normality was the one someone made up when they couldn't remember normalcy.

fwiw, normalcy, like gotten, is an archaic word which is no longer in use in UK English. We just have normality. I was under the impression that normalcy was something that had been made up by you wacky Colonials, until Bill Bryson set me straight in one of his books. (forget which. Could have been Made in America. ?)

"normalcy" is no longer used? Surprise.

We just have normality. Allegedly, anyway. (ducking, running, fearing being chased by UKistas)

What Fay said (old Oxford/Goldsmiths hanger outer tutor here). It's like "gotten", that's precisely the trigger word for me, on the US/UK differences. Gotten? What on earth is "gotten"?

I've always used normality, I think - but truly, I never stopped to consider it. Just the word my family always used. Normality.

There will be more Amanda. BTW, can someone save me a shitload of research and tell me whether I'm talking out of my ass when I call Rupert's daddy Richard? I mean, does anyone know of an already-existing name?

I really need to finish II, because it has what is right now my FAVOURITE scene ever ever ever near the end. (For which I spent several hours researching WWII history, just for one stinking simile.)

Allegedly, anyway. (ducking, running, fearing being chased by UKistas)

not pissed off, but puzzled.

I wasn't being snarky or trying to imply that it was archaic in the US. Just that it fell out of use in the UK a while ago. We have (myriad) different English dialects worldwide that draw mostly on the same roots - I'm not all about the One True English Language vibe.

Hope I didn't give the impression that I meant the usage was archaic full stop? 'Cause I only meant archaic in the UK. Ditto "gotten" and various other things. The flip side, of course, is that all the cultural/linguistic crosspollination is reviving archaic terms and forms, because the US is The Daddy and we all want to be like you, with your power and wealth and shiny happy culture. So I find myself saying "dude" and "word" and other such ridiculous things, and kids grow up on American telly and movies and regurgitate language from the silver screen.

Normalcy is a relatively recent word, dating back only to the mid-1800s. I'm fond of it, but it's used most often in my experience with reference to post-war periods, which explains my fondness.

(Edit: specifically, US politics post WWI)

is struck by thought.

Hang on - was it a pun? Did I just miss that?

t /stupid blonde

I've come to realize that I grew up in an area that uses more archaic speech than the rest of the country. Most of the spellings I was taught are UK-normal, not US-normal, ie, judgement. "Judgment" just looks utterly wrong to me, and I didn't run into that until college, when suddenly I was getting notes in papers asking why I was using British spelling. I never used the "our" endings, though.

Allegedly, anyway. (ducking, running, fearing being chased by UKistas)

not pissed off, but puzzled.

I think (not certain, mind you), that it was our (one half mine, since I'm only half) personal normality/normalcy being poked there, rather than the linguistic end.