For science!

[momebie]

So, last night kel_reiley was musing over twitter about how she'd been reading a fic and a guy in his 20s had used the term 'mother hen', which she personally felt like some one of that demographic wouldn't do. That led to a discussion in which it was realized that lots of people about our age say 'mother hen', but then the question moved to whether it was

Comments

[kel_reiley]

1. I try my best not to project my own opinions or responses onto them, but sometimes it's just HARD.

2. DEFINITELY. And not just in using them for writing fic, either, I start to feel more comfortable using them in everyday conversation (well... some of them, others are not so polite). Except 'mother hen'. That one is just so... foreign and awkward to me, I don't even feel comfortable writing it in fic. (Look, it just sounds old. Like little old ladies use that term.)

3. YES. And not just other countries, but other regions of the US. I pick up accents like my swiffer picks up dust.

The only other things I could think of were specifically Britishisms in American fandoms, and that wasn't really what I wanted this to be about, you know?

[phaetonschariot]

On the internet and at Occupy camp when we have a lot of travelers I have to explain a lot of things because NZ English is a wee bit odd. It's got more in common with Australian English and British to a lesser extent, but also has Maori mixed in as well. We get a lot of "what the hell is koha?" type questions at camp and we have to scramble to give a good translation because while there's usually a word that people say is the translation it rarely gives the full meaning. That being why we use the Maori word to start with.

[ecosopher]

1. A lot, and it's problematic because I do not talk like ordinary people. When I'm standing around talking to people I don't know that well (eg, picking up my son from school), I have to TRY so hard to sound normal. And I still don't.

3. M is from Yorkshire, Northern England. When we first met, we spent the first two weeks saying "What?!" to each other because we couldn't understand a word each other was saying. Most of the time we're on the same page now, but he'll still come out with stuff I've never heard of, and vice versa. Our children all speak with Aussie accents except occasionally they'll drop a completely Yorkshire pronunciation into a sentence and it's hilarious.

[i_smell_apples]

Hahaha, that is sooo familiar ;) There are STILL instances when I will say something completely normal and Beth will give me a blank look.

Like last night when I had to google a Hills Hoist for her! I mean really.

[ecosopher]

Doesn't she realise what a groundbreaking invention that was?!! LOL

I remember M telling me one time he was going to be put the same t-shirt on after he'd had a shower, and I said, 'Um-ahh!' (does that mean something to you? Or is that regional?) Anyway, he just looked at me as if to say, 'What are you ON?'

Then again, he described a huge truck the other day as 'jocka'. What?!!

[i_smell_apples]

The best thing was, the first picture that came up had a kid swinging from it. And in my description I'd said it was the washing line that you swing from when you're little! Poor, deprived British person who has never played on a Hills Hoist!

UM-AAAHH!!!! OMG OMG OMG. I have not heard that since like grade 5! *cries with laughter* I HAVE TO USE IT ON BETH SOMETIME SOON I HAVE TO!!!

A what?!

[pocketmouse]

I wouldn't say I use them, but I've heard of both of them and wouldn't think they're strange or regional, so I put sparsely. Though the definition of sparsely made me kind of uncomfortable, as it made it seem like using the word at all was a negative thing

[dizzzylu]

1. How much of yourself do you think you project into a character's speech when you're writing?

I try not to put any in at all, but I'm sure it slips in from time to time. I think it's easier to pass it off if the character is American (as I am). I'm much more aware (or try to be) of American slang if I'm writing a non-American character.

2. If you are active in a fandom, do you think you pick up more words and phrases from that fandom or fandom as a whole than you do from your public life?

Fandom definitely, definitely affects how I talk in real life. And I totally get weird looks for it sometimes.

3. Do you converse often with someone from another country who constantly messes with your accent and ways of saying things, as well as word usage?I'm not sure what you mean by "messes with." I do have a knack for picking up the accents of the people I'm around; if I'm talking to southerners, I start talking with a twang, or if I'm talking to my cousins on the phone, I start talking like them. It even happens if I watch a tv show or

[kel_reiley]

Though, I totally tease my dad about things he says, most notably, when he talks about "warshing" something.

I think your dad and my dad are secretly the same person. AWKWARD! :p