NERDRAGE
So. Z vs S. "S" was codified by the Victorians as being the correct spelling. Prior to that, people spelled everything however the hell they god damn felt like it because, prior to the Victorians, the world was a savage place full of barbarians that only occasionally stumbled across something useful viz Newton.

At some point int he early 20th century Teddy Roosevelt, president and contender for the title of Hardest Man That Ever Lived, codified US spelling as part of his personal quest to simplify and phonetise it. He chose Z as the default as that is closest to the sound the majority of the words use. Linguistically, neither are any more right or wrong than the other. Aside from the fact that they're Americans and are therefore wrong by default.

Aluminium was originally called Aluminum. I can't remember which nationality originally discovered it, but the Royal Society decided it was fucking stupid to have a periodic table full of "iums" with only the one "um", so they changed it. The Americans, being wrong by default, ignored their betters and remain wrong to this day.

Happy to help.
( Kroney, Tue 8 May 2012, 9:53, 1 reply, 12 years ago)

Merci beaucoup, you French cunt.

( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Tue 8 May 2012, 9:56, Reply)

It's a fucking poor show when I have to educate an Englishman
on his own culture.
( Kroney, Tue 8 May 2012, 9:57, Reply)

The thing is, you aren't quite right.
The OED favours Z over S repeatedly, to this day. Thus even in the UK there's no overall consensus even now.
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Tue 8 May 2012, 10:00, Reply)

WHAT?
I am going to have to write a *very* stern letter.
( Kroney, Tue 8 May 2012, 10:02, Reply)

The current stance is that both are acceptable, apart from some specific exceptions:
oxforddictionaries.com/words/ize-ise-or-yse
( tangledupinblue hairy badge with moving eyes, Tue 8 May 2012, 10:07, Reply)

Now that I did not realise
Presumably, the ize ending is now archaic at least, I certainly was always taught to use ise when at school.
( Kroney, Tue 8 May 2012, 10:09, Reply)

I feel like the ground has shifted under my feet

( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Tue 8 May 2012, 10:09, Reply)

Z is such a tacky letter

( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Tue 8 May 2012, 10:03, Reply)

There used to be an explanation of this on the OED website
Something to do with the Greek origins of particular words. It concluded that -ize was technically correct.
( tangledupinblue hairy badge with moving eyes, Tue 8 May 2012, 10:04, Reply)