British vs. American Renderings
- Thread starter sr71plt
- Start date
When I wrote "Don't knock it" (my only story set in the US) I attempted to use US English. I only received to comments on my language.
I had written:
Ginger trawled through her emails, desperately searching for something that she knew wasn't there.
The two comments were
" we don't use the word trawled you should have said she scanned her emails"
"wow! I must use that word in that context myself"
I thanked both for their comments. The second commenter told me he lived in a coastal community and so understood the meaning of trawling.
The thing is that in the UK scanning and trawling through don't have the same meaning.
To us, scanning means different things according to the context
In the story using scanning would have meant quickly casting your eyes over her emails.
Trawling through implied that she went through everything discarding what was not relevant. It would be more detailed and all encompassing than scanned.
If I write any more US based stories of use American characters I will try a little harder.
Incidentally "burglarize" is creeping into our language over here. This is mainly due to TV and literature.
The correct term in the UK would be burgle
I am a burglar
I burgle other peoples houses
I've been burgled or my house was burgled last night.
I had written:
Ginger trawled through her emails, desperately searching for something that she knew wasn't there.
The two comments were
" we don't use the word trawled you should have said she scanned her emails"
"wow! I must use that word in that context myself"
I thanked both for their comments. The second commenter told me he lived in a coastal community and so understood the meaning of trawling.
The thing is that in the UK scanning and trawling through don't have the same meaning.
To us, scanning means different things according to the context
In the story using scanning would have meant quickly casting your eyes over her emails.
Trawling through implied that she went through everything discarding what was not relevant. It would be more detailed and all encompassing than scanned.
If I write any more US based stories of use American characters I will try a little harder.
Incidentally "burglarize" is creeping into our language over here. This is mainly due to TV and literature.
The correct term in the UK would be burgle
I am a burglar
I burgle other peoples houses
I've been burgled or my house was burgled last night.
Here are a few more.
Vest : in the UK this is something worn under a shirt. ( I believe they call it an undershirt) Detective John McClaine shows he means business by stripping down to his vest.
I believe that what you call a vest is what we call a jacket.
Fed up : This can mean a couple of things according to context. It can mean;
A bit depressed (Oh I'm just fed up)
Had enough (I'm fed up with this)
Cheesed off : same as pissed off, hacked off etc.
Vest : in the UK this is something worn under a shirt. ( I believe they call it an undershirt) Detective John McClaine shows he means business by stripping down to his vest.
I believe that what you call a vest is what we call a jacket.
Fed up : This can mean a couple of things according to context. It can mean;
A bit depressed (Oh I'm just fed up)
Had enough (I'm fed up with this)
Cheesed off : same as pissed off, hacked off etc.
sr71plt
Literotica Guru
- Joined
- Jul 18, 2006
- Posts
- 51,870
Americans use "fed up" and "cheesed off" in the same context.
A vest to an American isn't really the same as a jacket. It's sleeveless and is worn between the shirt (or blouse) and a jacket.
Jumper is the real killer for an American reading British. In American it's a skirt with a bib attached worn by school girls, mostly in the 1950s--but encountered on Literotica, it was scream of underage. The American term for a British jumper is a sweater.
A vest to an American isn't really the same as a jacket. It's sleeveless and is worn between the shirt (or blouse) and a jacket.
Jumper is the real killer for an American reading British. In American it's a skirt with a bib attached worn by school girls, mostly in the 1950s--but encountered on Literotica, it was scream of underage. The American term for a British jumper is a sweater.
The UK term for what you call a vest would be a waistcoat, usually part of a three piece suit. The front would be made of the same material as the rest of the suit. The back is normally made of a similar material to the lining of the jacket. The waistcoat is part of the "uniform" for professional snooker players.
We would use the term vest in the same way as our cousins across the pond when referring to bulletproof or stabproof vests.
Interesting about fed up. An American I worked with thought it meant the same as full (referring to stomach) We frequently use the term full up for this. ("No thanks, I'm full up")
What you refer to as a jumper would be called a gymslip in the U.K. Their use is dying out now. I think they are only seen in St Trinians films. Yes they do have a certain sexual nuance here too. They are still quite common in fancy dress for school days themed parties where the girls would wear white blouses and gymslips and the boys would wear short trousers, knee length socks, a blazer and a school cap.
The term Sweater is used here also. The term Jumper is not as common as it used to be except in school boy jokes.
What do you get if you cross a sheep with a Kangaroo? Wooly Jumpers.
Terms for the police
The Heat or The Fuzz are not used here. Most common slang term now would be "old bill" or simply "the bill" the criminal community would call them "the filth" or "pigs"
Slang term for prison officer (warder) would be screws.
emap
Literotica Guru
- Joined
- Apr 29, 2004
- Posts
- 6,379
Anymore it's pigs if they think said cop can't hear them and want to look tough. Any other time it's cops, run the cops are here being the most common.
Maybe I lived near questionable people too long.
Oh and sr, fuzz was used in the 70's. Same as cops now, run the fuzz is here.
Maybe I lived near questionable people too long.
Oh and sr, fuzz was used in the 70's. Same as cops now, run the fuzz is here.
Oldtalesoldman
Experienced
- Joined
- Mar 29, 2013
- Posts
- 39
Some of the words I see as being on the misspelled list are slang words from the US.
Since I grew up mainly in the south there are many of these words that will not pass muster here on Lit.
I would site as an example almost any word ending with an "ing". Spoken, those words would NEVER have the pronunciation of the "g". So, "giving" would be "givin' " and there simply would not be a "g". Of course if you actually try that here on Lit. more than just once your story will get rejected for too many misspellings. It is a very common thing here in the states to shorten words for colloquial slang, just don't try to write anything near the way people actually talk or it won't fly.
I would also site musical lyrics as a fine example of this.
Hank Williams:
Hey, hey, good lookin'
Whatcha got cookin'?
How's about cookin'
Somethin' up with me?
Although the quote of the lyrics is basically accurate it is not at all the way it would be written to emulate the way he sang the lyrics in the song.
Hey, heeeyyy, good lookin'
Whaaaatcha got cookin'?
How's about cookin'
Somethin' up with me?
Would be much closer to the real words, but that cannot be done. Hank stretched out the second "Hey" of those lyrics and also made the "Whatcha" stretch a few notes as well, and it fit the song but just doesn't write too well.
Slang. It's a tough bunch of wording to get a grip on in written terms.
I don't think British writers use nearly as much slang or modified wording to their stories as we Americans do. Because there are not nearly as many different words to fit a meaning it can make it much easier to read a British story as opposed to a US story.
It is sometimes perplexing to try to write a story and be confined to NON SLANG terms by the rejection committee simply because using words that although are correct in the US English language (LOL! Depending strongly upon what part of the US you're from!) gets the red underline flag of being misspelled.
If anyone here would like a good laugh, just rent the US movie "Sargent York" and then sit down in front of your typewriter and try to copy the spoken words of the actors. Forget scenes, just try to get the speech patterns and the vernacular of their spoken words. You will have a good laugh at what you will type!
I will add that contractions also set off a lot of red flags.
You will = You'll
He would = He'd
Joe would = Joe'd
Joe would have = Joe'd
And us'an's use a lot of 'em!! LOL!! (Or should that have been we'an's?)
Don't make no difference no how 'cause ya cain't write like ya talk anyway!
Hillbille
Since I grew up mainly in the south there are many of these words that will not pass muster here on Lit.
I would site as an example almost any word ending with an "ing". Spoken, those words would NEVER have the pronunciation of the "g". So, "giving" would be "givin' " and there simply would not be a "g". Of course if you actually try that here on Lit. more than just once your story will get rejected for too many misspellings. It is a very common thing here in the states to shorten words for colloquial slang, just don't try to write anything near the way people actually talk or it won't fly.
I would also site musical lyrics as a fine example of this.
Hank Williams:
Hey, hey, good lookin'
Whatcha got cookin'?
How's about cookin'
Somethin' up with me?
Although the quote of the lyrics is basically accurate it is not at all the way it would be written to emulate the way he sang the lyrics in the song.
Hey, heeeyyy, good lookin'
Whaaaatcha got cookin'?
How's about cookin'
Somethin' up with me?
Would be much closer to the real words, but that cannot be done. Hank stretched out the second "Hey" of those lyrics and also made the "Whatcha" stretch a few notes as well, and it fit the song but just doesn't write too well.
Slang. It's a tough bunch of wording to get a grip on in written terms.
I don't think British writers use nearly as much slang or modified wording to their stories as we Americans do. Because there are not nearly as many different words to fit a meaning it can make it much easier to read a British story as opposed to a US story.
It is sometimes perplexing to try to write a story and be confined to NON SLANG terms by the rejection committee simply because using words that although are correct in the US English language (LOL! Depending strongly upon what part of the US you're from!) gets the red underline flag of being misspelled.
If anyone here would like a good laugh, just rent the US movie "Sargent York" and then sit down in front of your typewriter and try to copy the spoken words of the actors. Forget scenes, just try to get the speech patterns and the vernacular of their spoken words. You will have a good laugh at what you will type!
I will add that contractions also set off a lot of red flags.
You will = You'll
He would = He'd
Joe would = Joe'd
Joe would have = Joe'd
And us'an's use a lot of 'em!! LOL!! (Or should that have been we'an's?)
Don't make no difference no how 'cause ya cain't write like ya talk anyway!
Hillbille
elfin_odalisque
Literotica Guru
- Joined
- Feb 3, 2004
- Posts
- 10,056
Yes it does according to Webster's and is primary, except it seems to be slow to fight the threat from normalcy.
I prefer to use 'normal' as both noun and adjective but must point out that 'normalcy' is in the OED - thus accepted UK English.
boutrosboutros
Former Secretary-General
- Joined
- Nov 9, 2006
- Posts
- 3,978
The UK term for what you call a vest would be a waistcoat, usually part of a three piece suit. The front would be made of the same material as the rest of the suit. The back is normally made of a similar material to the lining of the jacket. The waistcoat is part of the "uniform" for professional snooker players.
We would use the term vest in the same way as our cousins across the pond when referring to bulletproof or stabproof vests.
Interesting about fed up. An American I worked with thought it meant the same as full (referring to stomach) We frequently use the term full up for this. ("No thanks, I'm full up")
What you refer to as a jumper would be called a gymslip in the U.K. Their use is dying out now. I think they are only seen in St Trinians films. Yes they do have a certain sexual nuance here too. They are still quite common in fancy dress for school days themed parties where the girls would wear white blouses and gymslips and the boys would wear short trousers, knee length socks, a blazer and a school cap.
The term Sweater is used here also. The term Jumper is not as common as it used to be except in school boy jokes.
What do you get if you cross a sheep with a Kangaroo? Wooly Jumpers.
Terms for the police
The Heat or The Fuzz are not used here. Most common slang term now would be "old bill" or simply "the bill" the criminal community would call them "the filth" or "pigs"
Slang term for prison officer (warder) would be screws.
The Fuzz is definitely used in the UK. Don't you remember the Supergrass song? "Caught by the Fuzz/while I was still on the buzz...."
emap
Literotica Guru
- Joined
- Apr 29, 2004
- Posts
- 6,379
Speaking of used in the UK, too right. Means the same damn thing over here, but nobody says it. Seriously, work it in to a conversation over here and unless they are good friends they will think you flipped your lid.
Oh hell, I think I went and got old, flipped your lid is still said isn't it?
Oh hell, I think I went and got old, flipped your lid is still said isn't it?
Speaking as someone who grew up reading Hank Jansen novels I am quite familiar with a lot lof these and have used helluva and gotta in my stories. I use contractions all the time and have never had a story rejected because of it. However, recent events show me there is a first time for everything.
As for the OED being definitive, it lists what is acceptable. Many slang words are included even though they are not correct English. It is updated every five years or so and new words are added. Very rarely old words are removed. Normalcy may well be in there (must remember that for scrabble) but it is probably accompanied by, origin: US English. I have never heard it used here.
Perhaps it has something to do with the way we speak. Following the le with a see sound doesn't seem to run off the tongue so well for us brits. Le followed by the i and tee just seems to flow better. However return to normal seems to work both sides of the pond. Again it depends on the character. If the narrator is a character in the story it is important to, within reason, use the words he/she would use.
Yes and we had a film called Hot Fuzz. I actually had to explain to some youngsters that The Fuzz, used to be a name for the police. Anybody over thirty knows what it means but that doesn't mean they use it. When was the last time you heard "Here comes the fuzz" as a bunch of hoodlums break up. Much more likely you will hear them scream "B-i-i-i-ll"
Speaking of used in the UK, too right. Means the same damn thing over here, but nobody says it. Seriously, work it in to a conversation over here and unless they are good friends they will think you flipped your lid.
Oh hell, I think I went and got old, flipped your lid is still said isn't it?
Yes we use flipped your lid. We also use "off your trolley" for going crazy or "off his/her bike" for losing one's temper. As in "that's when he got right off his bike".
My personal thoughts are, when it comes to dialogue, anything goes. The dialogue should help the building of the character. If your character comes from the deep south I expect him/her to say Y'all. In the case of the UK I would expect the more affluent/old money people to refer to a male acquaintance as "a chap I know" whereas a working class man might refer to him as a "bloke I know" or even in some places a "geezer"
Obviously you need to keep it understandable. For instance I wouldn't use "I'm jus up the apples to don a clean dickie an me new whistle. I fink I got jus the right tilburies to go with them new daisies."
Last edited:
Having lived on both sides of the pond thought I would chime in.
1)To make a hash of something is to make a mess.
Exp: I made a hash out of my driving lesson today.
2)To be in a huff with someone is to be annoyed with him/her
Exp: Mr D'arcy forgot Eliza's birthday so she is in a huff with him
3)Chippie usually refers to fish-n-chips but can also mean a loose woman
Exp: Going to the chippie for some take-away, Joan is a real chippie. You might get lucky
4)Take-away is essentially take-out
Exp: See above
1)To make a hash of something is to make a mess.
Exp: I made a hash out of my driving lesson today.
2)To be in a huff with someone is to be annoyed with him/her
Exp: Mr D'arcy forgot Eliza's birthday so she is in a huff with him
3)Chippie usually refers to fish-n-chips but can also mean a loose woman
Exp: Going to the chippie for some take-away, Joan is a real chippie. You might get lucky
4)Take-away is essentially take-out
Exp: See above
Hmm Never heard the loose woman being referred to as a chippie. A Slapper yes but not chippie.
perhaps I'm just to old. In my youth they'd have been called scrubbers.
However, it is used as a slang term for carpenter.
sr71plt
Literotica Guru
- Joined
- Jul 18, 2006
- Posts
- 51,870
Yep, in American English chippie means a loose woman It's in Webster's as "tramp, prostitute."
sr71plt
Literotica Guru
- Joined
- Jul 18, 2006
- Posts
- 51,870
You'd put the "g" on "ing" words in omniscient narrator style (one who isn't a character with distinct speech patterns) and you'd also have the "g" for speech of a character who was educated. Writing doesn't directly follow actual speech patterns, or it would be unreadable; repetitive, repetitive, saying everything three times; and the verbalization of many thoughts wouldn't be completed--assuming the one you're speaking to can complete the idea themselves. (listen to some verbatim recordings of conversations).
On this and the contractions, I use them liberally in my writing at Literotica and haven't once had a story rejection for using them heavily. So, I don't think it's a sensitive selection issue here.
I see, I thought the OP was saying it was used in UK since he tagged it on to fish n Chip shops.
You do bring up another with tramp. Although the American meaning would probably be understood here, it is more commonly used to mean what you call a hobo.
A
AsylumSeeker
Guest
Based on my experiences in England back during my USAF career I have a couple of entries. Keep in mind that I just sort of hurriedly scanned the previous posts as I don't come here often, so they may have been previously mentioned. If they have been then I apologize in advance.
I do recall inserting a coin or two into a scale in a public (okay, a bar) restroom, which weighed me in stones.
And I also recall visiting Piccadilly Circus where I was waiting to see the original Terminator movie. Must have been 1985 then. Anyway a very polite young lady came outside and said "Queue please." When I appeared confused she flashed me an irritated expression and clarified with, "Please form a line".
I do recall inserting a coin or two into a scale in a public (okay, a bar) restroom, which weighed me in stones.
And I also recall visiting Piccadilly Circus where I was waiting to see the original Terminator movie. Must have been 1985 then. Anyway a very polite young lady came outside and said "Queue please." When I appeared confused she flashed me an irritated expression and clarified with, "Please form a line".
sr71plt
Literotica Guru
- Joined
- Jul 18, 2006
- Posts
- 51,870
In Americanese, a male tramp is a hobo; a female tramp sleeps around.
A
AsylumSeeker
Guest
Since We're On the Subject... Or So I Think...
Should one use all caps in dialogue to indicate emphasis or a raised voice? Is this acceptable to Lit? I mean I don't edit for professional writers like SR does. No slight to you SR. Just being realistic is all, the high school editor that I am. Still want to try and get it right.
Should one use all caps in dialogue to indicate emphasis or a raised voice? Is this acceptable to Lit? I mean I don't edit for professional writers like SR does. No slight to you SR. Just being realistic is all, the high school editor that I am. Still want to try and get it right.
emap
Literotica Guru
- Joined
- Apr 29, 2004
- Posts
- 6,379
I've seen all capitals used for dialogue in literotica and in produced novels. More so on here obviously, it's understandable when it is used for the highlight of the yelling. Any other time I find it to be stupid and pointless, but then I'm not normal.
A
AsylumSeeker
Guest
Just asking. Not like Lit is all that particular.
Was hoping SR with all of his experience might chime in. But we have had our differences in the past and so I am dead to him.
Whatever. Life goes on.
Enough death here. Like OKC metro has a target painted on it. Very scary indeed.
Was hoping SR with all of his experience might chime in. But we have had our differences in the past and so I am dead to him.
Whatever. Life goes on.
Enough death here. Like OKC metro has a target painted on it. Very scary indeed.
Similar threads
