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[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 98166

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, squeakinby <squeakinby at t...> 
wrote:
> Geoff Bannister wrote:
> 
> > Yes, but to me, as an owner of dogs (two Border collies, black 
and 
> > white and intelligent), it makes sense. We often say when we're 
out 
> > with them things like "Why are the dogs snuffling around over 
there?" 
> > using snuffling in the sense of the dogs whizzing round in 
circles 
> > with their noses to the ground following scents. To me, no 
problem.

Jem:
> I have 2 bullmastiffs, a breed with a short nose and it would never 
(and 
> never did!) occur to me to think snuffling had anything to do with 
dogs.
> 
> I'm not sure I ever saw the word snuffling until you wrote it, 
Geoff.

Geoff:
Siriusly Snapey Susan has just emailed me off-group to query whether 
it is a UK v. US English thing. I'm not sure whether you are in the 
US but I replied that I often feel that some of the linguistic 
misinterpretations which occur are possibly due to that. I don't know 
whether your comment about my usage of the word represents a cultural 
quantum leap for Anglo-US relations in the Wizarding World or that I 
have been leading a sheltered life in the Forbidden Forest....

It was Oscar Wilde who observed that "America and England are two 
nations divided by a common language" and I think that Bill Bryson 
would say "Amen" to that as well. I would :-))