[HPFGU-Movie] mysterious "a-words" now we're REALLY confused

[~ chappnee ~]

--- In HPFGU-Movie at y..., dawncad1 at y... wrote:
So if "a--" isn't "ass" (or "arse") what the bloody hell is it?

Incidentally, I'm hoping to see the film tomorrow, so at last I
might actually know what some of these discussions are really about...
Bert

I'm pretty sure Malfoy said "a-s-s". After seeing the movie the
first time, I was discussing this with my friend. We were both surprised
that a child was allowed to say it in a PG movie. In US television,
saing a-s-s is no longer censored, I don't know if this is the case
for other countries, but I was still shocked to hear a child say it
in a children's film.

OK. Here's how I understand this. Malfoy says "arse" in the film at
some point [which I don't remember after 2 viewings, probably
because I was so exercised about Ron saying "bloody brilliant" to
McGonagall]. How do I know he says "arse"? because the word
"ass" in British English, as far as I know,  means donkey, and I
can' t think of a situation where Malfoy would reference such a creature.

However, what a lot of Americans don't know is that the "r" in arse
is silent. So yes, the words "arse" and "ass" sound the same.  Sort of.

In fact, I learned when I worked in London that when English-speakers
[as opposed to American-speakers] want to indicate what we
Americans call an "ah" sound, they write "ar". Yes it's true. Think about
the singer Sade, who for years over here in the US was called "ShaRday"
because that's what her  British publicists put out as the pronunciation,
meaning of course "Sha-day".

Getting back to the a-word, like "bloody brilliant" I don't remember
"arse" in the book. Maybe Steve Kloves thought they needed to
modernise things a bit.

Ivis the elderly

Well, thank-you for clearing that up for me.  Maybe, because I live in 
Canada and got to see the British version, Malfoy might have pronounce 
'arse' like 'ass'.  While in America, Malfoy might have pronounced 'arse' 
with the 'r' in it's version.  I'm assuming I got to see the British version 
because it was titled "Philosopher's Stone".  I'd like to point out that 
Canadians, well most, say the word 'arse' with the 'r' too.  It isn't just 
the Americans.  I know I'm being a little too touchy about that, it is just 
that I was angered in an earlier discussion about Canada being ignored and 
I'm feeling a little, oh, what's the word, territorial?  Anyway, I didn't 
mean to offend anyone by it.

-Jenn

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