[HPforGrownups] Broken potionvial WAS: Re: Bad Writing? (was: JKR and the boys)

[Magpie]

No: HPFGUIDX 163204

Neri:
To my (admittedly limited) knowledge of informal English, "oops"
indicates authentic startle, while "whoops" is ironic or otherwise
insincere.

Examples of "oops":

GoF 7:
Mr. Weasley was having no success at all in lighting the fire, but it
wasn't for lack of trying. Splintered matches littered the ground
around him, but he looked as though he was having the time of his life.
"Oops!" he said as he managed to light a match and promptly dropped it
in surprise.

GoF 12:
"I expect my gran'd want me to try, though. She's always going on
about how I should be upholding the family honor. I'll just have to -
oops."
Neville's foot had sunk right through a step halfway up the staircase.


Examples of "whoops":

CoS 11:
"Now, Harry," said Lockhart. "When Draco points his wand at you, you
do this."
He raised his own wand, attempted a complicated sort of wiggling
action, and dropped it. Snape smirked as Lockhart quickly picked it
up, saying, "Whoops - my wand is a little overexcited -"

HBP 16:
"But meanwhile," said George, sitting down at the kitchen table and
putting his feet up on it, "we can enjoy watching you demonstrate the
correct use of a - whoops-a-daisy!"
"You made me do that!" said Ron angrily, sucking his cut thumb.


Neri,
who had never imagined there could even be a debate about Snape
dropping the flask on purpose.



Magpie:
Actually, I never thought there could be a debate either, but now that 
people have been quoting the passage I can completely see how people thought 
it might have been an accident that Snape just enjoyed rather than caused.

As a native speaker, I don't associate any difference in sincerity between 
whoops and oops. The two words are very close, but the difference in my 
experience is that usually "oops" just means a mistake after the fact while 
"whoops" is more often used to punctuate a physical fumble or slip-up, like 
when you slip on the ice you say "whoops!" and when you do something wrong 
you say "oops."

So if Snape had said "oops" I'd assume he had to be talking about the 
mistake he (Snape) just made in dropping the Potion--and I'd figure he would 
of course be insincere. When I first read the passage I thought he was using 
"whoops" the same way about his non-accidental dropping or spilling of the 
Potion.

However, reading it now I see he could be just as easily using "whoops" 
referring to Harry's mistake. You say "whoops" to a baby or a toddler when 
they fall down etc. So while "oops" would in my mind have to refer to 
Snape's own mistake, "whoops" could either be Snape talking about his own 
spill or Harry's.

And I can actually now see the scene working just as well either way. If 
Snape did it on purpose Draco is surprised by Snape's amazing behavior 
(destroying Harry's Potion crosses the normal line for even him). I see the 
point in saying the other way makes the scene weaker, but I can actually see 
it being fine if it a) underscores Harry's own bad luck and cockiness 
tripping him up and b) shows more of what was just described, that Snape is 
refraining from doing anything to Harry after the incident. So rather than 
making a scene either way (either by destroying the Potion or by making a 
big deal about Harry's clumsiness) Snape underreacts to Harry's mistake: 
Whoops. Another zero for you.

In this instance Snape wouldn't have to be prepared specifically for this 
kind of thing to have that line ready. He's already got his attitude in 
place throughout the class and just continues it here. I don't think this 
scene will be revisited, but I think these two interpretations are close 
enough that they are consistent with what we see in canon, especially since 
as others have pointed out the characters don't focus on Snape breaking the 
Potion, and Harry's real problems come from Snape not making an allowance 
for Hermione zapping away the rest of Harry's Potion.

-m