Two nations, divided by a common language

[jl_merrow]

I've always been keen on foreign languages. Some I find easier to learn than others: I never could get my tongue round French pronunciations, but I actually rather like those German composite nouns that go on for a page and a half. Well, somebody has to!

Sometimes words trip you up: they may look and sound like a word you know from English, but turn out to mean something else entirely. Like the German weil, which doesn't mean while, not to mention wo and wer, which seem to have got together and swapped meanings for a laugh.

And then there's the really tricky case, where you think you speak the language already...
I'm talking, of course, about American, or US English as she is known. It's amazing how possible it is to hear a character in your head, clear as day, saying something someone of that nationality would never say. Thank goodness for patient friends across the pond, that's all I can say! (Yes, Stephanie and J, I mean you!) ;)

It's only with their help that I can bring you my new Torquere Sip, out today: Epiphany

A chance encounter with a young British pianist on the streets of New York leads to an afternoon to remember for body-builder Vinnie. But can there be a future together for him and Gray?

Click here to read an excerpt, and a little bit extra.

Comments

[josephine-myles.livejournal.com]

My god, woman, you are prolific! How many words do you manage in an average week? Go on, make me weep with envy!

I do like the excerpt, and I too am thankful for having American friends to read things over and say "Huh?". Have never attempted to write in Americanese, though. That really is a challenge!

[torino10154]

LOL Well, as you know, we have a fair bit of trouble with English English. :P So you have no idea how wonderful it is to be able to repay you in kind on occasion for your Britpicking.

I am so glad to see you got that story done though--wasn't that the one we weren't sure was going to work?

*hugs*

[jl_merrow]

*g* You just caught me on a good week. I'd say the average is around 5k a week, which is nothing to get excited about.

I just find some characters want to be American, and there's very little I can do about it. For that matter, I tried for ages to make Calum in Snared Scottish before giving in and letting him be Irish!

[jl_merrow]

*hugs you again for all your help*
I have to say I'm much more understanding about the dreaded "gotten" creeping into English vocabulary now I've seen things from the other side of the fence!

And yes, this was the one! ;)

[aishabintjamil.livejournal.com]

I'm with you on the French. I got to be able to read and write it fairly competently in high school, but I never managed to speak it in a way that didn't make my teacher's head threaten to explode.

And here in the US, particularly in the north east, we have multiple French varieties to contend with - the standard, Parisian French that we were supposed to be learning, and the Quebecquois French that you hear spoken. There are still little pockets of Quebecquois French speakers here in Manchester, left over from the days when it was a textile mill town.

My teacher had grown up with that French, and while he tried very hard to avoid passing it on in class, I'm sure things slipped through, particularly once I got to the point of writing essays. (What? You mean I can't just tack -ER on the end of any multi-syllable English verb and conjugate it?)

German made so much more sense, and had nice phonetic spelling.

[josephine-myles.livejournal.com]

5k is about what I can manage on a good week. I hope to do better in the autumn once Daisy starts school and I cut down to 2 days a week work!

Oh, Calum works perfectly as Irish. And yep, there's nothing you can do about it sometimes. They just introduce themselves a certain way and if you fight it then your writing will suffer. Best just let them be themselves, I say!