[seeberg]

Okay, if the thread title is misleading let me explain

I'm doing some editing on my upcoming book, and because I want make the content of the book, more specifically the way people speak because of the location the book takes place in. You see, I speak-a da American English, and I'd like to know what words are spelled differently in their British counterparts, like Color-> Colour, Armor->Armour, panties -> nickers

(gotcha!), and so on. Anyone have any words to suggest that can be converted? I'd really appreciate it, and in the meantime I'm also doing a US->metric conversion of all distances and measurements used within this book, to keep that part of it true to location as well.

I'll try to use any help I can get!

,
Abe

 

[john_jcb]

Try here it will get you started:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/America...sh_differences

 

[splaz]

Quote:

Armor->Armour

Hmmm... I use both. I use armor to refer to tanks etc.

and armour to refer to say breastplate or something.


Anyway, let me think. Not sure if you're including slang.

We refer to alcohol as piss, you might as well, I'm not really sure but to me doesn't fit the accent. Rooting means having sex or "having a root", I know that one is different to American. Can't think of any more.

 

[seeberg]

Thanks, John_jcb and Splaz! I'll check that link and see what I can do. As of this post I've already done the metric conversion for my book, it only took about an hour tops, and I converted literally everything. I could include some slang, but due to the nature of the book and the time period I might keep it sparse.

,
Abe

 

[fewtch]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...ritish_English

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...erican_English

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...erican_English

 

[StevieDvd]

I can think of a fair few words, where to start though!

Pavement = sidewalk
car boot = trunk
car bonnet = hood
manual (car) = stck shift
lift = elevator
petrol = gas
motorway = highway (route66)
jam = jelly
jelly = jello
fag (modern) = cigarette
fag (old) = small boy used a slave in public school
rear/bum/bottom = fanny
fanny = rude bits of female

trousers = pants
pants = underwear
knickers = ladies pants
trainers = sneekers
chocolate = candy
football = soccer
rugby = like American football but for real men

irony = don't know if that's got an equivalent
politician = actor
actor = movie star
yank = sharp tug
wife/girlfiend = bitch/ho
humour = not lost I hope

 

[no1likesme]

Quote:

Originally Posted by StevieDvd wife/girlfiend = bitch/ho

beautiful...

 

[mjg]

this is a sentence in english -> dis is a sentence in englash.



check out that accuracy!

 

[DanT]

Here something fun

Differences in the UK and US Versions of Four Harry Potter Books but without the book for context a lot make little sense.

Here a list of word from the same site

Here a dictionary There is also a plenty of link to other site also from that site the chapters section there is some text explaining a bit about some difference

 

[AdamWill]

You're going to have a very hard time making it sound remotely plausible if you haven't lived in England or know any English people who can read it for you. For e.g., you misspelled "knickers", and for England metric is a very tricky subject; the country's officially 'gone metric' but in fact most people who live there think in a mixture of metric and imperial, with more of the former and less of the latter if you're young, the other way around if you're old. For instance, I tend to think of short distances in metres (note, not meters) but longer ones in miles. If you've got, say, a sixty year old character in your book saying "it's ten kilometres to Derby", well, that's going to stick out like a sore thumb to an English reader

.

If this is a serious endeavour that's likely to get published, either you get someone English to do it for / with you, or get the publisher to do so. (I'd do this for you at some sort of freelance rate, if you're interested; I work as a proofreader. I'm English, been living in Canada for a year or so). If it's more of a hobby thing, well, do the best you can, but be aware you'll probably never get it right without having the experience yourself

 

[seeberg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AdamWill You're going to have a very hard time making it sound remotely plausible if you haven't lived in England or know any English people who can read it for you. For e.g., you misspelled "knickers", and for England metric is a very tricky subject; the country's officially 'gone metric' but in fact most people who live there think in a mixture of metric and imperial, with more of the former and less of the latter if you're young, the other way around if you're old. For instance, I tend to think of short distances in metres (note, not meters) but longer ones in miles. If you've got, say, a sixty year old character in your book saying "it's ten kilometres to Derby", well, that's going to stick out like a sore thumb to an English reader . If this is a serious endeavour that's likely to get published, either you get someone English to do it for / with you, or get the publisher to do so. (I'd do this for you at some sort of freelance rate, if you're interested; I work as a proofreader. I'm English, been living in Canada for a year or so). If it's more of a hobby thing, well, do the best you can, but be aware you'll probably never get it right without having the experience yourself

I misspell things on occasion, especially when it's not native to the American English I speak/write, or when I haven't used a word in a long while. I don't think the main form of measurement standard will be a problem- the book doesn't take place in England, so I don't need to worry about having the language saturated in its standards, but rather how things generally are internationally. Also, the time period that the book takes place in can fully work with what I have planned- it's a fictional take on the not so distant future, but I'm not going to elaborate on anything until I'm ready to make a dedicated thread. That should be soon, butI still have a couple of things to work out.

I believe that this work of mine has the potential to be a major published novel soon considering the reaction it is getting in its revised form, but for now I'm shouldering the entire endeavor on my own. For one, I think it's possible that I can pull this off, and two, I don't have any spare money to throw around. But thanks for the offer, I appreciate any interest my work gets.

,
Abe

 

[Edwood]

Drive on a Parkway.

Park on a Driveway.

-Ed

 

[AdamWill]

seeberg: sounds interesting, good luck. I'm sure if you wind up selling it, the publisher will be able to correct any major problems.

 

[seeberg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AdamWill seeberg: sounds interesting, good luck. I'm sure if you wind up selling it, the publisher will be able to correct any major problems.

Thanks! The only two major things left to do before its ready from the read-ready standpoint is that I need to expand a chapter that would otherwise be considered vague and detached, and the commonwealth English speech alteration. Good thing is, I don't need to add commonwealth English to any part of the narration because of the way its written. And yeah, I really should send out copies to publishers, but I've not tried as of yet(I admittedly need some help with that one

)

,
Abe

 

[AdamWill]

I only have one specific piece of advice there - don't be tempted to go the "vanity publishing" route (you know, the companies you pay to print your book). That's fine if you don't want any readers except the people you mail copies to, but none of those companies will ever be able to get your book into any of the big booksellers, so even though it's printed, no-one's ever going to be able to buy it. Stick to trying to get a real publisher to buy it, because they're the guys with the distribution muscle, sad to say.

As for specific advice there, I have no idea, I'm not an author

. (I know the foregoing because I used to sell books, several years ago). However, Neil Gaiman is - http://www.neilgaiman.com/journal/journal.asp - and he's posted several responses to questions from prospective authors, both giving his own advice and linking to other pages. You'll find some useful stuff in the archives.