Language Guide: UK English
By "Gordon Moakes"
Portraying another person can be difficult; portraying someone of a
different nationality can be even tougher. There's a fine line to tread
between believability and trying too hard. Here are some tips that will
hopefully take away the stressful edge and let you focus on content
rather than form. My specialty lies with the English specifically, but
these tips can be useful for Welsh, Scottish, Irish and perhaps Canadians
to a degree.
The date. This is just a simple tip, but you ought to write your
dates DD/MM/YY rather than MM/DD/YY. For example, 10/2/1983 would be
referring to the tenth day in February, not the second day of October.
Spelling An easy way to spot a Brit is by spelling, but
likewise, it's easy for someone unaccustomed to these spelling patterns to slip
up.
- re endings are essential. Flip your -er endings
on nouns. ex. centre, metre, theatre, lustre
- The infamous -our may be a bit more difficult. Keep an eye
out for the words that need this rather than just an or. Some
common, essential instances are favour(ite), neighbour, labour and so on.
If you're uncertain, type it into Google or just use another word.
- Where many faux Brits muck up is using the -ize ending. This
ought to be -ise. We realise, chastise, finalise, etc.
- Some words are different due to patterns, and others are just plain
different. Some Americans may criticise you for poor spelling skills,
but don't let that deter you. We get paid by a cheque. We watch a
television programme. We look through a catalogue. We
whinge, though 'whine' could be acceptable. We wear pyjamas.
We obtain a driver's licence. Use your judgement. Don't
be offencive. We fly on an aeroplane. We have ton and
tonne, but most likely you'll be going with tonne (1000 kg, or just the
exaggeration for 'a lot').
If you're ever in doubt, install a British English spellcheck in
Semagic or your word processor, or just Google something like 'British
spelling.' Over time, these changes will hopefully become more intuitive to
you.
Diction Though we're using the same language, we sometimes use
different words for the same thing. Here are some common differences.
For more help, go here. If you'd just like a 'translator' to make some conversions, check
out The American to British/British to American Dictionary.
French fries = chips
potato chips = crisps
mail = post
line = queue
call = ring
apartment = flat
cookie = biscuit
gas = petrol
pants = trousers (This one is very important. If you're talking about
your pants and you're a British character, people are liable to think
you're referring to your underpants.)
soccer = football
sweater = jumper
cell phone = mobile phone, or mobile
bathroom = loo/toilet/bog/lavoratory
elevator = lift
Sometimes we leave out words in common sayings. We don't go to
the hospital; we go to hospital. If you're going out drinking, suggest
that you go down the pub.
Be subtle. This is sometimes the hardest part for people. Some
people are so excited by their knowledge that they want to throw it all
into one English-saturated sentence. There is nothing more horrifying
than seeing an introduction that is like 'Oi, I just realised what a
bloody humdinger this journal thing could be, so hopefully you'll all be
my mates and not a bunch of sodding chavs so we can go down the pub for
some lager and fags, innit!' Very few characters in MBP would speak in
Cockney slang or sound as ridiculous as this. It would just deter
potential friends of other nationalities and make other Brits roll their
eyes. Don't try to call attention to 'how British' you are. Instead, just
let it flow. Make the appropriate substitutions when they're necessary
rather than being showy. Also, thou shalt not say 'fook' unless thou
art Liam or Noel Gallagher.
Some people are very adamant about doing their research, but if you are
not one of those people, beware tripping yourself up when you try to
look like you're better versed than you are. If you're going to discuss
football, make sure you know about football; you can never be certain
what the person on the other end might know that you don't. Just as
Americans and people of other nationalities play Brits, the opposite occurs,
so never underestimate another player's knowledge. This holds
especially true of politics. These waters are murky even to some citizens, but
if you do your homework, you should get by here. Once more, the art lies
in KISS - Keep It Simple, Stupid. Don't wave your Union Jack during
every scene in which you engage, but don't ignore your character's
heritage either. A lot of this will depend on your character's personality and
patriotism, so spending time reading interviews never hurts and is
usually not torture.
Keep in mind that there is quite a bit of wiggle room. Many of Must Be
Pop's players are American, so if you slip up, chances are others may
not even notice. The purpose of the game is, after all, to have fun, and
if you can insert some realism along the way, bully for you.
Additional resources: Differences between British English and American
words, UK
English for the American Novice, British vs. American English.
