Posted by Alan Bird on March 24, 1999 at 12:37:24:
In Reply to: Re: Compleat vs Complete posted by Tony on March 17, 1999 at 16:25:26:
:
: >What's the difference between "complete" and "compleat"?
: - The spelling.
It's copied from Izaac Walton's 'The Compleat Angler.' In the 18C this spelling was considered acceptable (cf 'smoake' used by Pope etc.) It's become a literary cliche - what Fowler calls a genteelism; it's now stale and tired and should (in this case) have been avoided. Mr Vance would never have committed such a solicism.
Regards,
Alan.