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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.

Grunger

I also loved it (the story not the pie)

Malone

I will watch it, or record it, as it could provide some interesting information for Ocado/ M&S shoppers.

Hannah

Did you by any chance read, or possible write, the article about Marks & Spencer by Hannah Uttley in the Daily Mail today? It mentions that Head of Food, Stuart Machin and Chairman, Archie Norman worked together at Australian Supermarket Target. You mentioned that you were in Australia, and as you know, we follow M&S closely here, so any info or opinions about Target would be appreciated.