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"draft" vs. "draught"

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(@emmettredd)
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In America, draft has many times supplanted draught. 'Draught beer' seems to still be common in the U.S. Are there others? Do verb forms retain the old spelling more than noun forms?

Locally, when a firetruck must pull the water from a creek or pond (i.e. any non-pressurized source), it is called 'drafting' ('draughting'); I have never seen it spelled. I might prefer the latter. (Although this editor's spell checker does not like 'draughting' and that may be a hint, it does not like firetruck either.)

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(@Anonymous)
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I (in Alaska) have not noticed draught, for beer nor anything else. Of course, that may mean that I've seen and accepted it without becoming aware of it.

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(@Anonymous)
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I see both spellings here in Arizona. My take is that "draft" is slowly replacing "draught" (which my spell-check flags) purely on the basis of simplicity. Way too many silent letters in "draught." And maybe also because "drought" (which we've had here in AZ for close to 10 years) gets confused with "draught" by young kids and ESLers.

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I see "draught" on many beer menus in Minnesota, Colorado and California. I agree with Heimhenge that "draft" will probably eclipse "draught," though the allure of tradition in the craft beer community may keep the term on longer than expected.

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deaconB
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(@deke)
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Still see draught rarely in reference to leaky doors and windows. never in reference to involuntary servitude, as well as infrequently for beer on tap.

It always stops me in my tracks to read of an old draughty house, but I kinda like draught better than draft.  It's a parallel to drought as "unfavorable conditions."

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