Subtle Britishisms
spnroundtable has a workshop on writing like a US citizen as a non-native, and I commented with the raw information in this. benitle asked me if I had these under a tag, because apparently they're kinda useful? So that sounds like a good idea. I was trying to save up enough to have a reasonable-sized blog post instead of just random mutterings, but putting this up now and then posting more under an "americanisms" tag makes sense. I hope this is helpful to someone, somewhere.
This is going to be sooooo picky. OMG, don't read this if you're non-American and sensitive, please. I don't want to step on anyone's toes. (Haha, I typed "toys" at first and then went back and fixed it. Anyway. ::clears throat::) I don't want to harsh anyone's squee or make anyone stop writing or interrupt their creative flow. These are just WEE LITTLE BITTY things that can leap out of a fic and hit me between the eyes with their non-Americanness. But then, I've been a professional editor and proofreader for far too long. IGNORE THIS POST IF IT WILL BOTHER YOU.
But if you're non-American and curious about what WEE TINY ITSY things in your otherwise wonderful fic might jump out as subtle Britishisms, and you wish to improve your Yank-speak, please do read on.
(Keep in mind also that there are lots of regional dialects in America. OUR COUNTRY IS SO HOOOOJJJJ OMG THAT WAS SCARY. I've lived all my life in the Midwest, Indiana to be precise, and it could very well be that some of these things are as American as apple pie down in some weird place like, I dunno, Florida or something.)
BRITISHISM--"I'll catch you up."
I have never heard an American use this phrase in the context of following someone. We say "I'll catch up with you" or just "I'll catch up." "I'll catch you up" means that someone else is behind on a situation and you're going to explain it to them.
BRITISHISM--"I haven't got it."
Like I said, subtle. But Americans tend to say something like, "I don't have it." Or even "I don't got it," which is ungrammatical but pretty common, among the "lower" classes (if you want to put it that way). This construction..."haven't got"...just isn't used. Without the "not," though, we use "have got" all the time. "I've got it," "You've got it," everybody's got it.
Similarly:
BRITISHISM--"you've not" "I've not" "they've not" "we've not"
We just...don't form our contractions like that. We don't. It's "you haven't," "I haven't," "they haven't," "we haven't." "He's not," "she's not," "they're not" and "we're not" don't ping me wrong, though. But "they aren't" and "we aren't" are equally valid.
Americans use a lot of contractions. We slur our words together and speak too fast, especially in the north, and the southern states have their own dialect, too. A lot of mushed together words have entered our vernacular, like "kinda," "sorta," and "dunno." (There are more.) I tend to add them to the dictionary in my word processor so the spell checker will quit hitting them, I use them so much. Only in dialog, though. In text I think the words should be spelled out.
BRITISHISM: "He was in hospital."
Every time I see this I want to grab a red pen and make a little carat mark underneath with the word "the" above. He's in THE hospital. THE hospital!
BRITISHISM: "I hate maths."
ME TOO. But I add "ematic" in there. Right after "math." Or I just take off the "s." I know it looks wrong to you! I'm sorry, but that's just how screwy we Americans are.
BRITISHISM: "Here we go round the Mulberry Bush!"
Americans go Around. The extra A is important to us. I don't know why. "Round" always, always refers to a shape, not a direction. If you put an apostrophe in front of it, though, it somehow becomes okay. "Here we go 'round" just sounds like a speech mannerism instead of something physically impossible. Like I said, I don't know.
--
PS: There are also many many many subtle words that pop out as wrong, some of which you may already know about, like boot vs. trunk, torch vs. flashlight, crossing vs. intersection, etc., etc., etc. Other websites have compiled these, so I didn't feel it necessary to make my own list.
Just a few sites:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_and_British_English_differences
http://esl.about.com/library/vocabulary/blbritam.htm
http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwesl/egw/jones/words.htm
And, as benitle and legoline point out in their workshop, NEVER be afraid to ask your flist. I'm always very, very happy to answer questions about word choice, construction, whatever. It makes me absolutely gleeful to see someone making the effort to find out about the tiniest little details. And words are what I love, so I love talking about them anytime, anywhere. (If you're embarrassed to ask in public, you can always PM or email me. I suck at answering in a timely fashion, but I'll do my best.)
This is going to be sooooo picky. OMG, don't read this if you're non-American and sensitive, please. I don't want to step on anyone's toes. (Haha, I typed "toys" at first and then went back and fixed it. Anyway. ::clears throat::) I don't want to harsh anyone's squee or make anyone stop writing or interrupt their creative flow. These are just WEE LITTLE BITTY things that can leap out of a fic and hit me between the eyes with their non-Americanness. But then, I've been a professional editor and proofreader for far too long. IGNORE THIS POST IF IT WILL BOTHER YOU.
But if you're non-American and curious about what WEE TINY ITSY things in your otherwise wonderful fic might jump out as subtle Britishisms, and you wish to improve your Yank-speak, please do read on.
(Keep in mind also that there are lots of regional dialects in America. OUR COUNTRY IS SO HOOOOJJJJ OMG THAT WAS SCARY. I've lived all my life in the Midwest, Indiana to be precise, and it could very well be that some of these things are as American as apple pie down in some weird place like, I dunno, Florida or something.)
BRITISHISM--"I'll catch you up."
I have never heard an American use this phrase in the context of following someone. We say "I'll catch up with you" or just "I'll catch up." "I'll catch you up" means that someone else is behind on a situation and you're going to explain it to them.
BRITISHISM--"I haven't got it."
Like I said, subtle. But Americans tend to say something like, "I don't have it." Or even "I don't got it," which is ungrammatical but pretty common, among the "lower" classes (if you want to put it that way). This construction..."haven't got"...just isn't used. Without the "not," though, we use "have got" all the time. "I've got it," "You've got it," everybody's got it.
Similarly:
BRITISHISM--"you've not" "I've not" "they've not" "we've not"
We just...don't form our contractions like that. We don't. It's "you haven't," "I haven't," "they haven't," "we haven't." "He's not," "she's not," "they're not" and "we're not" don't ping me wrong, though. But "they aren't" and "we aren't" are equally valid.
Americans use a lot of contractions. We slur our words together and speak too fast, especially in the north, and the southern states have their own dialect, too. A lot of mushed together words have entered our vernacular, like "kinda," "sorta," and "dunno." (There are more.) I tend to add them to the dictionary in my word processor so the spell checker will quit hitting them, I use them so much. Only in dialog, though. In text I think the words should be spelled out.
BRITISHISM: "He was in hospital."
Every time I see this I want to grab a red pen and make a little carat mark underneath with the word "the" above. He's in THE hospital. THE hospital!
BRITISHISM: "I hate maths."
ME TOO. But I add "ematic" in there. Right after "math." Or I just take off the "s." I know it looks wrong to you! I'm sorry, but that's just how screwy we Americans are.
BRITISHISM: "Here we go round the Mulberry Bush!"
Americans go Around. The extra A is important to us. I don't know why. "Round" always, always refers to a shape, not a direction. If you put an apostrophe in front of it, though, it somehow becomes okay. "Here we go 'round" just sounds like a speech mannerism instead of something physically impossible. Like I said, I don't know.
--
PS: There are also many many many subtle words that pop out as wrong, some of which you may already know about, like boot vs. trunk, torch vs. flashlight, crossing vs. intersection, etc., etc., etc. Other websites have compiled these, so I didn't feel it necessary to make my own list.
Just a few sites:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_and_British_English_differences
http://esl.about.com/library/vocabulary/blbritam.htm
http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwesl/egw/jones/words.htm
And, as benitle and legoline point out in their workshop, NEVER be afraid to ask your flist. I'm always very, very happy to answer questions about word choice, construction, whatever. It makes me absolutely gleeful to see someone making the effort to find out about the tiniest little details. And words are what I love, so I love talking about them anytime, anywhere. (If you're embarrassed to ask in public, you can always PM or email me. I suck at answering in a timely fashion, but I'll do my best.)