# Socks and writing styles **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [January 14, 2005, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/socks-and-writing-styles/284712 "2005-01-14T14:40:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2005, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/socks-and-writing-styles/284712/41 "2005-01-18T23:28:11Z")
> [@Zakalwe](#): > > I believe that the dash between “no” and “thing” is probably indicative of UK English (at least I’ve never seen “nothing” spelled that way in the US). I say, old bean! We spell nothing like you chaps in the US (except **you** say **tomato** but **we** say **tomato** ). Of course a pupil in a hurry who doesn’t proof-read might spell like nothing on Earth… ---
**Author:** ![Shrinking\_Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@Shrinking\_Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shrinking_Violet)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2005, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/socks-and-writing-styles/284712/42 "2005-01-19T07:07:52Z")
Agreed - I’m English and have never seen it spelt that way … it’s either nothing, nowt or nuffink. 🙂 Now _spelt_ I could understand … ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2005, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/socks-and-writing-styles/284712/43 "2005-01-19T15:58:06Z")
Here’s a coincidence… I’ve just read a Rex Stout book (surprisingly **not** in the Nero Wolfe series), in which a criminal is traced because his typed blackmail note has the following two phrases: ’ biscuits and tea’ ‘honour’ So he must be English! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/socks-and-writing-styles/284712.md?page=2)