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

[dungrollin]

No: HPFGUIDX 163228

potioncat:
<snip> 
The posts about whoops vrs oops have been very interesting! The 
> nuances of meaning different members give the two words have really 
varried. To me, whoops sounds less genteel than oops and that's why 
its use by Snape surprises me. I can appreciate how very silly that 
sounds. I agree with someone that I think folk tend to use one or the 
> other. 
> 

Dungrollin:
That's interesting, because I think that whoops sounds more genteel 
than oops. Slightly more upper-class, old-fashioned, etc. In fact, I 
can't imagine Snape saying oops. Nor Dumbledore. Nor any of the staff 
except Hagrid. (Or maybe Trelawney after a few doses of cooking 
sherry.) But I'm probably wrong and there are already instances of 
them using it in the books.

I've no idea whether that's because I'm British, or whether it's a 
reflection of my age and where I was brought up. What do other Brits 
think?

> But it is interesting that whoops and oops have both been used in 
the HP series. Could that be the difference in copy editors, or does 
JKR also see a subtle difference? 
<snip>> 

Dungrollin:
I see a subtle difference. Oops (to my ear) is more colloquial. Let me 
put it this way: people who pronounce the 'h' in which, where, when 
etc, would also pronounce the 'h' in whoops, I think, and wouldn't say 
oops. But there are also many who use both in different situations, I 
don't *think* I'd say oops in formal company.

But I'm not sure.

Dung.