British writers...

[switch842]

Please get an American beta when you're writing in an American fandom. I was reading this fic, going along nicely. It wasn't the best thing ever, but the plot was entertaining enough to keep me involved. And then you had the two guys sit down to watch a game of "footie". Say what? If you're talking about European football, we call that soccer. If you're talking American football, we call that, well, football. Please have an American look over your story next time. I had to stop reading. Which drives me nuts cos now I'm not gonna know how it ends. :-P

Comments

[pclu2004.livejournal.com]

The one that confuses me is when a man is wearing a jumper. Do they mean sweater, vest, or what?? Also lounge for living room, baby cot for crib and Mum for Mom.

[switch842.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty jumper is sweater. Vests are waistcoats. A vest in Britain is a man's undershirt. The Mum thing is probably one of my worst pet peeves. It's like, do people not watch the show and notice how the people are talking?

[sg1danny.livejournal.com]

Jumpers are what you call Sweaters, but they can be called sweaters as well, just to confuse you further :-)

May I also apologise for the occasional daft Brit writer who can't be bothered to get a American beta. It makes me cringe in embarrassment when I come across Brit speak in what is supposed to be an American fic!!! So, sorry you were thrown out of what was a reasonable fic and yes 'footie' is Brit slang for Soccer.

[switch842.livejournal.com]

Not a problem. It's not your fault other people are idiots!

The reverse is also true, though. Too many American-isms in British fic. I hear that rant quite a lot with Harry Potter fics.

[chocolate-frapp.livejournal.com]

there's some stuff that's a bit more subtle too. I'm American and the first time I heard a Brit describe somebody as "that dark fella" I started looking for a Black guy or at least an olive-skinned guy or a guy with a tan before I realized she meant the guy with the dark hair. Doh!

[switch842.livejournal.com]

I don't think I've heard that one before! That's kinda funny...

Worse is when you see writers refer to dark skinned English people as African American. Yeah, um no....

[spawrhawk.livejournal.com]

The anglophile in me is sad for this request. That is all.

p.s. I do find it humourous, however, when an American writer tries their hand at writing like a Brit or *cough*Scottie*cough*.

[switch842.livejournal.com]

Yeah. It's like, why does this even need to be said?

Oh! Speaking of Scottish - ya don't need to write the accent. We know how Scottish people talk. It PAINS me when I see people trying to write Carson's speech phonetically. Just, don't. We get it. It's Carson.