Bob Bolton, I believe (from alt.usage.english among other places) that "-ise" is standard throughout the English-speaking world except for the U.S.--and Oxford University Press. Alan, most Americans don't pronounce the h in herb and herbal, and some don't pronounce in herbivore, herbaceous, and so on. (And some don't know those words.) Tim, where do people say "gumrubbers"? I've never heard it. I think what the British call wellies we down here just call boots, or rubber boots if we're being precise. Also, I think the British write "kerb", not "kurb". On a subject Judy brought up, does anyone know the Russian equivalent of "oink"? A friend of mine remembers it as "like a song" and wants to find it again.