>>>         
>> I sympathize with the American posters here who know no better than to
>> use American toys that call themselves dictionaries.  The OED which is a
>> real English dictionary does not define fuze directly but simply refers
>> to fuse.  The definition of fuse(n.) includes something to break an
>> electrical circuit and something to ignite explosives, so that should
>> settle it.
>>     
> I guess that the editors of the OED don't spend much time playing with 
> fireworks.
>   
>> --
>> Regards Bill
>>     
>
>   
I suggest that you look where I believe the term "fuze" originated. 
It came from electronic designs for "proximity fuzes."  Try google
with "proximity fuze" and you will be overwhelmed with articles,
probably more than you care to read but the spelling is fuze in
that case.

Bob Goodwin