Distinct Styles

[Mary]

I'm sure all the beta-readers - myself included - would agree that we're not omniscient and we can make mistakes, (as with Sage's comment about 'pop' in Chicago - which I vaguely remember I thought was okay as the character had English relatives...)

To describe a carbonated soft drink as "pop" is actually quite common in the USA, especially in the middle part of the country. I remember being out of town somewhere and reading an advertisement for a store's grand opening that said "free pop and suckers for the kids." I had to think a moment what it meant! (suckers in this case being lollipops, ALSO known as "taffies"...)

But "pop" is one of those words that is VERY regional. So a Chicagoan may have been ok saying "pop," best advice there would have been to see if it was said in that particular region.

On another comment in this thread, one slang word that really doesn't work universally in the US is "fellers." Remember that we Yanks tend to pronounce the letter R much more clearly than our English cousins. However, you really only hear this slang word pronounced this way in the Southern states; the phonetic spelling in the rest of the country is usually written as "fellas," because the sound at the end of the word is that sound called the "schwa" that sounds kind of like "uh" but is represented in dictionaries by an upside-down e.

[Marion]

Well what inspired me to include the 'you know who' in a fan fiction, and then make it extreme?

Only you can answer that, Intensity.

In a themed story (love, horror, adventure etc), as Captain Scarlet fans, what do you expect?

I expect to be entertained.

[Intensity Angel]

Well what inspired me to include the 'you know who' in a fan fiction, and then make it extreme?

Only you can answer that, Intensity.

In a themed story (love, horror, adventure etc), as Captain Scarlet fans, what do you expect?

I expect to be entertained.

Alright, I'm going to blame my mate Rachael because most ideas relating to my fan fiction get some backbone from her.

[Captain Indigo]

Harking back to the 'carbonated drinks' for a moment (because I missed it), here in Scotland, it is commonly referred to as 'juice', along with just about ANY cold beverage (water and milk being the exceptions).

One for the Lexicon, and I have plenty more where they came from if we ever update it

Sage - yes, I did like it. You left just the right amount of subtlty in THE scene that it wasn't OTT, which is often a problem in NC-17/M rated fic. And yes, to me it was obvious from the context you posted it in that the story was NC-17, but as you say, a little extra warning never does any harm, especially on a site where younger people are encouraged to participate.

[Intensity Angel]

I didn't know that, thanks Captain Indigo. You've just made a point of reminding us we learn something new every day.

[Sage]

Aww awesome, thanks Indigo
Doesn't it get really confusing if so many diffrent things have one general term like that?

Right, why do people pick the topics they do?

For the most part it's just what I want to read. Sometimes literally; there is a pairing of mine I couldn't find any fic at all about, so created some of my own (and that did spark some from others too, which was cool). Or feel needs to be said; in terms of character development or themes [not necessarily in a deep meaningful way].
To an extent my stories are dictated by the prompts of the fanfic challenges I'm writing for. But the finer points, who knows.

In a themed story (love, horror, adventure etc), as Captain Scarlet fans, what do you expect?

It to be well constructed in the sense of plotting and use of language (and on the flip side, no horrendous flaws).
An interesting story.
To see the characters I know and love/tolerate in their glory of sorts.
Good use of research and/or well handled 'difficult' subject matter [if applicable].

I don't have any expectations relating to genre conventions, though I like to be suprised by 'a twist' to the theme. It'd be boring if you could predict things, and I'm the last person to say 'oh this should be written this way'. If it's a well constructed story and nothing outright goes against canon then it's fine by me.

[Sasha Metcalfe]

"pop" always sounds strange to my Philadelphia suburb raised ears.
everywhere i have been on the east coast, from NY down to SC, it is soda.

but a roomate i had in college told me that in Florida it is all called Coke, no matter what the brand.

my native-southern friend here uses soda, too.

I guess Pop is a more midwestern thing.

i find the details of regional language to be very entertaining to discuss.

[Marion]

I have a friend - born and raised in London - who went to New York and married a New Yorker. When she came back to England, she always said 'soda' or 'diet soda' although I never saw her ever drink anything but Coke.
I tend to use the brand name or the flavour - especially in the case of lemonade, although I will ask my daughter 'what sort of pop do you want?' when we go shopping.
I've lived in the Midlands, Yorkshire and Cornwall, as well as London and the South East, and no one has ever said 'we don't call it that here', so, I think in the UK, what you call fizzy drinks might depend more on the social level you originate from or inhabit (what used to be called 'class' - but that isn't PC any more) than where you come from or happen to live.

[Sasha Metcalfe]

ah, it would be so nice to have people not mind my out of place slang.

southern folks seem all too eager to point out that I do not speak "correctly" esp one friend I have.
she said to me one day "well, you don't sound like you are from around here.'
and i replied, "i don't WANT to sound like I am from around here!!"

here is another facet of the drink theme -
gatorade and all its spin offs comes in amusing colors. here, instead of the flavor people refer to it by color.
My favorite is the Light Blue flavor, and I find Orange just gross.

[Intensity Angel]

Let me add to the confusion,

In Wolverhampton, we say it good and proper, lemonade, coke, appleade.

But then again, there is

1. Spud
2. Bangers
3. Bacon Butty
4. Done a cropper
5. Westenders (Eastenders- a tv show shown in England)

[Sage]

Hmm no, those don't strike me as especially regional. Perhaps wouldn't use them all myself, but they're familiar enough to understand.

I know that I sound really southern*, keep getting reminded listening to friends. Never had any complains; but then mine is about the closest you'll get to a 'standard'/stereotypical British accent (though maybe not as polished as Scarlet's sounds) so that's generally considered 'correct'. If I moved away, well no idea, I wouldn't deliberatly change it.

To me there's no correct way to speak, unless you're going to go all out with standard English and recieved pronounciation. Which nobody does in practise, certainly not Americans (I do think American is a seperate language, apparently it's legally recognised as such in Illinois). Really it's all just variations on a theme, and that makes it interesting. As there are so many factors with those variants; not just location and class but, dare I say, age too.

The colour flavours probably make more sense; I mean they're all fake and don't really taste that much like actual fruit or whatever.

*it keeps getting pegged as the next county over to mine. Which is bizzare, far as I can tell the people in Dorset are the ones who have the supposed stereotypical 'Hampshire' accent (and no I've never lived in Dorset; Southampton born & raised).

[Marion]

I use all of those phrases too, Intensity - except I would say 'come a cropper' or 'came a cropper' rather than 'done a cropper'. Spud, bangers and bacon butties are universal

[hazel]

I use all those words and phrases too, and I'm a Londoner born and bred, and have occasionally been accused of poshness.

I've had an idea. I've mentioned The Lexicon a couple of times. This is a document which I started compiling ages ago, when regional phrases cropped up in online conversations or fanfics. Currently, it's sitting in the Documents section of the Archive, but I understand that some people can't get in to see it. In due course, it will be migrated onto the main site. However, for the time being, I'm going to start a Lexicon thread in the Fan Fiction board - it'll be for contributions of regional words and phrases, and also for questions about how such-and-such a character would say something.

[Sasha Metcalfe]

I use all of those phrases too, Intensity - except I would say 'come a cropper' or 'came a cropper' rather than 'done a cropper'. Spud, bangers and bacon butties are universal

I don't have a clue what any of those terms are.

let's see, based on my american....
a Spud is a potatoe.
a Cropper is someone who cuts crops.
Bangers is not suitable for this website
bacon butties??????????? cute little bacon things you put on toast with your butter?

Sage, I agree, American is most definitly a different language. I find comparing all the differences an endless source of fascination.
there are some deep southern accents that I honestly can't understand a word of. language is fluid, it keeps changing over time and over place, that's what makes it so fascinating.

there is a series of "guides" published to the different regions of the USA. after I had lived in the south for ayear or so I was given a "guide" to philadelphian so I coudl make sure I didn't forget how to talk when i visited. Don't know where it is now, but it was great fun.

you know, i think we jsut hit on a new game...it may not be directly CS related, but it might help us all improve on our vocab and ya'll said you needed help with being more 'merican, right?


Sasha

[Sage]

Saha, bless you for trying

Spud = potato
Bangers = sausages (usually in the context of being served with mashed potato; i.e. bangers & mash).
Bacon butty = a sandwich; consisting of white bread, butter, fried bacon, and possibly condiments (ketchup or brown sauce) [think BLT - sans the L & T].
Come a cropper = had an accident, unfortunate incident (though generally fairly minor).

It would be wonderful to get the lexicon up and running again. There have been a couple of times I've wondered about certain words and ended up making educated guesses or going for outside sources. So it'd be good to keep everything together and help each other out [even referencing/linking outside info, if that helps].
So yes I'm happy to offer my services.