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"-ise" is a no-brainer (if you forgive the expression). All of these words can have "-ise", but not all can have "-ize". If one always uses "-ise" one doesn't have to remember which are which!

Chris

That's a good point. Anything to prevent brain strain for me is useful

jigjag

I was out with friends last night and the subject of Gregg Wallace and his "Supermarket Secrets" came up. Apparently he really WAS a greengrocer. I thought you were making that up to fit the story. Did you know?

In the early 2000s Gregg Wallace and Charlie Hicks presented "Veg Talk" on Radio 4.

Thanks drmorgans. I never heard it. I have only seen him on Master Chef and just assumed he was in the restaurant business.

I thought that was a fair article in the Times. I prefer -ize because it introduces more variety in the letters we use and it is more etymologically sound. The main dictionaries give both forms but Chambers, Oxford and Collins, to mention a few, all prefer -ize. OUP and Penguin books use -ize as well.

The Times used -ize until about the 1960s but changed to -ise so that its journalists would not make mistakes. I also know of a newspaper called the Advertizer, which should really not use a z but it's been that way since the 19th century so maybe it was all right when it started.

On another matter, my day got off to a bad start when I heard a reporter on the BBC talking about HS2 and he said haitch rather than aitch for H every time.

Thanks Orson for your very interesting and informative note. I use -ise, as I thought- ize was American, but it seems British English accepts both.

Oh grunger, of course I knew. As a Pedant , I always aim for accuracy. I do get confused though from time to time, so you don't have to believe everything I say!

By the way, Supermarket Secrets is on tonight, BBC1 11.35.

Malone -if you are looking in, this programme features Ocado and robots, presumably including GW. I am hoping he will slip in your "No Can Do" slogan. Well worth watching.

malone, you would not have been impressed with the steak and mushroom pie I had today. I usually have meat and potato but they had run out, so was offered an alternative. " I suppose the mushrooms taste like steak" I said but the assistant replied "No but the steak tastes like mushrooms, in fact all our pies taste the same to me." Very honest but unappetising.

Grunger, I loved your pie story - thanks!

Jigjag, I really couldn't face a Gregg programme, sorry! I can cope with him in 'Masterchef' , but I'm not able to face his grinning, gurning, over-excited or over-earnest attitude.

Everyone, I liked the '-ise', '-ize' comments. I have always preferred the former, but simply because it looks better. I used to get annoyed if anyone criticised - mistakenly - the '-ize' usage, but it wasn't enough to make me start using it myself.