Philosophers Stone (was UK v US language difficulties reply to post from MAIN

[sistermagpie]

Magpie:
> << I must say, though, Mike Smith recently had a great defense of 
the 
> use "Sorcerer's Stone." As a chemist he knows what the 
Philosopher's 
> Stone is perfectly well, >>

Catlady:
> 
> Do chemists (the scientists, not the pharmacists) all know all 
about
> the Philosopher's Stone? 

Magpie:
He knew about alchemy as basically part of the pre-history of his 
profession. 

Magpie:
> << and actually did a fascinating post explaining the understanding
> about the world it came from. >>

Catlady:
> 
> Link? Repost here?

Magpie:
It's part of his read of Philosopher's Stone here:

http://mike-smith.livejournal.com/150217.html#cutid1

I'm glad to hear somebody defend it, even though I myself have the 
UK editions and usually say PS instead of SS, because I'm sick of 
claims that it's got something to do with Americans being dumb or 
publishers thinking they're dumb or trying to keep them dumb.

Catlady:
> But I heard someone, I think John Granger, say that Arthur Levine
> changed the title because he is a markettng genius and knew that 
any
> children's book with the word 'sorcerer' in the title would stir 
up a
> lot of pressure groups calling, sight unseen, for the book to be
> suppressed for being Satanic.

Magpie:
I can't speak for Arthur, but having worked for him in the past I 
can't imagine him sitting down and saying, "Hey, here's a great 
idea. If we put Sorcerer in the title groups will suppress it!" I 
also don't agree that any book with Sorcerer in the title would be 
suppressed. The fear these books cause grows with their popularity. 

I think they just wanted something magical in the title to show the 
book had magic in it.

Magpie:
>  
> << He thought that since usually the Muggle Words we know are 
slightly
> wrong, there was nothing "dumb" about the stone really being called
> something else, or having had a name change in the WW over the 
years.
>  After all, in the WW the word philosopher isn't used the same way 
it
> was used back then either. >>
> 
> In the WW, or in the RW? I don't recall canon for the word
> 'philosopher' being used at all in the RW.

Magpie:
Didn't get what you said there. What I meant was that when the 
term "Philosopher's Stone" was coined the word "philosophy" covered 
science and magic, where today it doesn't. We don't hear Wizards 
describing themselves as studying "Philosophy" at Hogwarts--I would 
guess if they used the word philosophy they'd probably use it the 
same way we in the RW use it in modern times.

-m