blamebrampton: 15th century woodcut of a hound (Default)
blamebrampton ([personal profile] blamebrampton) wrote2009-01-18 11:13 pm

Some points of clarification ...

Pursuant to the previous post.
1. If you as an author say that Harry had never seen such deep colors in a sky as he did that morning, I, personally, do not mind. If you have Hermione saying 'It's C-O-L-O-R', then I won't be the only one rolling my eyes at you to judge by yesterday's comments.

2. If you are posting to an archive that insists on British spelling, that's what you provide. Just as you would provide safe fics to the younger oriented archives and dodgy displays of man flesh to the pornier ones. If I ever turn to SPN-dom and they have an archive that demands it, I will be traveling and honoring with the best of them. But if it's just for our own ljs, then I think authors' choice is fine.

3. No one wants Americans to pretend to be British. It never ends well, and it means that some of the great fics of deep emotional resonance from people like Fray and Sansa, and Heathen's poignantly witty comics and Lil's lyrical art would never happen because the artists would all be too busy worrying about whether their characters were being stoic enough. This would be a disaster.

Or, even worse, it would mean more fics in which Draco Malfoy says 'I'm going nutters, you gobshite! What I wouldn't give for a Sainsbury's curry!' And nobody deserves that.

4. Though it would be lovely if overt Americanisms could be kept to a minimum. The obvious things … especially slang and companies. Needless to say, all of you whose work I read manage this very well, so if you have this popping up on your flist, it's something you already do. 

5. We all notice 'Mom'. We know Scholastic did it to you. This is why we have voodoo dolls of their CEO under construction. It would be a great favour if you could use Mum. And the pants/underpants/trousers issue can cause unintentional humour.

6. We do express emotion, just quietly, or with a degree of irony or self-deprecation. Harry is rather highly strung in canon, Hermione's propensity to flee to the girls' loos if she needs a cry is more typical. If the situation calls for absolute emotional honesty, then it is done very  privately and we joke about it later. As Lizzie says in Pride and Prejudice, ``It has been coming on so gradually, that I hardly know when it began. But I believe I must date it from my first seeing his beautiful grounds at Pemberley.''

ETA: And, as Shiv points out, animals receive the full extent of our personal feelings. And more public displays of affection. Not  like that, you disturbing individual.

7. The whole aluminium issue was Humphry Davy's fault. And if minerals were held to the same nomenclature rules as plants, it would be alumium. Strange but true.

8. Horrifyingly, the Macquarie dictionary in Australia lists alright as an acceptable variant spelling, and not just for the adverbial form (which I could accept as an American variation functioning in the same way as altogether/all together). This is not all right, and if any of you know any Macquarie lexicographers, I strongly urge you to remove all alcohol from their persons as they have clearly partaken FAR too liberally. They also prefer fiord, which is obviously madness, over the elegant fjord.

9. Not that this applies to anyone on my flist, but droit de seigneur was NEVER an English concept, more Sumerian. Must learn to not read fic synopses on archives. Stick to the flist, it's a safe place!

10. The heatwave is coming back. Bleargh.

[identity profile] shiv5468.livejournal.com 2009-01-18 01:01 pm (UTC)(link)
Or, even worse, it would mean more fics in which Draco Malfoy says 'I'm going nutters, you gobshite! What I wouldn't give for a Sainsbury's curry!' And nobody deserves that.

No, be fair, there are some people who do deserve it. Oh yes.


Emotion is expressed to the dog also. One mustn't forget the dog.

Droit de seigneur is fun. And I've had a little bunny.

[identity profile] blamebrampton.livejournal.com 2009-01-18 01:03 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh good god yes! Will edit!

*Shakes head* Can you at least make it a Scottish bunny where there is unreliable anecdotal provenance for the concept?

[identity profile] vaysh11.livejournal.com 2009-01-18 01:11 pm (UTC)(link)
Droit de seigneur? You are talking ius prima noctis? in H/D? Which fic?

And I have you know that I did awful things, like sepnding the better parts of my work night on reading "Things That Change" (which despite everything is brilliant!) to satisfy my craving for bloody mpreg births.

[identity profile] pingrid.livejournal.com 2009-01-18 01:12 pm (UTC)(link)
You are such very strange people. :D

Droit de seigneur IS fun - and I think that even Brammers, if she thinks about it, must allow for it in a society where people go go boarding schools to learn _magic_!

[identity profile] blamebrampton.livejournal.com 2009-01-18 01:15 pm (UTC)(link)
I prefer mpreg!

(Never thought you'd hear me say that, did you ;-)

[identity profile] norton-gale.livejournal.com 2009-01-18 01:15 pm (UTC)(link)
I don't know why some make such a big deal about Britpicking. It's easy to find a Brit who will Pick, you make the changes, and that's it. I don't expect to write something authentically British: I just don't want British readers to cringe.

Being constrained by the characters' nationality and culture is like being constrained by canon. If you want to break out, go AU. I've certainly done it.

[identity profile] shiv5468.livejournal.com 2009-01-18 01:16 pm (UTC)(link)
Christ no. ~shakes head~ I ask you, droit.. doesn't sound Scottish does it, so that can't be right. That'd be droicht. Clearly.

Don't you know anything? Tuts

[identity profile] blamebrampton.livejournal.com 2009-01-18 01:16 pm (UTC)(link)
Sorry, V! I had to go to Wollongong to see a dear friend, and my brain has melted. The baby has been born, though, I am just writing the visiting scenes immediately afterwards, so not long ;-)

And yes, and it popped up in a description when I was having a look at sundry archives. I can't tell you what the fic was, because I ran screaming in the opposite direction. I suspect Hermione was involved, poor girl.

[identity profile] norton-gale.livejournal.com 2009-01-18 01:16 pm (UTC)(link)
Amanuensis has written a couple of deliciously depraved droit de seigneur fics featuring Harry/Lucius.

[identity profile] shiv5468.livejournal.com 2009-01-18 01:17 pm (UTC)(link)
Strange, and bloody proud of it.

In a quietly understated way.


Yeah, you're not telling me that the Malfoys didn't read up on it, think it was a bloody good idea, and pass a law if there wasn't one already.

[identity profile] blamebrampton.livejournal.com 2009-01-18 01:18 pm (UTC)(link)
I can only imagine what Mary Queen of Scots would say to that :-P

[identity profile] shiv5468.livejournal.com 2009-01-18 01:18 pm (UTC)(link)
With Lucius? ~puppy eyes~

[identity profile] pingrid.livejournal.com 2009-01-18 01:18 pm (UTC)(link)
You may have the mpreg; I'll happily take the thinly veiled non-con. ;)

[identity profile] shiv5468.livejournal.com 2009-01-18 01:18 pm (UTC)(link)
Whatever it was, it'd be Scottish, clearly.

[identity profile] shiv5468.livejournal.com 2009-01-18 01:19 pm (UTC)(link)
I've done the mpreg already. I need to move on to thinly veiled non con.

[identity profile] emerald-dragon8.livejournal.com 2009-01-18 01:19 pm (UTC)(link)
*is one of those dreadful people who sometimes write 'alright'* I know, I should be shot. I fully admit this. :)

But yes, agreed on all points. I may not be English, but I have very English grandparents on both sides (although none of them are actually English either - their parents were) and I'm particularly fond of expressing my emotions to pets, not to people. Although if I know someone well enough I'm a bit more demonstrative.

Or, even worse, it would mean more fics in which Draco Malfoy says 'I'm going nutters, you gobshite! What I wouldn't give for a Sainsbury's curry!' And nobody deserves that.

I can think of several people who I would love to torture with that one.

Re: 10 - say it isn't so!!!!!! I've so enjoyed the past couple of days. It's been nice to not fear melting if I step outside my air conditioner's reach.

[identity profile] glorafin.livejournal.com 2009-01-18 01:19 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm afraid I'm going to appear as an utter philistine, but isn't 'alright' the correct spelling?

What is the correct spelling then? Allright ? All right ?

Even my beloved Pet Shop Boys sang It's Alright!



[identity profile] blamebrampton.livejournal.com 2009-01-18 01:22 pm (UTC)(link)
Snort! You are very mean to someone who has been dead for that long!

[identity profile] blamebrampton.livejournal.com 2009-01-18 01:24 pm (UTC)(link)
Alas, no, it is all right. Though clearly things have relaxed somewhat of late ...

[identity profile] shiv5468.livejournal.com 2009-01-18 01:25 pm (UTC)(link)
I had to sit through Schiller's play. I've held a grudge ever since.

Besides, my sympathies lie, quite properly with Elizabeth and not the attempted usurper

[identity profile] pingrid.livejournal.com 2009-01-18 01:25 pm (UTC)(link)
A lot of Norwegians would fit in very well in Britain. I, needless to say, would leave an perpetual wake of shocked and horrified people. :D

And yes, exactly! It would be optional, of course, so all a jealous husband-to-be would need to do to avoid it is marry a minger. ;)

[identity profile] blamebrampton.livejournal.com 2009-01-18 01:26 pm (UTC)(link)
*shakes head in despair*

[identity profile] blamebrampton.livejournal.com 2009-01-18 01:27 pm (UTC)(link)
Sorry, Shiv, I'm not going back to find it even for you!

[identity profile] shiv5468.livejournal.com 2009-01-18 01:28 pm (UTC)(link)
People would think you were from the North. They'd cope. Mostly by pretending none of it had ever happened.

They'd like the socks though.

Snerfle. But could Draco bring himself to make that sacrifice?

[identity profile] blamebrampton.livejournal.com 2009-01-18 01:28 pm (UTC)(link)
It's easy for you to find a Brit who will pick, because you are
a. lovely
b. talented, and
c. easy to work with.

But as you say, the non-cringe factor is the key. People who can't find a Britpicker who strike out anything that's overtly American are. I feel, acting in good faith.

And yeah, there's always AU!

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