Brit vs. Yank

[AsylumSeeker]

I have had several edits lately, and still working on one, which involves Brits and us yanks editing. To be honest I am unfamilar with some of their terms or phrases. I try my best to surface these differences. How do other editors address these cultural differences?

 

[CopperSkink]

Exposure to the other side, mostly. Watching Faulty Towers. Reading Harry Potter. There are a number of British stories on Literotica if you know what authors to look out for. One of the things I like about OpenOffice is that it can toggle between US and British English for correction purposes.

One thing I think every author and editor should do is get the author/editor equivilant from the other side of the Pond to bounce terms and words off of to get the difference.

 

[sr71plt]

One of my first jobs was translating BBC British into American English for U.S. policymakers, so, for me, it's mainly a matter of remembering the differences. I never did manage to figure out when the Brits used single quotes rather than double, but, since I was translating into American English, that wasn't a problem--we always use the double quote at the first level, no matter what.

 

[snoopercharmbrights]

E... One of the things I like about OpenOffice is that it can toggle between US and British English for correction purposes. ...

So can MSWord, at least the version delivered in the UK can.

Useful resources:
http://www.learnenglishfeelgood.com/usukenglish/
http://www.effingpot.com/

 

[AsylumSeeker]

Have been humbled - the writer corrected me, he's from Canada, but did so in a nice and respectful way so no complaints. My only defense is that on my part the story was similar to those I knew were written by Brits. Anyway...

 

[CopperSkink]

I like to think I can UK/US sufficient to peoples' needs, but not when they've got mum/mom ass/arse in the same story.

 

[ishtat]

I wrote a very short parody for a US site once( not this one) doing a detailed statistical description of a female in metric units. About half the responders got the point that it was a joke about calibration of physiques in stories. The other half said ok but it would have been a better story in pounds and inches.

 

[driphoney]

I would think it's very hard to cross over and properly get the syntax right unless you've lived in the other country for a while. How do you know if the dialogue is stilted, or proper, colloquial or messed up?

As an American who enjoys BBC programming, I still scratch my head at certain common Brit phrases. If you're trying to help a non-American modify their story for a larger US readership, being an American editor would be an advantage, otherwise, I would think it would be a difficult task and it goes well beyond grammar and punctuation.

 

[ishtat]

I would think it's very hard to cross over and properly get the syntax right unless you've lived in the other country for a while. How do you know if the dialogue is stilted, or proper, colloquial or messed up?

As an American who enjoys BBC programming, I still scratch my head at certain common Brit phrases. If you're trying to help a non-American modify their story for a larger US readership, being an American editor would be an advantage, otherwise, I would think it would be a difficult task and it goes well beyond grammar and punctuation.

I have lived in UK US and Australia and after 8 years in the US and 20 in Oz still run into expressions that leave me baffled. However the biggest difference I ever came across was between West country English and Northern English both within England.

One thing I have learned though is that you should never describe a coffee order in detail in a story. Every country has different names for the same types of coffee.

 

[evanslily]

I have had several edits lately, and still working on one, which involves Brits and us yanks editing. To be honest I am unfamilar with some of their terms or phrases. I try my best to surface these differences. How do other editors address these cultural differences?

I think I'd just admit that I don't understand the phrase / term to the author I'm working with and ask for clarification. Because of the UK's enormous exposure to US TV programming / films etc, I think most UK authors could probably tell you what the US equivalent would be anyway. Of course, it may simply be that the author's written something he/she really didn't mean to write and there's a word missing, for example.

I have lived in UK US and Australia and after 8 years in the US and 20 in Oz still run into expressions that leave me baffled. However the biggest difference I ever came across was between West country English and Northern English both within England.

Oh yes. When I moved south a few years ago - a mere 180 miles - it felt like I spent the first month having to repeat everything I said in order to make myself understood.

One of my first jobs was translating BBC British into American English for U.S. policymakers, so, for me, it's mainly a matter of remembering the differences. I never did manage to figure out when the Brits used single quotes rather than double, but, since I was translating into American English, that wasn't a problem--we always use the double quote at the first level, no matter what.

I've never been able to figure out why single quotes are used in UK printed material. Kids are taught to use double quotes at school. Just one of those weird British quirks, I guess.

As an American who enjoys BBC programming, I still scratch my head at certain common Brit phrases. If you're trying to help a non-American modify their story for a larger US readership, being an American editor would be an advantage, otherwise, I would think it would be a difficult task and it goes well beyond grammar and punctuation.

I think if you're a British author trying to set a story in the US, then yep, definitely, you should get some help from an American editor. That's a vice versa thing too. I've literally howled with laughter at times when reading stories written by US authors where the action's supposedly taking place in England. But I guess if US authors are basing their idea of England on Fawlty Towers, howlers are inevitable.

Of course, as sr71plt may remember, I learnt very early on that the word 'knickers' doesn't translate too well across the pond...

 

[_Lynn_]

I think I'd just admit that I don't understand the phrase / term to the author I'm working with and ask for clarification. Because of the UK's enormous exposure to US TV programming / films etc, I think most UK authors could probably tell you what the US equivalent would be anyway. Of course, it may simply be that the author's written something he/she really didn't mean to write and there's a word missing, for example.

That's what I did when I read through a piece from a UK author with unfamiliar wording.

 

[sr71plt]

That's what I did when I read through a piece from a UK author with unfamiliar wording.

Agree. And then I don't argue with them further. If they want it that way, that's their choice.

Especially on the Brit vs. Yank thing.

I was justifiably humbled on this back when I was the entertainment critic for a major newspaper in a country chock-a-block with British expatriates. Their theatre group put on a pantomime my first Christmas in that country and I went to it and reviewed it as if it were a straight play/pageant--not knowing at all what a British pantomime was. If you know what a British pantomime is, then you'll have some idea how badly I screwed that review up.

 

[evanslily]

Agree. And then I don't argue with them further. If they want it that way, that's their choice.

Especially on the Brit vs. Yank thing.

I was justifiably humbled on this back when I was the entertainment critic for a major newspaper in a country chock-a-block with British expatriates. Their theatre group put on a pantomime my first Christmas in that country and I went to it and reviewed it as if it were a straight play/pageant--not knowing at all what a British pantomime was. If you know what a British pantomime is, then you'll have some idea how badly I screwed that review up.

Oh no, he didn't...

Oh yes, he did...


(Of course, if you don't know what a British pantomime is, then what I just wrote won't make any sense either!)

 

[_Lynn_]

Agree. And then I don't argue with them further. If they want it that way, that's their choice.

Especially on the Brit vs. Yank thing.

I was justifiably humbled on this back when I was the entertainment critic for a major newspaper in a country chock-a-block with British expatriates. Their theatre group put on a pantomime my first Christmas in that country and I went to it and reviewed it as if it were a straight play/pageant--not knowing at all what a British pantomime was. If you know what a British pantomime is, then you'll have some idea how badly I screwed that review up.

Sounds like something I would do.

 

[sr71plt]

Oh no, he didn't...

Oh yes, he did...


(Of course, if you don't know what a British pantomime is, then what I just wrote won't make any sense either!)

Right. Not to mention sniffing at them for having stereotyped characters and overacting.

 

[Daddys_Touch]

I haven't encountered any major problems, I think they (non-British editors) are quite aware when a phrase is region-specific and either Google it or ask what it means.

I do try to avoid using regional phrases though since readers are an international bunch.

 

[driphoney]

I think I'd just admit that I don't understand the phrase / term to the author I'm working with and ask for clarification. Because of the UK's enormous exposure to US TV programming / films etc, I think most UK authors could probably tell you what the US equivalent would be anyway. Of course, it may simply be that the author's written something he/she really didn't mean to write and there's a word missing, for example ...


I think if you're a British author trying to set a story in the US, then yep, definitely, you should get some help from an American editor. That's a vice versa thing too. I've literally howled with laughter at times when reading stories written by US authors where the action's supposedly taking place in England. But I guess if US authors are basing their idea of England on Fawlty Towers, howlers are inevitable.

Of course, as sr71plt may remember, I learnt very early on that the word 'knickers' doesn't translate too well across the pond...

My last chapter I had a Brit editor look over it. He advised some dialogue changes that had us literally laughing out loud! My poor guy, Kevin, would start out all macho then mid-sentence turn into Cary Grant! He also made a few other interesting choices. And, yet, he's very well-versed in US English and completely understood my dialogue. So, I don't think it's always as easy as it appears.

If I were to write a Brit character, or set a story in the UK, for example, I'd definitely run it past a Brit and beg for dialogue changes and any other issues. There's a story here on Lit in which the lead is Brit. The author does a fair job, but it would have been MUCH more realistic with fewer characture-ish boo-boo's if she had worked with someone.

It's fun and interesting to read through an editor's perspective on this.

 

[CopperSkink]

Dammic, I need one of those.

Anybody Welsh?

 

[snoopercharmbrights]

... Anybody Welsh?

Bore da, cariad. O ble ydych chi'n dod? Mewn gwirionedd dw i'n dod o Tirphil. Os gwelwch yn dda, dych chi'n hoffi rygbi?

Cofion cynnes,

 

[_Lynn_]

Bore da, cariad. O ble ydych chi'n dod? Mewn gwirionedd dw i'n dod o Tirphil. Os gwelwch yn dda, dych chi'n hoffi rygbi?

Cofion cynnes,

Genir pawb yn rhydd ac yn gydradd â'i gilydd mewn urddas a hawliau. Fe'u cynysgaeddir â rheswm a chydwybod, a dylai pawb ymddwyn y naill at y llall mewn ysbryd cymodlon.

 

[evanslily]

Genir pawb yn rhydd ac yn gydradd â'i gilydd mewn urddas a hawliau. Fe'u cynysgaeddir â rheswm a chydwybod, a dylai pawb ymddwyn y naill at y llall mewn ysbryd cymodlon.

Absolutely. But what's that got to do with rugby?

 

[evanslily]

My last chapter I had a Brit editor look over it. He advised some dialogue changes that had us literally laughing out loud! My poor guy, Kevin, would start out all macho then mid-sentence turn into Cary Grant! He also made a few other interesting choices. And, yet, he's very well-versed in US English and completely understood my dialogue. So, I don't think it's always as easy as it appears.

How odd that he tried to change the dialogue. I think I'd only do that if it seemed like the character was going for a Shakespearean soliloquy or if the language used sounded stilted already.

If I were to write a Brit character, or set a story in the UK, for example, I'd definitely run it past a Brit and beg for dialogue changes and any other issues. There's a story here on Lit in which the lead is Brit. The author does a fair job, but it would have been MUCH more realistic with fewer characture-ish boo-boo's if she had worked with someone.

Ooh, now I'm trying to guess which one.

 

[_Lynn_]

Absolutely. But what's that got to do with rugby?

Psstt. It was the first thing I found this morning, and didn't want to hunt more.

 

[evanslily]

Your secret's safe with me. Sshh...

 

[_Lynn_]

Your secret's safe with me. Sshh...

*chuckle*