A fireman might douse a blaze if a dowser helps him find water. Douse means "to extinguish". Dowse means "to locate . . ." as in water divining with a twig, or finding underground pipes or wiring.

Hmmmm. "I can think of a myriad of ways" should in fact be:
"I can think of myriad ways".

The spelling of Jack-o'-lantern may not be so peculiar. Originally, it would have been Jack of the Lantern, subsequently shortened to Jack o' the Lantern, then through a "glottal stop" it became Jack o' Lantern.

A closer example of Suzerainties would be the Channel Islands.

Spelling of Whisky. In Ireland and the U.S. it is Whiskey. In Scotland, Canada, and most of the English-speaking world it is Whisky. - H.