Significance of missing line (was: HBP paperback)

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 156186

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Ceridwen" <ceridwennight at ...> wrote:

> Sue:
> >  Even in HP, the title Sorcerer's Stone is meaningless in the 
> context of the story, but the 
> > publishers didn't think US readers would understand what a 
> Philosopher's Stone was, even 
> > though it was explained in the book.
> 
> Ceridwen:
> It could also have been that, in the US, the same device, a stone 
> achieved through alchemical means which will give eternal life, is 
> called a Sorcerer's Stone, and not a Philosopher's Stone as it 
> apparently is in Britain.  Cultural context here, I believe.

Geoff:
I believe not.

I put "sorcerers stone" into Google and it reported 4.9 million hits. 
I looked through the first 100 - not having time for the remaining 
4.4899 million or so today - and they were all linked to Harry Potter.

Putting "philosophers stone" into Google gave several references to 
the alchemical stone in the first couple of pages. 

Also, if you enter "sorcerers stone" into Wikipedia for example, it 
diverts you to "philosophers stone".

I think Sue may have hit the nail on the head.