DWJ, Owls, 'Man',

[David]

Catlady wrote:
> Laila wrote:
> 
> << Just recently finished HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE by Dianne Wynn 
Jones.
> It was quite enjoyable, I thought that it would be a good read 
> in-between waiting for new chapters and book 5. Has anyone else 
out 
> there had a chance to read it. >>

There's a sequel too, "Castles in the Air", IMO not quite as good as 
the first one.


> The British wizarding folk can have New World owls. In canon 
(PS/SS) 
> the sign on Eeylops Owl Emporium says "Tawny, Screech, Barn, 
Brown, 
> and Snowy." Screech owls are a New World owls. 

Not necessarily.  Screech Owl is an old name here (UK) for the Barn 
Owl.  (I think Brown Owl is an alternative name for the Tawny Owl, 
too.)  The fact that the same species is mentioned twice could mean 
that foreign owl species are envisaged (I think the Eagle Owl which 
Draco owns is not native to the UK), or it could just be some 
distinction within species that the wizarding world makes.

Barb wrote:

> As for JKR's choice of slang, it's worth noting that while I was 
once upbraided by a Britpicker for having a character say, "Man," as 
an exclamation in a fanfiction, I KNEW for certain that I'd seen JKR 
use this in one of the books. Upon closer inspection, however, it 
turned out to be coming out of the mouth of Lee Jordan. Inasmuch as 
Lee is described as having dreadlocks, it's possible that this and 
his use of "man" is meant to signify a Jamaican background.

I think the American usage is (was for a while?) sufficiently common 
here that having muggleborns say it would not be out of place.  But 
you're probably right about Lee, though I don't know if other 
Caribbean islands such as Barbados and Trinidad are ruled out.

People in the north-east of England call each other 'man', even if 
the person being addressed is female.  This usage is however quite 
distinct from the use of 'man' as an exclamation, usually occurring 
at the end of a sentence.

David, who thinks Spamarama sounds like a festival for the online age