Britishisms, swearing

[random_monkey0_0]

No: HPFGUIDX 40576

sarah28962000:
> Just wanted to add my two cents about the American/British versions 
- 
> I have only read the American version of all four books, but it 
seems 
> to me that some words are "translated" sometimes and not others - 
for 
> instance, Quidditch is played on a "field" most of the time, but I'm 
> sure I remember stumbling over the word "pitch" at least once (by 
the 

I've noticed that, too. It stumped me the first time I realized that 
measurements were in the american system. In my youthful naivete, I 
thought that the american books were "direct ports" with no changes. 
There aren't any really major ones, but I still wish they would've 
left some alone, or at least picked which ones thay translated more 
carefully... I think it gives the books so much more flavor with the 
British slang, and besides, it's a real-life example of that 
context-clues stuff our teachers drilled into us!

One thing that interested me... Unless I'm mistaken, there wasn't any 
swearing at all in the books until the fourth one. I know before that, 
there was mudblood, but that has little significance to us, and people 
toss it around here like it was nothing; Ron said something once that 
made Hermione gasp "Ron!" but that's implying a curse, not saying one. 
But in the fourth book... Well, I didn't keep count, but I know Bill 
said, "Noone gives a damn what I look like..." and Ron said "Damn, 
it's [potions] still with Slytherin" (And Hermione made no comment on 
that one). I believe there was one other... Don't remember it off hand 
though.

One final question: Is "bloody" a British swear word or not? I've 
heard it both ways.

The Random Monkey, who has *finally* finished clearing out her room 
and can get back to the important stuff... Crochet!