# My parking ticket is in Commonwealth English! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 19, 2008, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-parking-ticket-is-in-commonwealth-english/468647 "2008-10-19T17:49:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2008, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-parking-ticket-is-in-commonwealth-english/468647/1 "2008-10-19T17:49:55Z")
Quite mundane, and quite pointless, but surprising nonetheless. I got a parking ticket yesterday, and was surprised to see the word “offence”. My first thought was that the City of Los Angeles must be buying ticket forms from Canada. However, there’s nothing on it to suggest that it was printed there. Another explanation may be that the form is computer generated, and was programmed by people outside the U.S., which could be any country where English is commonly used in technical and business discourse, not least India. Has anyone else in the U.S. noticed anything like this recently? Not that I mind, at least not until the tickets start to say “impeding the Crown’s highway” or something like that. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2008, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-parking-ticket-is-in-commonwealth-english/468647/2 "2008-10-19T17:56:01Z")
So, as a Commonwealth Englishman it looks normal to me. I assume it should be ‘offense’ to you? ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2008, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-parking-ticket-is-in-commonwealth-english/468647/3 "2008-10-19T20:57:08Z")
At last it seems as though we are starting to civilise the natives! Now if we can just have our tea back… ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2008, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-parking-ticket-is-in-commonwealth-english/468647/4 "2008-10-19T21:49:09Z")
> [@Lust4Life](#): > > Now if we can just have our tea back… Well, we certainly don’t want it. It’s a soggy, salty mess, and it’s over 200 years old. Help yourselves, if you really want to. ---
**Author:** ![PastAllReason](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f07891/32.png) [@PastAllReason](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastAllReason)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2008, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-parking-ticket-is-in-commonwealth-english/468647/5 "2008-10-19T22:00:04Z")
> [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > Has anyone else in the U.S. noticed anything like this recently? Not that I mind, at least not until the tickets start to say “impeding the Crown’s highway” or something like that. 🙂 Let us know if one starts to show up for causing alarm to Her Majesty. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2008, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-parking-ticket-is-in-commonwealth-english/468647/6 "2008-10-19T22:30:52Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > So, as a Commonwealth Englishman it looks normal to me. I assume it should be ‘offense’ to you? Either spelling is technically acceptable in the USA, but “offense” is preferred. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2008, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-parking-ticket-is-in-commonwealth-english/468647/7 "2008-10-20T00:13:42Z")
Be sure to pay for your offence by writing a cheque. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2008, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-parking-ticket-is-in-commonwealth-english/468647/8 "2008-10-20T10:29:18Z")
Heh. Now they know how we feel! Anyway, you’d better pay up, or you could land in gaol. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2008, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-parking-ticket-is-in-commonwealth-english/468647/9 "2008-10-20T14:54:07Z")
> [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](#): > > Be sure to pay for your offence by writing a cheque. Otherwise, you’ll go to gaol. ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2008, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-parking-ticket-is-in-commonwealth-english/468647/10 "2008-10-20T15:37:30Z")
This is to pay you back for all the American spellings that are creeping in over here, especially on UK message boards. Thus we get program for (TV) programme, license instead of licence, curb instead of kerb etc. etc. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2008, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-parking-ticket-is-in-commonwealth-english/468647/11 "2008-10-20T15:46:55Z")
I have an ex-girlfriend, born & bred in Kentucky, who insists on writing “colour,” “offence,” “labour,” and so forth. Maybe she wrote it. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2008, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-parking-ticket-is-in-commonwealth-english/468647/12 "2008-10-20T15:52:07Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > I have an ex-girlfriend, born & bred in Kentucky, who insists on writing “colour,” “offence,” “labour,” and so forth. Maybe she wrote it. Naturally. Kentucky is a commonwealth. Virginia too, I believe. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2008, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-parking-ticket-is-in-commonwealth-english/468647/13 "2008-10-20T15:52:53Z")
If this catches on, those D-fence signs that people hold up at football games will be more literally correct. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2008, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-parking-ticket-is-in-commonwealth-english/468647/14 "2008-10-20T15:53:01Z")
> [@Bayard](#): > > Naturally. Kentucky is a commonwealth. Virginia too, I believe. I have already had this argument. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2008, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-parking-ticket-is-in-commonwealth-english/468647/15 "2008-10-20T15:54:36Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > I have already had this argument. Sorry - wasn’t looking for an argument. Just a trying to make a pun. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2008, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-parking-ticket-is-in-commonwealth-english/468647/16 "2008-10-20T15:58:03Z")
> [@Bayard](#): > > Sorry - wasn’t looking for an argument. Just a trying to make a pun. Oh, I didn’t think you were trying to have an argument. I meant that this was the exact justification she’d give if she had points taken off on a paper for misspellings; she came from Kentucky, which was a commonwealth, and thus should use Commonweal spellings. ETA: Massachusetts & Pennsylvania are also commonwealths. I think it has something to do with not voting for Nixon. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2008, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-parking-ticket-is-in-commonwealth-english/468647/17 "2008-10-20T19:28:17Z")
You discovered a parking penalty beneath your windscreen wiper? How dreadful. Will you employ a barrister? ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2008, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-parking-ticket-is-in-commonwealth-english/468647/18 "2008-10-20T22:51:08Z")
> [@pravnik](#): > > Will you employ a barrister? Or, will your solicitor brief a barrister on your behalf? ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2008, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-parking-ticket-is-in-commonwealth-english/468647/19 "2008-10-20T23:23:04Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Oh, I didn’t think you were trying to have an argument. I meant that this was the exact justification she’d give if she had points taken off on a paper for misspellings; she came from Kentucky, which was a commonwealth, and thus should use Commonweal spellings. Wow, I hope you dumped her. -RE spellings are okay, like centre, in the USA, just as “center” is okay in Canada. Just not preferred. Also, some words, contrary to popular belief, hold the same spelling anywhere; the unit of measurement really should be spelled “metre” everywhere, while a device that measures something is a “meter” no matter what country you’re in. “Colour” or “Vigour,” however, are always wrong in the USA. Interestingly, Canadian style manuals have in recent years been calling for the dumpung of the U, for two reasons: 1. It’s inconsistent with other tenses and forms (e.g. you don’t spell it colourful, you spell it colorful) and 2. It would prevent the common error of adding U’s in words that never had them, like “Pallor.” “Pallour” is not a word in any language but Canadians are sometimes prone to such things.