98. Airplanes

        

           A teacher in Britain with whom I was working during my Fulbright exchange asked me, in a somewhat condescending tone, why we (Americans) called airplanes airplanes and not the more correct term of aeroplanes, as they are aerodynamic. This was in the spring of the year and I had come to realize the Brits often resent American English feeling we have somehow corrupted the language. As a native speaker of English and one who has spent a great deal of time studying the language I answered him in a proactive way: “We invented the bloody (yes, I inserted a British swear word) things. We can all them whatever we want.”  To this my British colleague responded, “Touché.”

            Of course I got to Britain by plane, even if it was a Canadian owned, American made airplane (which the Canadians also call aeroplane). The things really are American, and while they may be aerodynamic, the proper term is still airplane and that can’t really be taken from us thanks to those   famous brothers from Ohio who first took flight in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, Orville and Wilbur Wright. Thanks to them we are able to get from one part of the globe to another in a matter of hours instead of weeks or months.  Because of these very American inventions we can experience the discombobulation of being in Seattle one evening and then London at noon of the next day within a third of a day. So if we had stayed in Seattle we would still be in bed. While jet lag can be a bit disconcerting, it’s overcome fairly quickly and we can quickly relinquish biscuits and gravy for beans and toast all because of this amazing invention that we know as airplanes/aeroplanes. (Beans and toast are not an appropriate breakfast food, but alas…) So yes, I am a love of the American invention that has made it possible to see other parts of the world for a few weeks and other parts of my own country for a few days. Thank you Wright brothers for your American ingenuity and your airplanes.