Non-standardized spelling?

[jakeroot]

I was checking out this street view of the Borgen Boulevard roundabouts on Washington SR-16 near Gig Harbor, and I couldn't help but notice something strange:

http://bit.ly/2GEBker

The leftmost lane of Canterwood Boulevard entering into the easternmost roundabout spells out "CITY CENTRE", and normally nothing would be out of the ordinary, except that A) this is a city road, so I would have expected the city of Gig Harbor to have had it painted/spelled according to US standards, and B) the large shopping center east of the junction is not called "City Centre" (as in how some shopping centers spell their names how Canada/the UK/Australia/NZ would spell them, just to be "different"). I emailed the Public Works director to see exactly why this is spelled as such; so far nothing has come back (though I only sent the email a few hours ago).

I checked the companies that were awarded the contract(s). Both were Pierce County-based constructors, so it wouldn't be a matter of the constructors being from Canada and just spelling it out how they normally would.

I only posted this here to see what you all thought and if you had seen something like this before.

Also this is my first post on AA Roads, so please direct me to somewhere else if I've posted this in the wrong area.

[Brandon]

^^ Not uncommon, even in the US where "center" is commonly spelled "center" instead of "centre".  Many cities and towns (and even shopping centers) will use the "centre" spelling as they believe it to be "classier" than the typical US spelling.

Do British places use "center" as it might be "classier" than "centre"?  Somehow I doubt it.

[hotdogPi]

At exit 48 on I-95 in Massachusetts, the exit is for Centre Street.

[jakeroot]

the large shopping center east of the junction is not called "City Centre" (as in how some shopping centers spell their names how Canada/the UK/Australia/NZ would spell them, just to be "different").

At exit 48 on I-95 in Massachusetts, the exit is for Centre Street.

Yes of course, but the name of the street is "Centre St". This shopping center is not called "City Centre". I went and visited the area yesterday and could not find any evidence of this area being called "City Centre". In fact, the "City Center" of Gig Harbor is at the next exit, http://www.cityofgigharbor.net/page.php?id=821

Do British places use "center" as it might be "classier" than "centre"?  Somehow I doubt it.

I think you would be correct in saying that -- there is nothing "classy" about American English, not compared to the old world of Britain, at least.

EDIT: Also I can't help but notice that the calligraphy is painted from top to bottom, not bottom to top like is standard (such as, from closest to farthest, "left" then "turn" and then "only"). http://goo.gl/8mv6h9

[english si]

Do British places use "center" as it might be "classier" than "centre"?  Somehow I doubt it.

Nope - other way around: center is an American simplified spelling done because Webster and others considered their compatriots to be uncouth simpletons who couldn't spell words that came across the Channel in 1066.

[jakeroot]

Do British places use "center" as it might be "classier" than "centre"?  Somehow I doubt it.

Nope - other way around: center is an American simplified spelling done because Webster and others considered their compatriots to be uncouth simpletons who couldn't spell words that came across the Channel in 1066.

That actually makes a ton of sense, now that I've just remembered that the "-re" is a French thing, yeah?

[formulanone]

Do British places use "center" as it might be "classier" than "centre"?  Somehow I doubt it.

Nope - other way around: center is an American simplified spelling done because Webster and others considered their compatriots to be uncouth simpletons who couldn't spell words that came across the Channel in 1066.

Wer just not big on them useles silent leters, 'MK?

[english si]

Wer just not big on them useles silent leters, 'MK?

Which one of 'r' and 'e' is silent and so you removed it?

[NE2]

City Sentry.

[jakeroot]

City Sentry.

Sounds like an alarm system. As I kid that's how I pronounced the -re ending. "Cent-tra" or "Colooor"



So I got an email back from the Gig Harbor Public Works Director:

Hi Jacob,

Sorry for the delay in responding but I am actually out of the office until November 4.

The spelling of "Centre" was intentional by our City Engineer due to his heritage.  Though, for consistence with WSDOT singing, the spelling will be corrected to the US customary spelling the next time the thermo-plastic markings are replaced.

It's funny that you are the first person outside of City Hall to comment on it in the three years it has been this way!

Thanks, Jeff

Jeff Langhelm
Public Works Director
City of Gig Harbor

NOOOO!!!! What have I done!? I've ruined the only piece of foreign heritage my community had. I'm happy knowing the final piece to this puzzle though.

Nice talking to you all,

Jake

[kkt]

Do British places use "center" as it might be "classier" than "centre"?  Somehow I doubt it.

Nope - other way around: center is an American simplified spelling done because Webster and others considered their compatriots to be uncouth simpletons who couldn't spell words that came across the Channel in 1066.

Spelling was inconsistent on both sides of the Atlantic up to the 1700s.  Both Samuel Johnson and Noah Webster attempted to make spelling more consistent and standardized.  Alas, they did not standardize it the same way.

[cpzilliacus]

^^ Not uncommon, even in the US where "center" is commonly spelled "center" instead of "centre".  Many cities and towns (and even shopping centers) will use the "centre" spelling as they believe it to be "classier" than the typical US spelling.

Do British places use "center" as it might be "classier" than "centre"?  Somehow I doubt it.

They are not shopping centers, but there are places named Centreville in Virginia (Va. 28 south of I-66 in Fairfax County) and Maryland (a municipality west of U.S. 301 in Queen Anne's County).

[empirestate]

This kind of crap makes me vomit.

http://www.oldetownecentre.com/

[english si]

Yes - those silly add on 'e's: Olde Towne Centre. You might get them on Olde (normally preceded by ƿe), but never Towne.

[hotdogPi]

Another question: Why is this in "Northwest"?

[jakeroot]

Another question: Why is this in "Northwest"?

Obviously the topic was moved, but the original question was about a roundabout attached to State Route 16 in Gig Harbor (in Washington, which is in the NW). Clearly it belonged in Traffic Control to begin with, but hey, I've only posted 8 times, so I don't know exactly where everything belongs YET.

[hbelkins]

There's a proposed building in downtown Lexington that's going to be called CentrePointe.

[sammi]

There's a proposed building in downtown Lexington that's going to be called CentrePointe.

About five minutes from my apartment is a mall called Centerpoint. I thought Canada was quite adamant regarding spelling. (I once got marks off for using correct American spelling on a paper.)

[1995hoo]

Our neighborhood is called "Kingstowne." There's a blue "adopt-a-highway" sign on Kingstowne Village Parkway that says the "Kingstown Lions Club" sponsors the road. I don't know whether the club misspelled it in their name or whether VDOT misspelled it on the sign. I'm so used to seeing the "e" on the end that it looks funny to me whenever I see it without (such as in the printed lyrics to Springsteen's "Hungry Heart"). 

Funny thing, though, is that the shopping center is "Kingstowne Town Center" and not "Towne Centre" or some such. I have no idea why they used the normal American spelling for that.

I think some people are so used to the British spellings in place names they just default to them–for example, I've often seen Old Town Alexandria incorrectly referred to as "Olde Towne."

[Alps]

I think some people are so used to the British spellings in place names they just default to them–for example, I've often seen Old Town Alexandria incorrectly referred to as "Olde Towne."

Whoa, whoa, whoa. These are not British spellings. These are simply pre-dictionary spellings, where everyone had their own interpretation of the rules.

[1995hoo]

I think some people are so used to the British spellings in place names they just default to them–for example, I've often seen Old Town Alexandria incorrectly referred to as "Olde Towne."

Whoa, whoa, whoa. These are not British spellings. These are simply pre-dictionary spellings, where everyone had their own interpretation of the rules.

You know what I mean. People perceive such things as being British whether they are or are not and they'll often use them when they think a "colonial" feel is required.

It can result in amusing stuff sometimes. I know a guy who favors British spellings at all times and uses British vocabulary as well (for example, the Capitals don't have an upcoming schedule in his world, they have fixtures). Most of the time he does it quite well. But he doesn't realize that the word for the military conscription process, which is also the word for the process by which pro sports teams select players each year, is spelled the same on both sides of the Atlantic. For some reason he persists in referring to, for example, the "NFL draught" when the correct term, even to the Brits, is "NFL draft."