apple-iworks-pages-and-the-qu

Apple iWorks Pages and the Queen's Own English

I've recently been using Pages, Apple's new(ish) word processor. Somewhat light on features, but quite quick and pretty, and certainly far ahead of the horrible ClarisWorks derived AppleWorks. One big problem. In Ireland we generally speak UK English. We spell 'colour' 'colour', not 'color' as our misguided westerly neighbours do. And it goes on! 'Organise', 'centre' and 'paediatrician'! No doubt any readers from across the ocean are shaking their heads in disgust and horror...

Now, my Mac knows it's in Ireland. It gets weather for Dublin (actually, by default it got weather for Cork; not sure about that one). It knows to go to the Irish version of Apple's online store. And the system spell-checker knows to use UK English. Safari does, so does Adium, and TextEdit, and myriad other lovely applications. But Apple iWorks doesn't. It goes right on with its crimes against language.

As it turns out, the solution lies in the 'International' pane of System Preferences. Simply click 'Edit List', and check the box beside 'British English'. There you go. Would have been simpler if they'd just based it on whatever the other spell checks are based on, but it's certainly better than being stuck writing in American pseudo-English. Why, before I knew it, I'd have been writing things like 'mom' and 'productize' and 'do it for jesus'!