British English

[oblivion]

I have started work on making a British English version of the language file.

It's obviously a deeply trivial job considering the vast amount of work required for non-English translations and mostly I only did it for my own interest.

My first pass through the file has changed "color" to "colour" and "favorite" to "favourite" everywhere, and (even though I think I may be out of step here) I've switched the -ize to -ise words, just because. (Not sure I want to argue semantics on this point; I'm going with general usage here, not strict etymological accuracy.)

I did note a small inconsistency: item #64 is "Grey" in the original, but in the odd other places the word occurs, it's the American version: "gray."

And if I had read everything properly before diving in, I'd probably already know the answer to this but there's a doubled semicolon in item 438 -- I imagine it's correct as is but I wondered vaguely if it was a typo so I thought I'd mention it.

Anyway, I have decided that I rather like my Favourites menu correctly spelled so if you'd like me to do the full due diligence and complete the job, I'll happily do so.

[admin]

Sure, love the idea! (<- cup of tea!)

The double semicolon is correct. It provides a menu separator. (I had to check myself)

Gray/Grey: oh yes, will fix that in the 64-bit edition.

[oblivion]

Apparently, even this -- allegedly easy -- job is taking longer than I might have expected.

One thing -- I've spotted this a few times and keep coming to the conclusion that I'd figure it out in context and I'm not sure I have.

An example:

1248: Open the focused folder (resp. go to the focused file) in a new tab.

My understanding of "resp." is that it's an abbreviation of "respectively" but that doesn't seem to quite work for me in any context I've seen it.

Is it better understood as "then" or "subsequently" or maybe "alternatively"?

Alternatively, ( ) am I being particularly stupid?

[admin]

1248: Open the focused folder (resp. go to the focused file) in a new tab.

Oh, shit, thanks for noting that! That's an English mistake I used to make (and still make). Yes, it's meant to mean "respectively" but the usage here wrongly derived from German. I have to correct that sentence. What I wanted to say here is: If the focused item is a folder then it will be *opened* in a new tab, whereas if it is a file then you will *go to* that file in a new tab. Now how do you say that in good concise English?

[MBaas]

How about the simple "Open focused folder/goto focused file in new tab"? Or even shorter "Access focused item in new tab".

[admin]

I would take the first one.

[oblivion]

I'd say open focussed file or folder in new tab, I think. But you're in charge of the style of the language and both of the other suggestions work too.

[admin]

I'd say open focussed file or folder in new tab, I think. But you're in charge of the style of the language and both of the other suggestions work too.

It does not open the file, so that would not work.

[oblivion]

That's me not paying enough attention again.

I don't like / in sentences, so something with 'or' feels better. But you're the boss

[admin]

Me neither, but it does the job here better than anything else. Gotta blame it on the language. (LOL, I say that as a German, sorry)

PS: OK, it's nerdy, but I suggest a sentence-separating "/" should have spaces on each side:
"Open focused folder / goto focused file in new tab"

[oblivion]

That works. Agreed on the spaces too.

[elqasar2]

'Goto' is not valid English. It's funny that people dishing out English advice don't know this.

All that needs to be done is to replace 'resp.' with 'or'.

Open the focused folder (or go to the focused file) in a new tab.

[admin]

Thanks, I like it.

So, do some English speakers here agree that this will work?

[oblivion]

I agree that a construct with 'or' is preferable, as I've already said. As long as everyone else is happy

On goto, as the original didn't use it I didn't assume that element of mbaas' suggestion would be taken up so didn't comment. Possibly as many of us have a programming background we would be relaxed about its use anyway? But I agree, if such agreement is being sought, that we should be as unsympathetic towards goto as we are in our programming.

[MBaas]

"goto" is one of my favourite mistakes in programming-related texts. An often overseen and underestimated side-effect of spending youth-years with BASIC!