One of the best parts of the Oxford English Dictionary are the mini-essays given with many of the words. For example, we learn that "serviette" is vulgar usage (unnecessary use of a foreign word in place of table napkin).

Although many words end with the suffix -ize (see post above somewhere), the OED provides a mini-essay on analyse, which some Britons and all Americans spell analyze. Mentioned in the website under privatize (Noreen's post), here is part of the argument from the OED:
"Hence from the first it was commonly written in English analyze, the spelling accepted bt Johnson [he did much to regularize English spelling], and historically quite defensible. The objection that this assumes a Gk. G----- itself assumes that analyse is formed on the Gk. ----- , which is etymologically impossible and historically untrue [----; the Gk. words left out]."
In other words, better know your Greek before you argue about the spelling of -ize and -ise words!

Noreen, the OED website answered my question about why most Britons ignore the preferred -ize spellings in the OED: Lazy spellers plus a touch of Anti-Americanism.

Now if the OED will just put its complete edition on the net without the hefty charge for its use .....