[HPforGrownups] Britishisms / thanks / currency (was Knight Bus)

[Morag Traynor]

No: HPFGUIDX 18592

Amy Z & Joywitch wrote:

>Joywitch wrote:
> >
> > I want to thank Morag ENTHUSIASTICALLY for that extremely
>interesting
> > and informative post.
>
>Me too!

You're welcome :) (blushes, shuffles toe in dust)

>It has made me wonder:  Are there other
> > "Britishisms" in the books that we furriners are missing?

It's hard to know, unless it comes out of discussion.  I have learnt a lot 
of things from this list about Latin, Italian, Hindu goddesses, American 
children's lit, religion in Hong Kong, and fight songs, to name but a few - 
it's one of the joys of it.  So thanks to all for that.

One thing, that may be obvious enough, but that I particularly enjoy is the 
way JKR revels in the impracticality of wizard currency.

Hagrid, PS 58 (Brit):
"'The gold ones are Galleons,' he explained.  'Seventeen silver Sickles to a 
Galleon and twenty-nine Knuts to a Sickle, it's easy enough.'"

I suspect JKR shares my dislike of decimalisation, which has swept away 
almost all of our wealth of words for coins - no more tanners, bobs, 
threepenny (pronounced "thrupney") bits, no more half-crowns
or florins.  All gone with our twelve pence to the shilling and twenty 
shillings to the pound, which the Knuts, Sickles and Galleons so 
unmistakeably resemble.  Getting back on topic, I feel there was a trace of 
satire in Ron's reaction to our ugly, pocket-tearing, 7-sided 50p piece:

"'*Weird!' he said.  'What a shape!  This is *money*?'" (PS 147)

One of JKR's subtle little jokes, not obvious to child readers.


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