Guy Macon wrote:
> I tend to think of the UK spelling as being the standard, and the
> US as being the variant -- and I was born and raised in the USA.

In most cases where US and UK usage of English differs, the US version
is often (perhaps usually) closer to the original. I suspect this is
because the US was more isolated than the UK for much of its history.

British English has always been strongly influenced by our European
neighbours, and in the past, colonies.

--
Steve Swift
http://www.swiftys.org.uk/swifty.html
http://www.ringers.org.uk