British English editing for Yanks

[Mouse]

In Shuttered I had the phrase 'written in blue Biro.' My editor commented 'I don't know Biro, do you mean ink?' So I had to change it to blue ink.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Heh, Mr Springs just wondered about that one. Also, Aga stoves - do they translate across the pond?

 

[Mouse]

I didn't even realise aga was a brand name!

 

[Ray McCarthy]

Along with Rayburn and Waterford. May all be owned one company now!

 

[Juliana]

Springs, I grew up overseas in the middle of an expat community but didn't learn about Aga's until I went to Uni in the UK.

My feeling is, for things to translate properly - unless it's something hugely international like Lego - best keep away from brand names. Oil-burning stove, vacuum cleaner etc.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Springs, I grew up overseas in the middle of an expat community but didn't learn about Aga's until I went to Uni in the UK.

My feeling is, for things to translate properly - unless it's something hugely international like Lego - best keep away from brand names. Oil-burning stove, vacuum cleaner etc.

But can we in close pov? I'm a terribbly posh socially aware lady who is very fond of having my kitchen just so, and I wish to have an Aga, not one of those wood-burning wannabes.... i actually think it's one of the reasons we'll always struggle to write the lingo we're not very familiar with in close pov.

 

[Juliana]

My dad always wanted an Aga, but he never told me until I discovered for myself what they were.

As for close pov, I think some generic terms are easier than others, maybe. Like it's just as easy to say 'vacuum the house' as 'hoover the house'. I suppose it doesn't matter if you have some specific things (like the Aga) as long as not overdone...

 

[Venusian Broon]

Trademarks US/UK: There's Tannoy for public address systems - not sure if that is used over the pond - as even I didn't know it was a British company till now (Just thought it was another word for a PA system ). And for other things that make a sound: Klaxon is a former trade mark. So I guess you can definitely use that. Seems to be pretty international too!

Agree with Juliana, if in doubt used the common and garden name.

The only US thing I could think of at the mo' wasn't a product but was the act of searching for information - to google. I'm sure it has been included into the pantheon of the English language on some 'official' level (OED?), but can't say for absolutely sure. Then again using it in fiction may significantly date a work I suppose*, depending on how the language develops (or if the company goes under in some glorious Enron-style manner in the next 10 years!)


----------------------------------------------------------------

*Or perhaps it just doesn't matter - one of my favourite short stories I read in the 90's was a late 40s/early 50s Sci Fi tale, where the crew of a proper 'space rocket' were test riding the first on-board electronic computer to fly their ship (is was year 2000 or something similar in the story) through the rather densely asteroid packed reaches of outer space. The crew being nervous of such a novel contraption checked all the output of the computer with slide rules. I am quite happy to admit to not knowing how on earth to operate a slide rule...that to me is how dated that story is. But it is still a brilliant story (and points out a piece of physics that is still valid and a 'problem' today...)

 

[Ray McCarthy]

Take Two cm & mm rulers.
Slide one and read sum off the other.
If the scale is Log rather than linear, then you can multiply or divide as adding logs is multiplying.
With additional scales you can do sin, cos, tan, hyperbolic functions. Engineering offices had giant ones so you got more precision. They are very fast to use, but only easily a couple of digits.

If you were not sure about your new program, then a "reality check" with a slide rule is as good as a pocket calculator.

 

[Venusian Broon]

Take Two cm & mm rulers.
Slide one and read sum off the other.
If the scale is Log rather than linear, then you can multiply or divide as adding logs is multiplying.
With additional scales you can do sin, cos, tan, hyperbolic functions. Engineering offices had giant ones so you got more precision. They are very fast to use, but only easily a couple of digits.

If you were not sure about your new program, then a "reality check" with a slide rule is as good as a pocket calculator.

Wasn't asking for how they worked, but thanks anyway Actually, barely used a pocket calculator either.

Used/still use the bare raw power of my mind - things like the trigonometric functions are used so often in a physics course it all gets burnt in anyway along with all sorts of mathematical manipulation that are currently irrelevant to me but can remember extremely well. Its really all about the form and behaviour of the equation at that level, not the actual answer.

But then I have to admit, little I have done required absolutely pin-point precision, or usually it would have been extremely foolish to aim for it. (I left the high precision tasks life/death tasks to the engineers. )

 

[Phyrebrat]

I have used Aga stoves in two of my stories - because there are cottages in the story. I usually steer clear of brand names, but have used Le Crueset, once, as well.

I'm a little grumpy on this topic; I wonder how I would react if I was asked as Mouse has been, to change things. I'm not particularly precious about, but I do get angry at the often-prescriptive outlook American behaviour can be. From Stephen King (and others) I have learnt all about American culture and the thought of essentially dumbing down my manuscript for lazy readers irks me*. Unlike most people here I don't have much in the way of getting published aspirations; I write because I am compelled to, so I guess it's just as well.

There isn't AE in this thread so far that has confused me, and that's down to common sense, or because we're so saturated with US TV/films & literature here. I think the opposite should be true.

pH

*needless to say, present company is excluded

 

[Wiglaf]

I'm a little grumpy on this topic; I wonder how I would react if I was asked as Mouse has been, to change things. I'm not particularly precious about, but I do get angry at the often-prescriptive outlook American behaviour can be. From Stephen King (and others) I have learnt all about American culture and the thought of essentially dumbing down my manuscript for lazy readers irks me*.

I'm not sure you are aware how harsh that makes you sound. Perhaps it just a consequence of Google. In the past, deciphering what was meant took a lot of effort, and sometimes proved impossible. Brand names, particularly ones no longer in use, posed a difficultly. Because of this, I personally would be fine with using a more generic term if it allowed understanding across numerous countries*. However, I'd probably balk at using a term that I didn't understand.

As far as I am aware of, only one publisher of children's books translates British into American (Scholastic), I do not know if any translate from American to British. Therefore, I would actually prefer that any of my writing was internationally accessible American as opposed to only understandable to American or half-translated**. That way one version could be readable for all English speakers, assuming I could get a non-American proof reader.

* I am assuming that they have to deal with American spelling, punctuation, and usage and are therefore already expending a fair amount of additional effort.
** I can only write competent American; anything else would be as betwixt and between as one of the half-Americanized Harry Potter books on my shelf. They drive me batty; I rather deal with the British editions. Besides, from personal experience, I have found untranslated easier as the spelling warns me to watch out for different usages.

 

[Ursa major]

I don't think I'd be very happy if an English publisher asked me to Americanise (Americaize?) my work, but I wouldn't reject it out of hand.

And Mouse's publisher is, I believe, a US imprint and probably expect their books to be easily understood by their core audience (which would be mainly made up of people in North America). And she's getting to see the suggestions, rather than the book being "translated" from BE to AE.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

if they're paying me they can do what they like....

 

[Ray McCarthy]

It would annoy me terribly. But it's not actually fattening, immoral, illegal, killing kittehs or changing the story, so I'd whinge a little and take the money!

 

[J-Sun]

It would annoy me terribly. But it's not actually fattening, immoral, illegal, killing kittehs or changing the story, so I'd whinge a little and take the money!

The editor wouldn't let you whinge. You could only whine or complain or something.

 

[Ray McCarthy]

Whinging is probably a Norn Iron thing. My spelling checker says I should be whining. So you are probably correct.

 

[HareBrain]

It's whingeing, with an "e".

(Though God, that looks really weird.)

 

[Ray McCarthy]

I can't hardly spiel. I reline on a Spelunking Chequer.

 

[Phyrebrat]

I'm not sure you are aware how harsh that makes you sound. Perhaps it just a consequence of Google. In the past, deciphering what was meant took a lot of effort, and sometimes proved impossible. Brand names, particularly ones no longer in use, posed a difficultly. Because of this, I personally would be fine with using a more generic term if it allowed understanding across numerous countries*. However, I'd probably balk at using a term that I didn't understand.

Notwithstanding my claim of being grumpy on the subject, I'm not clear on what you mean when you say I come across as harsh: if you mean I am inflexible when it comes to changing my MS to make it easier to read for lazy readers, then I'd accept that. On the other hand, if you're using the word "harsh" as a way to describe me as a person I'd say that's dangerous territory to get into on a public forum.

Regarding Google: That makes it even easier these days to find things out. When I began learning of American culture there was no Google (no WWW as we know it) and I managed just fine. Because of the genre I write in, I don't fantasy world-build but root my stories in real world places. Those real world places have idiosyncrasies which I won't exclude or simplify just because some people won't take initiative to find out what - for example - an Aga is. Until I write a story set in another country, my characters will walk on pavements, not sidewalks etc. How would a fine artist react if a foreign audience said, 'we'd prefer it you used more red instead of blue.' We are artists. We create our vision.

I know what the Red Sox are and the long feud between them and the Yankees. I'm not from Scotland but I understand the rivalry between the Celtics and Rangers. I know about countless other culturally-specific references and subjects which were never changed to make a story more accessible to me.

Writing and reading is an expansive process that not only entertains but educates us.

Lastly, to put my feelings in context...The Americanisation of our day to day life grates on me (and I'm fully aware that this is something we ourselves are responsible for). I say that as someone who has been to America many times and love the outlook that you often have - and gods, look at the formidably pleasant people on this site from the US! However, I hate being asked for my name in Starbucks, or the disingenuous enquiry as to how my day is by a cashier who really doesn't care, but has been 'trained' in customer service because apparently that's what the customer likes. And now I have to re-educate kids I teach when they say 'can I get' instead of 'may I have.' The list goes on.

I'm a grumpy Brit. I can live with it.

pH