After 2.5 years of editing and writing in British English, I am picking up several bad habits.

I occasionally want to stick a gratuitous “u” in a bunch of words — colour, labour, honour. I am beginning to use “ae” instead of “a” — aenemic, encyclopaedia. (OK, not really; I’ll never get used to that one.)

I also find myself typing words without Zs (or “zeds”, as the Brits call them) … recognise, utilise, formalise.

And their weirdness about not recogniZing collective nouns. My colleagues may complain of the “team is” things I still write, but I also find myself falling into “Detroit are …”

One variation in usage, however, is one on which we can have a fair debate.

Who comes first? The home team or the road team?

In the U.S., the visiting team is listed first. On scoreboards, and in print. Always. Angels-Dodgers, Padres-Giants, etc., means the Angels and Padres are the visiting teams and the Dodgers and Giants are the home teams.

Also, at the stadium, the visiting team is listed on the upper line. Thus, at the L.A. Coliseum, the score by quarters might look like this:

Oregon 7 7 7 7 — 28

USC 3 7 7 7 — 24

In England, however, and in Europe, and in most of the world, the home team is listed first. Thus, Liverpool-Arsenal and Stoke-Wigan mean that Liverpool and Stoke are home.

And, at the stadium, if it has a scoreboard (and it may not; hardly any need, when we’re talking about soccer) … the home team will be listed first.

I have a couple of theories on the divergence.

1. Baseball was the dominant game in the U.S. when people began covering sports, and since the visitors in baseball always have batted first, it made perfect sense to have the visitors on the top line of the scoreboard — and first in a written schedule.

All other usage in the States probably stems from that. Well, with one other idea: It seems only polite to let the visitor go first.

2. In England, none of their sports have a predictable “you go first, we go second” structure. Not even cricket, where they flip a coin for who bats first, regardless of whose home the match is in.

My thinking is that the lack of importance vis a vis scoreboards or going first, led them to list the home team first — because anyone wanting to attend the match would get that right up front.

A second reason: The home team is far more likely to win in soccer, so why not arrange the teams in the order you would have them, if you have the winner first. Liverpool 2, Arsenal 1. (Or, more likely Liverpool 2-1 Arsenal … or even Liverpool 1-2 Arsenal, which reminds you of who was home and road.)

The U.S. in recounting final scores, always lists the winner first. Dodgers 5, Padres 3. Which does not tell you who is home.

However, before the game, “Atlanta at Houston” leaves zero doubt, even to visitors from the Old World, where the game is being played.

Anyway, this is a topic for fair debate.

So, 2.5 years later … I find myself looking at U.S. scorelines … and having to remind myself … team first … team on top in a scoring line … that’s the road team. Yes. The road team.