Help with question about web page access

From: Tony Duell <ard_at_p850ug1.demon.co.uk>
Date: Mon Aug 23 17:46:47 2004

> > > That's because they didn't have computers back then.
> >
> >Yes they did. They were the people who operated the calculating machines :-)
>
> Altho I'm certainly no exspurt on the Queen's English, at least as far as
> "correct" American English goes, the spelling for the word defined as
> "People who are operating the computing machines" would be:
>
> Computors.
> ^
>
> This even holds true for people who stick 2 pieces of metal together with a
> hot stick - Welders are the devices used, Weldors are the people running
> the devices.

I've just checked the Shorter Oxford Dictionary (this is a 2-volume
English dictionary, mine is somewhat old). It doesn't contain Computor or
Weldor at all. A 'Welder' is one who welds, a Computer is a person who
calculates.

US usage may well be different (in fact the usage may have changed in
England since my dictionary was published, but I don't think it has).

-tony
Received on Mon Aug 23 2004 - 17:46:47 BST