British English editing for Yanks

[BelgarionOz]

A pet hate Americanism of mine is to say lighted, as in "the room was dimly lighted". The correct word is lit. Lit is the past tense of light. It is also shorter which saves you space.

 

[BelgarionOz]

I would say that "leapt" and "leaped" had slightly different meanings. But can't quite put my finger on what they are, just a feeling. Quickly I would say "leapt" is more haphazard, more flingy, and "leaped" is more judged and planned, risks taken into account. May just be me though

Leapt would be more the past tense. "He had leapt across the table to strangle him" as opposed to "he had leaped across...". The latter sounds more clunky to me.

He was sat at the table sounds very wrong to me...

Sounds perfectly fine to me. I know that he is sitting at the table. It depends on what comes after it of course.

He was sat at the table; his hands folded in front of him, as he cast a baleful, almost contemptuous gaze across the room, when I entered.

That way i think gives extra effect to the rest of the sentence. He seems to be in charge of the room. He's the boss. He was sat AT the table. The table becomes a part of him. It's important to his position in the room. He doesn't get up and come to you, YOU come to him.

 

[Phyrebrat]

He was born in Somerset (which may or may not have contributed to the "problem" ).

a-haa! I knew he was dodge! Actually I did find it odd when I realised it was Charles Mesure because I somehow knew he was a Brit although I couldn't recall seeing him in anything before.

Anyway, I'm still sulking over the cancellation of V so it's unlikely I'd've found out, so thanks!

pH

 

[ratsy]

A pet hate Americanism of mine is to say lighted, as in "the room was dimly lighted". The correct word is lit. Lit is the past tense of light. It is also shorter which saves you space.

This is another Americanism I would never use.

 

[TheDustyZebra]

This is another Americanism I would never use.

Me, either. And, well ... if I'd seen it written somewhere, I would have assumed it was British.

 

[ratsy]

Me, either. And, well ... if I'd seen it written somewhere, I would have assumed it was British.

Ha, I was thinking the same thing!

 

[The Judge]

Me, either.

That's an Americanism a Brit wouldn't use! We'd say "Me, neither." or (more probably) "Nor me."

 

[Fishbowl Helmet]

A pet hate Americanism of mine is to say lighted, as in "the room was dimly lighted". The correct word is lit. Lit is the past tense of light. It is also shorter which saves you space.

See, that's where things get tricky. I'm American and I've always hated 'lighted' and always preferred 'lit'. But trying to think back to which I was taught in school I can't remember.

That's an Americanism a Brit wouldn't use! We'd say "Me, neither." or (more probably) "Nor me."

Same. American here but still wouldn't use 'Me, either' and most often use 'Nor me.'

Thanks everyone for the pointers, hints, and discussion. Keep it coming please.

Here's a further question. How mixed is regional slang? For example, do you hear Londoners saying 'summat' and how widespread is 'innit'?

 

[Phyrebrat]

innit and issit are ubiquitous in London, but summat I think is more - correct me if I'm wrong guys- Yorkshire-ish, or at least Northern.

But innit and issit are used in a different way here than merely contractions of isn't it, and is it.

Innit is used to add weight or an unnecessary 'you know?' at the end of a sentence, as in 'Ray works out, innit' if Ray trains at a gym
issit is used as an exaggerated form of 'no way!', as in 'person 1: I just won the lottery!'; person 2: 'Issit!' (note, no question mark; it's not used as a question)

pH
I never realised my work in inner city schools would figure on Chrons Landing, so.

 

[TheDustyZebra]

That's an Americanism a Brit wouldn't use! We'd say "Me, neither." or (more probably) "Nor me."

Hmm. Come to think of it, I would probably say, "me, neither", too, all evidence to the contrary. And wouldn't that be "nor I"?

 

[Wiglaf]

A pet hate Americanism of mine is to say lighted, as in "the room was dimly lighted". The correct word is lit. Lit is the past tense of light. It is also shorter which saves you space.

According to the Google ngrams, lighted was more common in British English till 1912 and in American English till 1950. Leaped has always been more common in American English and Leapt became more common in British English in the early 1900s. Lit and leapt are Briticisms; lighted and leaped are Englishisms. Although, technically all four existed before Jamestown or the 1707 Act of Union. Wiglavian English prefers lit and leapt.

This all is why I recommended looking up Americanisms. It would tell you what tends to be perceived as an Americanism, and perception is more important than fact. A British beta tester is still a good idea as well.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Regional slang is massively diverse. We'd never say summat or innit, unless we were taking things off. My husband is northern english, liverpool/mancs direction, so the closest English dialect region to me and his slang is completely different.

I think, if you're going to write something like this, you pick up a play or tv show or something in the region to know a bit about the dialect.

Which region is it set in, by the way?

 

[Ursa major]

I was born south of the Watford Gap and have never lived farther north than the Black Country. And even though I use long As in bath and plastic (baaath and plaaastic), you might still hear me saying, "It's owt or nowt," because my parents were both born in the far north-west of England (with Scotland clearly visible across the Solway Firth).

So while it's good to take on board what the dialect and slang might mean to how a character talks, bear in mind that you should tailor it to the character and not merely exchange a broad stereotype (e.g. English or American) for a more localised one (Yorkshire-woman or Texan). And there are other dangers -- words used may alter with social class, for instance -- which could stick out like a sore thumb to those who are aware of such things in the localities you're describing (or the ones from where your characters come).

 

[Kylara]

Also "sets" - I have the wonderful ability (due to my school) of being able to switch up my accent to fit in with people - I can go upper class to mix with the polo set I play polo with, or slum it down to visit relatives in Essex, bring it up again to mix with "normal" university kids, I can never decide (but usually end up rather "posh") where to situate when debating, and had an episode in a playwriting class where we happened to be looking at "Posh" and people saying that boys at boys schools don't act like that - I disagreed and then had to explain the whole girls school/boys school/richer kids attitude to them - it was quite mortifying especially when they said I didn't sound posh, can you sound posh please. But general day to day accent is fairly close to BBC/Queen's English for me (Hampshire/Berks border me ), modulated slightly to whomever I am actually talking to - but I do use slang terms. Slang also changes with age I love the language so try to avoid slang where I can, but seem to have picked up and use gamer slang in everyday conversation which doesn't always translate to people! (I had to explain 1337 and mobs to people - also once Leeroy Jenkins during a debating session) make sure that you area-lise your person and get specific rather than general as springs and Ursa said

 

[Juliana]

So while it's good to take on board what the dialect and slang might mean to how a character talks, bear in mind that you should tailor it to the character and not merely exchange a broad stereotype (e.g. English or American) for a more localised one (Yorkshire-woman or Texan). And there are other dangers -- words used may alter with social class, for instance -- which could stick out like a sore thumb to those who are aware of such things in the localities you're describing (or the ones from where your characters come).

Details like if your character should call the last meal of the day dinner, supper or tea - all correct depending on who the character is!

 

[TheDustyZebra]

Details like if your character should call the last meal of the day dinner, supper or tea - all correct depending on who the character is!

But many of those things also depend on where a person HAS lived, not necessarily where they're from, and also where their parents are from, and what they've done in their life. I live in Colorado, but use words that I got from my parents, who were from Oklahoma, and undoubtedly picked up something from living in Atlanta (y'all), and just being on the internet for all these years has changed the way I speak. And certainly being around here!

 

[Kylara]

Tea involves cakes and cream and scones. Supper is a either early evening food or mid evening food, dinner is mid-late evening food. Sometimes I have all three in one day and then I feel happy. Supper doesn't usually have dessert though - dinner does

 

[thaddeus6th]

Summat is Yorkshirery, as is the famous nowt [as a kid I used 'nolt' but that seems to have been me mispronouncing things...]

Yorkshire also uses Viking slang. Kecks (trousers) may fall into that category, and lekkin'/laking (playing) definitely does.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Tea involves cakes and cream and scones. Supper is a either early evening food or mid evening food, dinner is mid-late evening food. Sometimes I have all three in one day and then I feel happy. Supper doesn't usually have dessert though - dinner does

No, no, no, all wrong. Tea is your evening meal, supper is something naughty later on, and dinner is either lunch or tea.

 

[Phyrebrat]

No, no, no, all wrong. Tea is your evening meal, supper is something naughty later on, and dinner is either lunch or tea.

No No No; tea is made in a pot and poured first into a very thin china cup then milk added (preferably red milk); Dinner is evening meal; and supper is what you eat to make you hungry in preparation for breakfast the next day.

see? SMH

pH