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RSSWord of the Day: Trivial
Trivial is an adjective that means ordinary, common or of little value. It comes from the Latin word trivialis, which indicated the cross of public streets (i.e., something that can be found everywhere).
Now that the Democrats are in power, dissent has suddenly and conveniently become unpatriotic. Attacks on disenchanted citizens who speak up at town-hall meetings have ranged from the trivial to the outrageous. (Denver Post)
At first glance the battle for online buddies may seem somewhat trivial, but it has taken on renewed importance with the announcement that MySpace plans to hold the first virtual presidential primary. (Arizona Republic)
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I disagree with the ‘ize’ usage for brits. It may be popular in the americanised press, but not in education or general usage. Its use would be frowned upon and discouraged by a large number of (perhaps older) brits.
As a Brit living in Australia, the ‘-ise’ usage is universal, again with the exception of the press. The ‘-ize’ ending is otherwise seen very infrequently.
In Australia it is common for schools to recommend ‘-ise’ but tolerate both usages, due to strong U.S. media influence.