The American Editors are Idiots! (spinoff on Hermione in US/UK)

[Haggridd]

No: HPFGUIDX 16102

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "Indigo" <indigo at i...> wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at y..., "Haggridd" <jkusalavagemd at y...> wrote:
> > --- In HPforGrownups at y..., "Indigo" <indigo at i...> wrote:
> > > --- In HPforGrownups at y..., "Haggridd" <jkusalavagemd at y...> 
wrote:
> > > > I abhor the changes that the editors of the U.S. editon of the 
> > > books 
> > > > made in their patronizing assumption that American readers--
> > > > including kids-- would not appreciate the British locutions.  
> > First 
> > > > and foremost, of course, is the loss of the title of PS. I 
> won't 
> > go 
> > > > into all of the rich alchemical history associated with the 
> search
> > > > for the Philosopher's Stone; suffice it to say that the U.S. 
> > > edition 
> > > > suffers from the lack of any such associations.  The 
> differences 
> > of 
> > > > expression add to our enjoyment of the HP books; the editors 
> > should 
> > > > have left well enough alone.  Their capital crime, however, is 
> > that 
> > > > those editors have eliminated a correct word, and, in their 
> > supreme 
> > > > ignorance actually have made an error in its stead.  The 
> verb "to 
> > > > career" is used properly by JKR.  The editors have replaced it 
> > with 
> > > > the verb "to careen", which means "to dock or beach a ship for 
> > > repair 
> > > > or refitting".  
> > > 
> > > Actually, "careen" also means "to lurch wildly or unexpectedly 
> from 
> > > place to place" in American English, just as in British English. 
> > > Merriam-Webster's dictionary for that matter indicates the word 
> as 
> > > synonymous to the word CAREER.   Merriam-Webster simply cites 
the 
> > > word "career" is not used as widely this side of The Big Pond, 
> which 
> > > is why I presume the word was changed. 
> > > 
> > > I figured out from CONTEXT what JKR meant, as although I 
> purchased 
> > an 
> > > American copy of the book from Borders,  the word 'career' was 
> > indeed 
> > > intact.
> > > 
> > > Maybe the complaints did not fall on deaf ears after all. 
> > > 
> > > Indigo
> > 
> > In my hardcover edition of the U.S. book I have "careen".  I am 
> > delighted that the editors corrected this in later printings.  I 
am 
> > saddened, however, that the Merriam-Webster people have 
legitimized 
> a 
> > mistake, merely because it has become an-all-too-common error.  I 
> > differ with their acceptance of this new meaning for what had been 
> a 
> > perfectly nice nautical tern. I realize that the language is 
> evolving, 
> > but this is not evolution, it is capitulation to ignorance.
> > 
> Unfortunately it's also the nature of the beast.  The US and the UK 
> are too far away for us to maintain each other's pronunciations.  
> This is just "one of those things," however regrettable.
> 
> I'm just glad "WHASSUP!" is not in Merriam-Webster yet, and that 
> people make fun of the bad translation from whence comes "All Your 
> Base are Belong to Us." 
> 
> > Haggridd
> > p.s. I also try not to split my infinitives, even though this 
> solecism  of grammar has become somewhat acceptable.  H.
> 
> As has "starting a sentence with the word 'And'."
> 
> But to get back on topic:  
> 
> Hermione doesn't strike me as the timid type, even if she was faced 
> up with Sirius Black.  She may not have pegged him as an innocent, 
> but she definitely could tell he wasn't entirely what he seemed. 
> 
> She isn't timid to Snape, and he's a hardcase.
> 
> She was timid around Lockhart, but she had a crush on him like many 
> witch-girls.
> 
> She wasn't even timid around Krum, who was being all bashful around 
> her.
> 
> 
> Indigo

Hermione isn't timid, because she is too intellectually curious 
to waste time on that emotion.  She also knows that she will be able 
to find in the library whatever she needs in order to prevail.

Beginning a sentence with "and" may have passed into common usage, but 
ending a sentence with a preposition can still get you talked about 
behind your back. *grin*

Haggridd