For some reason, you
@version taking exception to "gazes" reminds me that one construction that always really grates with me (unfairly I know) is when they write "He got off of the train". And I know that that's just American English but it just can't help feel ugly and unnecessary to me.,
And - total non-sequitur - a question I want to ask our American colleagues - how do you pronounce the word "Herbs"? Cos I often hear it in American things and they say it as "erbs" and, of course, many English people would pronounce it that way lazily, with a dropping your aitches justification. But it always strikes me that even the most well-spoken American says it without the H, not lazily but almost with an aggressive attack on the vowel sound, and it makes me think that the American pronunciation is simply that. This one doesn't annoy me I hasten to add, it's just something I often wonder about and mean to check.
Similarly the word "route" - although I guess I know the answer here (or at least I have my own theory), it feels to me that - for all of us - we have the word "root" as in the thing a plant grows from and which rhymes with boot, and, in the same way, we all agree on the word "rout" as in, to chase someone away, or utterly defeat them, whatever, it rhymes with about - and then there is this third word "route" - as in a path or whatever, the direction one takes on a journey, you know what I mean. And a decision had to be made, how should that be said? Is it a nice soft sound (the same as root) implying a gently wending path through the territory in question, negotiating delicately through the way of least resistance.... or is it a harsh, brash and aggressive sound (the same as rout) that conjures up images of smashing boisterously (even loutishly in fact to continue with the sound) through any obstacles that have the temerity to block it? Of course the effete and self-effacing English chose the former, while the young and powerful denizens land of the motorcar plumped for the latter as they headed west for territories new.