focusing vs. focussing

[Brazilian dude]

Maybe focussing is acceptable, but I hate it. I've been seeing it much more frequently than my preferred spelling. If it bears stress on the first syllable, how come the last consonant is so often doubled? Is it like British travelling and traveller, etc.?

Brazilian dude

[Apoclima]

I'm with you, BD! It looks so cluttered. Why go around clutterring thinngs with exxtra lettters!

Apo

[tcward]

I can see why people who don't know the "rule" (maybe they think it's baloney) would spell focusing incorrectly.

If you look at the sequence of letters -using, the 's' is vocalized in that sequence. They are merely trying to make the 's' unvoiced by doubling it.

-Tim

[Brazilian dude]

What's with you and baloney now, Tim?

Intervocalic s in English is normally pronounced voiceless anyway, I don't think people feel compelled to adding an extra s in basic, house, greasy (I know some folks pronounced the s like a z here), and there are even cases of double s pronounced like z, e.g. possessive.

Brazilian dude

[tcward]

Are you suggesting they are misusing their 's', dude?

-Tim

[Brazilian dude]

I can't zay what I'm zuggezting.

Brasilian dude

[tcward]

Besides, cussing has two s's too...

-Tim
...who doesn't engage in faux cussing, btw...

[tcward]

I can't zay what I'm zuggezting.

Brasilian dude

That's ok, I can't read it, either.

-Tim

[Brazilian dude]

But cussing is a different case, because it's stressed, or are you suggesting they associate focu(s)sing with cussing?

Brazilian dude

[sluggo]

Maybe focussing is acceptable, but I hate it.

I'm with you, o meu irmão.

There's a sign on one lane of Canal Street in New Orleans that reads "Busses Only". It'll be interesting to go by there in a few days and see if the sign was blown away by Katrina and if so, whether they replaced it with the same spelling.

(Much an eye-catcher as that one is it doesn't hold a candle to the one I recently saw in Texas: "Speed Fines Dobles")

[Brazilian dude]

I'm with you, o meu irmão.

Então tá então, mano.

Brazilian dude

[Stargzer]

. . .
There's a sign on one lane of Canal Street in New Orleans that reads "Busses Only".
. . .

(Much an eye-catcher as that one is it doesn't hold a candle to the one I recently saw in Texas: "Speed Fines Dobles")

Unless they're talking about an electrical power buss or a computer buss, or perhaps that's the "Kiss-and-ride" lane for a subway system.


That second sign did get your attention, didn't it?