Rosie_0801 Posted July 25, 2017 Share Posted July 25, 2017 Do you find British spelling off-putting? Your publishers seem to think so. Are they right, or being overprotective? :laugh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzie in Ma Posted July 25, 2017 Share Posted July 25, 2017 (edited) I think it is ridiculous. I think they believe we are stupid, like when they changed the title to Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone to the Sorcerer's Stone for the US market. Edited July 25, 2017 by Lizzie in Ma 33 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomeAgain Posted July 25, 2017 Share Posted July 25, 2017 No, nor British expressions or vocabulary. When people here found out Harry Potter had been changed to "fit" the U.S., they were appalled. To be honest, it helps to visualise the author or speaker better if the spelling matches the country they're from. 18 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elizabeth86 Posted July 25, 2017 Share Posted July 25, 2017 Not really, unless ut is grey. Thats how you all spell gray, right. Thats just an odd pet peeve of mine because it seems in America we us it both ways. Are you talking like colour for color and things like that? If so it doesnt bother me a bit. I'm more of a science/math nerd, so I could care less about spelling and grammar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted July 25, 2017 Author Share Posted July 25, 2017 Not really, unless ut is grey. Thats how you all spell gray, right. Thats just an odd pet peeve of mine because it seems in America we us it both ways. Are you talking like colour for color and things like that? If so it doesnt bother me a bit. I'm more of a science/math nerd, so I could care less about spelling and grammar. Colour v colour, -ise v -ize, etc. Btw, grey looks classier than gray. :001_tt2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted July 25, 2017 Share Posted July 25, 2017 Do you find British spelling off-putting? Your publishers seem to think so. Are they right, or being overprotective? :laugh: Depends. If the book is supposed to be set in the USA, but has British spellings, I find it jarring. But if the book is set in the UK or wherever, and uses spellings appropriate for the setting, I don't care at all. I've actually helped out a fellow author by reading her book to find the things that would clue people in that she isn't from the USA. But..the book was set in the USA. So having the character use words that people here don't use would be off putting....like using a different word for the emergency room of the hospital, or referring to milk in a bag instead of a carton, etc. SaveSave 25 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted July 25, 2017 Author Share Posted July 25, 2017 I've actually helped out a fellow author by reading her book to find the things that would clue people in that she isn't from the USA. But..the book was set in the USA. So having the character use words that people here don't use would be off putting....like using a different word for the emergency room of the hospital, or referring to milk in a bag instead of a carton, etc. SaveSave Oh yes. That's important! The Brits don't call 911! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted July 25, 2017 Share Posted July 25, 2017 Colour v colour, -ise v -ize, etc. Btw, grey looks classier than gray. :001_tt2: I prefer that British books retain their British spelling. And I agree, grey does look classier than gray. But since I am a North American person, I feel like it would seem pretentious if I used that spelling. So I don't. :lol: 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy Elizabeth Posted July 25, 2017 Share Posted July 25, 2017 Definitely over protective! I think this is going to become less and less of an issue thanks to the latest "British invasion" aka Minecraft YouTubers! For a while there my kids were running around the Southeastern US pronouncing multiple words with a British accent because they didn't realize that we said it differently in the States!!! [emoji23] Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-J327A using Tapatalk 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted July 25, 2017 Share Posted July 25, 2017 I quite like British spellings. I agree that it can be jarring in a book that is supposed to feature American characters. In the online writing group I'm in, spellings and proper words comes up sometime, usually non-American writers looking for the correct terminology. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Tick Posted July 25, 2017 Share Posted July 25, 2017 I've actually helped out a fellow author by reading her book to find the things that would clue people in that she isn't from the USA. But..the book was set in the USA. So having the character use words that people here don't use would be off putting....like using a different word for the emergency room of the hospital, or referring to milk in a bag instead of a carton, etc. Save Save Ooh, I ran into that last week with some breach reading. The main character (American) went into Stalled and walked past the trolleys at the front. The spelling doesn't bother me as long as it is consistent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted July 25, 2017 Share Posted July 25, 2017 Maybe we should have an international committee for the harmonization (harmonisation?) of English orthography. I would accept 'manoeuvre' if we could have our theaters back. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted July 25, 2017 Share Posted July 25, 2017 Not me as I actually bought British reading and spelling programs for my girls :-) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scholastica Posted July 25, 2017 Share Posted July 25, 2017 I actually like the British spellings and vocabulary. Also, we watch enough British tv that the vocabulary and expressions make sense to us. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted July 25, 2017 Share Posted July 25, 2017 I prefer that British books retain their British spelling. And I agree, grey does look classier than gray. But since I am a North American person, I feel like it would seem pretentious if I used that spelling. So I don't. :lol: In my head, gray and grey are different colours. :-) Gray is a flat, lighter shade than grey. Grey is darker than gray and heathered. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted July 25, 2017 Author Share Posted July 25, 2017 In my head, gray and grey are different colours. :-) Gray is a flat, lighter shade than grey. Grey is darker than gray and heathered. Didn't I say it? Grey is more distinguished. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheryl Posted July 25, 2017 Share Posted July 25, 2017 Personally, I like the variance in spellings. I read the British spellings stay true to the original. :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 25, 2017 Share Posted July 25, 2017 (edited) No. I love it. I also like discovering new terms like "a hen party" for a bachelorette party. Edited July 25, 2017 by Quill 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wintermom Posted July 25, 2017 Share Posted July 25, 2017 (edited) Are you aware that Canadians use British spelling 100% and are taught it in schools? Your poll name and questions don't take this into account. I find American spelling weird. I like my "u" in colour, etc., and the French-looking theatre and centre. :laugh: Edited July 25, 2017 by wintermom 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted July 25, 2017 Share Posted July 25, 2017 Are you aware that Canadians use British spelling 100% and are taught it in schools? Your poll name and questions don't take this into account. I find American spelling weird. I like my "u" in colour, etc., and the French-looking theatre and centre. :laugh: Oh, and theatres were the buildings built before 1950 or thereabouts. Theaters were built after the 1950. Or thereabouts. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Insertcreativenamehere Posted July 25, 2017 Share Posted July 25, 2017 I find it rather charming in most instances, but I'd probably avoid a British spelling program for my kids. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momacacia Posted July 25, 2017 Share Posted July 25, 2017 No option for, "I've never thought of it one way or the other, but Sorcerer's Stone has alliteration and that makes it better."😊 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wintermom Posted July 25, 2017 Share Posted July 25, 2017 Oh, and theatres were the buildings built before 1950 or thereabouts. Theaters were built after the 1950. Or thereabouts. :confused1: No, theatre is the spelling of the word. Doesn't matter when the building was constructed. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinRTX Posted July 25, 2017 Share Posted July 25, 2017 I love British spelling. I used to use the British spelling instead of American until a high school teacher gave an F on an English paper for misspelled words. He reminded me I live in the US. Linda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted July 25, 2017 Share Posted July 25, 2017 British/Canadian spellings don't bother me at all - except in US school where US spellings are required for grades or in anything "sent out" from the US (gov't, schools, etc) since I'd expect them to use proper spellings for their locations. Of course, I'd also expect similar adherence to proper spellings in Canada and Britain schools/organizations too. But in general reading - books, message boards, etc? I don't get bothered. I would expect a book set in a country to use that country's spelling and terms as other posters have written about (unless the characters were from elsewhere - then I'd expect them to use their native terms and locals to use the correct ones for the country). When I'm in Canada I'll generally switch my spelling to fit the country if I need to write something (rather rare TBH). I guess I don't want to be seen as dumb. I make enough typos without needing to be seen as dumb from something I know is different. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted July 25, 2017 Share Posted July 25, 2017 No option for, "I've never thought of it one way or the other, but Sorcerer's Stone has alliteration and that makes it better."😊 But it means something different. A (natural) philosopher in the middle ages was somewhere in the range of a scientist to a necromancer. Much more interesting. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEmama Posted July 25, 2017 Share Posted July 25, 2017 DS learned to spell when we lived in Canada so a lot of British spellings come naturally to him. Most TV and YouTube type shows he watches are British, and the terminology is definitely reflected in his writing. I'm curious to see how his high school teachers will deal with him liberally using "henceforth" and "whilst" and so on. :) We found Canadian spelling inconsistent, like the measurements for weight/mass. It was great fun--and educational--going to the grocery and having him try to discern what the price of coffee or tomatoes might actually ring up at when the price was listed in kgs but the packaging was printed with pounds--or vice versa. The benefit was that he learned both simultaneously, same with kph vs mph. He switches back and forth seamlessly. :) I don't think I really notice the difference. I probably have Bill Bryson to thank for that. ;) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEmama Posted July 25, 2017 Share Posted July 25, 2017 Oh, and DS constantly changes the autocorrect keyboard spelling to British, so I'm sure my writing is a mixed bag! Lol 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted July 25, 2017 Share Posted July 25, 2017 :confused1: No, theatre is the spelling of the word. Doesn't matter when the building was constructed. It's how I think of it. Theatres are usually more beautiful than theaters. And the ones I find the most beautiful were built before 1950. Or thereabouts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted July 25, 2017 Author Share Posted July 25, 2017 Are you aware that Canadians use British spelling 100% and are taught it in schools? Your poll name and questions don't take this into account. I find American spelling weird. I like my "u" in colour, etc., and the French-looking theatre and centre. :laugh: It's late at night and I only had 5 hours sleep last night. :zombie: I was half remembering a conversation with a Canadian about how she wouldn't buy some Australian novels even though she'd really love them. Now you've reminded me, it was the dialect, not the spelling that bothered her. Theatre and centre are also classier than theater and center. This is truth. :D So yes, of course I know you use proper spelling when I'm actually awake and not feeling headachey and nauseous. Go Commonwealth! :cheers2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy101 Posted July 25, 2017 Share Posted July 25, 2017 I think it is ridiculous. I think they believe we are stupid, like when they changed the title to Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone to the Sorcerer's Stone for the US market. I can't agree enough with this. It's so annoying. I bought the U.K. Version. My only consolation is my son bought the series in German to practice his foreign language fluency and noted the odd translation choices at times too. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrincessMommy Posted July 25, 2017 Share Posted July 25, 2017 No I am not put off by British spellings, but I'm not sure what you mean by "missing out on the cool things" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desertstrawberry5 Posted July 25, 2017 Share Posted July 25, 2017 I had no idea this was happening. It's terrible. Though I did read a book set in the US with American characters that was riddled with britishisms, and not the usual ones. It was confusing. We watch enough BBC and YouTube that my children are comfortable with both. During our dinosaur unit i could not get them to stop pronouncing the h in herbivore. A Canadian friend pointed out that it's not wrong. Changed my perspective a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SquirrellyMama Posted July 25, 2017 Share Posted July 25, 2017 It's how I think of it. Theatres are usually more beautiful than theaters. And the ones I find the most beautiful were built before 1950. Or thereabouts. I understand what you're saying. I tell the kids that we go to the theater to watch movies, and we go to the theatre to see the symphony, musicals, etc... I understand it is just a difference in British vs US spelling, but theatre seems like a classier place than the theater. Kelly 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted July 25, 2017 Author Share Posted July 25, 2017 No I am not put off by British spellings, but I'm not sure what you mean by "missing out on the cool things" The "cool things" being some product or other that you were considering. "Well now, I am not going to buy one of those wonderful looking Mobilisers because it ought to be spelled Mobilizer!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angie in VA Posted July 25, 2017 Share Posted July 25, 2017 I think it is ridiculous. I think they believe we are stupid, like when they changed the title to Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone to the Sorcerer's Stone for the US market. No, nor British expressions or vocabulary. When people here found out Harry Potter had been changed to "fit" the U.S., they were appalled. To be honest, it helps to visualise the author or speaker better if the spelling matches the country they're from. Obviously this thread is about books, but this is exactly how I felt about Gracepoint, the US version of Broadchurch. It bombed so badly there were no subsequent seasons. Broadchurch is in its 3rd season (called series in the UK, I believe) and going strong. I found Gracepoint so boring and found it ridiculous that another version was packaged for the US. I mean, Harry Potter, Doctor Who, and Sherlock are huge here. We can handle it. Duh! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawthorne44 Posted July 25, 2017 Share Posted July 25, 2017 I think changing a British authors spellings for the American market is insulting. "You poor dears, you won't understand what colour is unless we remove the 'u'." What is that quote that goes something like, "Americans don't just borrow words from other countries, they steal loose grammar". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted July 25, 2017 Share Posted July 25, 2017 Not off-putting, but depending on the age / reading level of the reader, unfamiliar vocab and spellings can take away from the story. Even at 10yo my kids don't understand everything in British lit. I stop and fill them in as we go. They need to learn it eventually. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted July 25, 2017 Share Posted July 25, 2017 And then there is the confusion on spelling tests. But if we're talking about grown-up reading, no problem. I also don't mind if they change it to suit Americans. Not worth getting fussy about. After all, the North American market is pretty large. If it sells a % more books, it's worth doing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callie Posted July 25, 2017 Share Posted July 25, 2017 Doesn't bother me at all I've never given it a thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted July 25, 2017 Author Share Posted July 25, 2017 I also don't mind if they change it to suit Americans. Not worth getting fussy about. After all, the North American market is pretty large. If it sells a % more books, it's worth doing it. Well, if anyone here is in publishing, speak up! What sort of percentage difference does it make? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wintermom Posted July 25, 2017 Share Posted July 25, 2017 (edited) We found Canadian spelling inconsistent, like the measurements for weight/mass. The measurement is spelled 'metre' and the tool to measure is spelled 'meter stick.' It's very consistent once you learn the rule. Edited July 25, 2017 by wintermom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted July 25, 2017 Share Posted July 25, 2017 Not generally. Certainly not in a British novel or online or something. However, two things... I am glad they re-edit books for the American market. Not changing things like Philosopher's Stone, because that was straight up obnoxious. But the punctuation more than the spelling is just easier on my eyes. It's a minor thing - I've read UK editions of books, especially when I was living in Asia, and I'm not bothered. But I think it makes sense. And I do not mind if they change colour to color and things like that. I don't feel insulted by it. I LOATHE the use of British spellings on businesses to look cutesy and old-timey and so forth. Like "Town Centre" on a strip mall. Gag. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted July 25, 2017 Share Posted July 25, 2017 I have several clients that have invested in theater / theatre projects. Damned if I can remember which one is "theater" and which one is "theatre." :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted July 25, 2017 Share Posted July 25, 2017 Doesn't bother me one iota. I don't think we have the market on what should be spelled how. Now when trying to teach two dyslexic kids how to read and spell it helps to have some consistency so I tried early on to make sure we were using U.S. spelling just for ease of consistency but we have had some great discussions about differences in spelling between the U.S. and the U.K. and I have zero issues using material with U.K. spelling now. And I prefer grey to gray anyway, for whatever reason. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluegoat Posted July 25, 2017 Share Posted July 25, 2017 The measurement is spelled 'metre' and the tool to measure is spelled 'meter stick.' It's very consistent once you learn the rule. I think she meant that Canadians are inconsistent with their use of spelling, in the same way they are inconsistent with measurement systems. You see a lot both or British and American spelling, a lot of imperial and metric. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEmama Posted July 25, 2017 Share Posted July 25, 2017 The measurement is spelled 'metre' and the tool to measure is spelled 'meter stick.' It's very consistent once you learn the rule. Lol--sorry if I was unclear. I meant inconsistent spelling just as units measurements are inconsistent. I remember asking my (Canadian) friends about it and they all agreed; they just assumed it's because everyone is so used to American spelling and measurements it doesn't so much matter--it's easy enough to go back and forth (like my son learned). I was also told a lot of people never really learned metric after learning imperial in school. Either way, it's certainly beneficial to know both. We noticed the inconsistencies more in eastern Canada than in other provinces, but maybe because we lived there and were more tuned in instead of just visiting. But yeah, even his teacher got her spellings mixed up and used both--sure was fun trying to explain that to my American born kindergartener who was learning to spell! Lol 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butter Posted July 25, 2017 Share Posted July 25, 2017 My daughter spells using British spellings. She claims it's because spelling is genetic (her paternal grandmother is from England). I "buy" (for free lol) a lot of self-published ebooks and many of them are by British authors. When I see the spellings I think, "Oh, this is written by a British author" and that is that. The only one that I find weird is the missing period after Mr and Mrs. Added u's and s's instead of z's and grey vs. gray and re vs. er and Britishisms don't even register as different, but that missing period always does for some reason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted July 25, 2017 Share Posted July 25, 2017 (edited) a british author using british spelling and words for a british character doesn't bother me. my first experience with british english was probably Lord Peter Whimsy novels.. . . boot and bonnet stick out in my head as "huh?" just among two of the first words I learned that were different - apart from different spellings. and the sweet little old lady in the lady killers and "the lolly". I read some amateur fiction. a british author using british spelling and words for an american charcter makes me say - oh, you're british (if they're good, I'll smile and dwell upon the fact it seems british seem better at teaching writing). some aren't that different and I just move on. others are more glaring and I think "you *really* should have an american beta" (and maybe pound my head against the wall at some words. i.e. draw for drawer.) and if it is too different - I stop reading. e.g. loungeroom for an american character in the US is fingernails on the chalkboard. for a british character - it's just par for the course and would be expected. eta: for clairty. the differences I see in british authors writing an american character makes me think there are some significant differences in grammar and vocabulary among the british population. re: dialect. I don't know if it is income bracket or geographic, or what. we certainly have it in the US. Edited July 25, 2017 by gardenmom5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted July 25, 2017 Share Posted July 25, 2017 My d c still tease me because I bought their first children's dictionaries in Canada. Haha So much for spelling. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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