@andyb It IS obtuse and arbitrary. Language is like that. Do. you say "I went to hospital" or "I went to the hospital"? When to use "the" is as obtuse and arbitrary as the "u" in "colour". Is "in" the opposite of "out"? How about "Roll the carpet out"? Oops, that's "Roll the carpet _up_". So yeah, welcome to language. It's been our friend for a long, long time, but it's always been like this. Free free to unfriend it 🙂
@kcrca Yeah, English is weird, especially when you get into the differences between American English and International English. All languages have quirks, but I feel English has more than average, probably thanks to having so many roots.
@kcrca Yeah, the "kids these days" rants from thousands of years ago are always fun, be they bemoaning slang, work ethics, or vices.