A question for UK members:

[kb57z (imported)]

I don't know if Harry Potter uses a cell phone, but if so he would refer to it as his "handy".

I've never encountered this usage. It may be regional or generational. You would be more likely to 'call someone on their mobile.'

If Harry is careful about crossing the street he does so at a "zebra crossing", with all vehicles having to stop for a pedestrian who enters it. Zebra crossings are marked by a flashing orange globe on either end, the globes being mounted on black-and-white striped poles; there are also U.S. style crosswalks with "walk"/"don't walk" lights but these are not called "zebra crossings". I'm not sure what they are called.

There are a number of variants. Those associated with 'proper' traffic lights at a junction show alternately a red man standing (meaning don't cross), a green man walking (meaning cross now) and neither (meaning don't start to cross and if you're on the crossiong get off before the red man shows.)

The 'free-standing' (pure crossing) version is similar, except that the 'don't start crossing' phase is marked by the green man (and the amber light show to the traffic) flashing. Cars are allowed to move during the flashing period as long as the pedestrians have cleared the crossing. This type of crossing is commonly referred to as a 'Pelican' crossing (from PEdestrian LIght CoNtrolled).

Zig-zag white lines are painted along both edges of the road and between each lane to indicate that parking and overtaking are both prohibited at crossings. Incidentally, road marking lines are always white. Yellow lines are used to indicate parking restrictions and 'box junctions' (where drivers are prohibited from stopping on the painted box.

Is it raining (as it often does in the UK)? Harry will be sure to put on his "mack" (abbreviation of mackintosh), a kind of raincoat though often used for any kind,

Most people spell it 'mac' (like the Apple) If the Green Man is flashing he might well be wearing a dirty mac, and the Police would no doubt want to ask him to come down to the Police Station to assist them with their enquiries.

[Slammr (imported)]

You know, the erudition contained in this topic is going to help a student of 20th century vernacular English get a PhD in a century or two.

I felt my mind whirling even as I read and this is exactly the kind of English I grew up with and speak, more or less to this day.

Slammr, don't worry too much about getting it spot on. I've written a few stories set in the states (darned if I know which one) and no-one complained about the vocabulary. The one mistake I was picked up on was when I called a wrench a spanner - it just slipped past me. So if you have cars in your story remember the hood/bonnet and trunk/boot translations.

Kortpeel

Kortpeel:

This thread has been interesting as well as educational. Even in your post I'm reminded of a difference. "Spot on" is definitely British rather than American. As is "straight away."

[strassenbahn (imported)]

I'm afraid that this isn't quite right.

There are 3 "Lord Fortescues":

- Baron Fortescue of Ousewold Moseley - the former Tory MP and Home Office minister Vaughan Fortescue, who not only voted to bring back hanging, but also introduced the amendment to reintroduce drawing and quartering as well. He was also a proponent of transportation (until the Australians threatened to reciprocate) and still regularly calls for the castration of rapists, shoplifters and people who urinate in public. He was created a life peer in John Major's resignation Honours List.

- Lord Fortescue of Nether Wollop. The judge Sir Archibald Fortescue, QC. He is a "Law Lord" and so is part of the final court of appeal in English Law (very approximately equivalent to a Supreme Court judge.) The "Lord" goes with the job. He is officially apolitical and required to avoid making public statements except as part of a properly-constituted court. He is, however, known to believe that six strokes of the birch would be a most appropriate way to deal with football hooligans, graffiti tag bombers and lady barristers.

Both of the above may be properly known as "Lord Fortescue", unlike the aforementioned Lord William Fortescue, who is the younger son of Albermarle Fortescue, 6th Duke of Penistone. Lord William's title is a 'courtesy' one, and to call him Lord Fortescue would be improper. His wife is properly styled 'Lady William', and their daughter, who merely the granddaughter of a duke, has no title and is plain Miss Sarah Fortescue.

Lord William's sister was known as Lady Matilda Fortescue until her marriage to Burford Cuttinge, the eminent uro-genital surgeon, who specialises in SRS surgery. There is traditionally an amount of inverted snobbery amongst surgeons, who adopt the title 'Mr' to distinguish themselves from mere physicians who call themselves 'Dr'. The Cuttinges are correctly referred to as Mr Burford and Lady Matilda Cuttinge. When Mr Cuttinge inevitably acquired his knighthood (marrying a duke's daughter being a good move in this respect) his wife will be both Lady Cuttinge as a knight's wife and Lady Matilda Cuttinge as a duke's daughter.

Marcus Fortescue, Lord William's elder brother is the Duke's heir. He uses the courtesy title 'Viscount Cockburn' (pronounced 'Coburn'; note no 'of'). His wife is known as Lady Cockburn. There are, as yet no children; this is of some concern as there is no male to inherit the title after the two brothers. (There is a persistent rumour of a childhood accident wth a device for castrating sheep.) I don't think that any child would have a right to a title, although it is possible that they would be styled 'the Honorable'.

The Duke himself, might be referred to as Lord Penistone, although 'the Duke of Penistone' would be more likely outside the rarified circles in which the nobility move. His wife, the Duchess of Penistone, is usually referred to as Lady Penistone.

A very amusing and well done, and above all informative spinning out of my fantasy. In all fairness, however, my intention in my original dialogue was that Lord William Fortescue was the heir to the title, not merely the holder of a courtesy title, in which case my information about his wife and daughter's "style" is, I believe, correct, though I take your point that in that case the Christian (U.S. "first") name ("William") would not be used. Incidentally, for U.S. readers, here's a tip on an inside joke by kb57z: he describes in his fantasy the first Lord Fortescue as "Baron Fortescue of Ouswald Mosely". This is reference to teh fact that the head of Britain's fascist party before the war (and after, though it never amounted to anything much in either case) was a Sir Oswald Mosely. This name often surprises people who know of the title "Sir" corresponding to a knighthood bestowed for merit. But this is not where Sir Oswald got his "Sir". A knighthood is not hereditary, but between it and the baron (the lowest hereditary title that carries the "style" of "Lord") there is the hereditary title of "baronet" that carries the same "Sir" as a knighthood. Thus Sir Oswald Mosely was "Sir Oswald" because he inheritated the baronetcy and thus the "style" of "Sir".

[An Onymus (imported)]

One thing which I don't think was mentioned--and is also unlikely to be mentioned in an Archive story--is that, in the UK, when you refer to a "football game," you're not talking about a football game, but about a soccer match. Not sure if a Brit would know what you're talking about, if you made the comment, "he won't get to first base with that idea."

[Slammr (imported)]

One thing which I don't think was mentioned--and is also unlikely to be mentioned in an Archive story--is that, in the UK, when you refer to a "football game," you're not talking about a football game, but about a soccer match. Not sure if a Brit would know what you're talking about, if you made the comment, "he won't get to first base with that idea."

Yes, I've had to remember to avoid baseball terms, such as, "he struck out."

In a story I was witing which was set in the ancient past, I almost used some poker terms like "hole card" and "pat hand," but had to find something else. They wouldn't have fit.

[strassenbahn (imported)]

Yes, I've had to remember to avoid baseball terms, such as, "he struck out."

In a story I was witing which was set in the ancient past, I almost used some poker terms like "hole card" and "pat hand," but had to find something else. They wouldn't have fit.

Onthe other hand, if you want to use cricket terminology to describe someone doing something very successfully you can say he "hit it for six", which corresponds fairly closely to a baseball home run.

[kb57z (imported)]

Onthe other hand, if you want to use cricket terminology to describe someone doing something very successfully you can say he "hit it for six", which corresponds fairly closely to a baseball home run.

The phrase can also (and probably more frequently) indicate the delivery of an actual or figurative decisive blow.

Of course, in a Harry Potter story, you ought to be using Quidditch terminology anyway.

[Pueros]

Just to confuse Slammr even more, there are many regional variations in the use of the English language in the UK. This is likely to be reflected in a school such as that attended by Harry Potter, for which pupils are presumably enlisted from all over the country.

I'm aware of a locale within 20 miles of which in all directions language accents and usage vary greatly and, for example, a simple bread roll could be called just that or a bap, barm, batch, cob or muffin. Such terms might nearby mean something different &, if attempting to buy, you might end up purchasing something you didn't want! I know - from experience!!

PUEROS

[Origen (imported)]

And of course British English, like all language, changes over time, and between generations... 25 year olds now speak very differently from how I spoke when I was 25. Advice from me on how a 25 yr now would speak would be dubious.

Dont forget the importance of 'wank' -! widely used across generations - and of course a 'wanker' is not simplty someone who masturbates...

[koku (imported)]

The one mistake I was picked up on was when I called a wrench a spanner - it just slipped past me. So if you have cars in your story remember the hood/bonnet and trunk/boot translations.

Kortpeel

Not a mistake on your part. We have plenty of spanners here, but nobody uses the word. I would imagine it has to do with plumbing, as this is the most probable place to find a spanner (which has teeth or grooves that lock on/into grooves or teeth on a round nut/pipe instead of a hexagonal bolt head).