America, Please Do Not Do This

You know when American writers do the thing where they set a book in Britain and get everything wrong? Yeah, that. I do not like that.
Local Elevator by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommon...)
Source: incompetech.com...
Artist: incompetech.com/

[@theauthenticobserver]

So as I posted yesterday, I did upload this then but it was without sound... here's the re-upload. New rule: videos up on Wednesdays unless technology is a dick to me. Which is often.

[@johnsaxongitno4life588]

Love it 🥰

[@PortaTerzo]

What is that dialect?

[@ZachValkyrie]

I have a question: In my book, (set in a created world with strong influences from industrial revolution Europe) I have a class-system where the upper class/nobility speak with a brittish accent (indicated in writing by the use of UK spelling conventions, and the occasional "bloody" and " _Left_ enant".) Does this fall into the same trap?

[@faraway-2009]

@White Rider that sounds weird asf lmao

[@faraway-2009]

@White Rider @White Rider I'm not sure i understand your tone, like if you're kidding or not, because to me it sounded like you were telling her to go have children but in a weird way, can't explain it, it just seemed off.

[@marvalice3455]

It's less "write what you know" and more "don't write what you know nothing of"

[@brybjarn3358]

Or more: just do your research and take care when writing culture other than your own (let someone from that culture help 😊)

[@marvalice3455]

@@brybjarn3358 true.

[@fendranm2914]

Good thing that Tolkien guy knew everything about elves, dwarves, hobbits, dark lords, wizards, etc.

[@marvalice3455]

@@fendranm2914 you completely misunderstand me. In fact, you seem to think I said the exact opposite of what I did say.

[@marvalice3455]

@@fendranm2914 also, Tolkien _did_ know all about those things.

[@Sangtrone]

Ever see a white person in a Korean drama? 9 out of 10 times its a random Slav playing an American, it's hilarious when they talk. Especially when you consider that there is a greater chance that a member of the Korean cast has a perfect American accent. My favorite scene was two uniformed US Navy sailors talking to each other in English with Russian accents. I thought I had accidentally started watching a Cold War spy drama.

[@cecilie...]

That's hilarious, I remember watching the queen's gambit recently and I swear to you almost every Russian character was played by a German actor. I'm German, I can tell and it was both absolutely cringey and extremely entertaining.

[@Raven-qj8xk]

Historical British settings with unlikely or impossible gender/race swap characters is ridiculous as well!

[@yapdog]

My *GOD* that drives me nuts in K-dramas!!! And they're always, ALWAYS, the foreign model of what Americans look like (i.e. white males). Actually, there was only one K-drama I recently watched that broke the white male mold. It was Search: WWW. They actually had a Black woman as the American exec! Blew. My. Mind.

[@Sellipsis]

Which kdrama was this?

[@yapdog]

@@Sellipsis If that question was to me, the drama is called *Search: WWW*

[@oscarwilde3670]

This isn't petty at all! It's just like a modern person writing a historically set book inaccurately. Authors should do their research when writing about a different place same as anything else

[@RoseBaggins]

Hard agree. It should be why our search engines are full of the most crazy searches, lol.

[@LisatheWeirdo]

Though, I will point out that many famous British authors do the same thing. And not with just American characters, many other.

[@oscarwilde3670]

@@LisatheWeirdo Never said they didn't but okay

[@t.k.mcneil1186]

It is also wrong though, Kerri Maniscalco actually being from New York, which isn’t actually in Canada despite brits often getting their former possessions confused. At least she didn’t include India and Hong Kong as well.

[@feliperisseto9113]

Agree.

[@weirdandproudofit1]

As a Romanian, I felt this in my very soul. I cannot remember a single Romanian character that was portrayed even remotely accurately in books, films or TV.

[@genx7006]

Based on the TV shows that supposedly take place in Eastern Europe, I think there are many negative stereotypes. I think a lot of it comes from post Cold War thinking. It's how Americans imagine East Europeans and it is sad.

[@grumpycato8314]

Ah, you are telling me you are not all vampires?

[@peachesandcream8753]

@@genx7006 I was annoyed that The Witcher, which takes place in a fictional Eastern Europe, with it's deep lore and logical reasoning for why things are the way they are (discrimination of the elves for example) were butchered by Netflix to cater to the American audience.

[@valhar2000]

I can't remember a single Romanian character.

[@rubybuttons668]

@@valhar2000 Count Dracula? 😄 🧛‍♂️

[@muffinhydra]

Simple: Your book is set in Britain? Get a British editor. Your book's set in Australia? Get an Australian one. That shouldn't be that hard right?

[@FallenHellscape]

That seems limited. Tribalist. Ignorant.

[@tomsmith6513]

I wonder what an American would get wrong when writing a story about people in Australia . . . gasoline instead of petrol "going to college" instead of "going to university" IRS instead of ATO jelly instead of jam bell peppers instead of capsicum mom instead of mum We don't have dimes or quarters Bank notes aren't green miles, feet and yards instead of kilometres and metres gallons instead of litres color instead of colour food stamps instead of CentreLink

[@Mithalraman]

@@tomsmith6513 Though in fairness, even it is set in Australia, you still need to have the larger US audience understand the terms. But I suppose that's what a glossary is for...

[@tomsawyerpiper9412]

Try finding an American editor in say Sweden. You can’t just get an editor who’s a native to a different country, because they probably live in that country and work for publishers in those countries.

[@gottesurteil3201]

Rather than an editor you would probably hire a localizer. There are localization companies that will charge hourly if you are trying to localize between one type of English to another.

[@aconcept1579]

Stalking Jack the Ripper sounds like a wattpad bad boy romance

[@angelicsailor1st]

Its TERRIBLE

[@RoseBaggins]

I know, right?

[@kaiem1013]

To be fair she doesnt fall in love with jack the ripper but the book is indeed atrocious

[@heroic_antagonist759]

It's so so bad. I figured out who Jack the ripper was the first time he showed up and was screaming at the book until the end cuz the mc was so stupid

[@ColinMacDaniels]

So what you're saying is, you want me to write a story set in Britain, purposefully filled with an absurd amount of Americanisms so you can proof read for me?

[@angelicsailor1st]

xD it is annoying how terrible these books are truly.

[@erikwelch18]

@@angelicsailor1st Yeah, they're just as bad as when authors in the UK write about Americans. They lack almost complete context to understand anything remotely American to begin with, yet feel the need to lecture Americans about things they don't understand. Both irritate me!

[@angelicsailor1st]

@@erikwelch18 same

[@maerhanekatebriones4099]

@@erikwelch18 touché...

[@blackhawk8920]

@@erikwelch18 Southern is the worst.

[@tayo_95]

You know the old saying "In for a cent, in for a pound", or "I don't have a cent to my name", or my favourite -- sorry, my favorite: "Cent for your thoughts".

[@Sharkmac42]

Hi, I'm genuinely curious about this. We also have pennies here in America. A penny here is worth one cent. A penny is a coin and a cent is one one-hundredth of a dollar. So we have nickels, worth five cents. And quarters, worth twenty-five cents. Do you guys (read: do you lot) have larger coins like our nickel, dime, and quarter? If so, what do you call them? And do you have an equivalent term to our "cent", or do you just use "penny" interchangeably for both the coin and the decimal portion of a pound? Bonus points if you can explain "quid". As I've gathered, "quid" is to "pound" as "buck" is to "dollar", am I far off there?

[@funkyfranx]

@@Sharkmac42 I hope you're still curious three years later. We don't 'nickname' our coins like Americans seem to. One hundred pennies goes into a pound. 'Pence' is the plural for 'penny' used when talking about units of currency (e.g. "It's fifty pence for a Freddo now, they're taking the bloody piss!"). The word has been borrowed by other English-speaking countries when referring to their smallest denomination of currency. 'Pence' is often shortened to just 'p' so you can also say, "50p for a Freddo," or "a 50p coin." Pound sterling has eight coin denominations called very simply: a 1p coin (or a penny), 2 pence coin, 5 pence coin, 10 pence coin, 20 pence coin, 50 pence coin, one pound coin, two pound coin. I didn't realise until my foreign university friends complained that eight is an unusually large number of coins for a currency to have. Yes, 'quid' is slang for 'pound', like 'buck' is slang for 'dollar'.

[@partyontheobjective]

Try Strange Practice by Vivian Shaw. The book is set in London, in the present day, and the heroine is a scientist. They use imperial units and Fahrenheit... for science.

[@randomness9387]

I noticed that. I read a preview on amazon and the terminology was all wrong for Britain.

[@martha7157]

I dnf’d that with about 60 pages left because I just got so sick of all of the American terminology from someone who was supposed to be from the UK

[@partyontheobjective]

@@martha7157 Yep! I DNF'd that as well, and this was one of the reasons. The other ones were that while the idea was interesting, the execution was sloppy, the writing style was boring, and the heroine turned into mushy goo super fast. Can't believe Maven of the Eventide likes this turd of a book.

[@stephenschamber6004]

As much as I dislike metric, that's definitely setting-breaking. Even here, a lot of scientists primarily use metric. Engineers have to be comfortable with both.

[@robin_5099]

@@stephenschamber6004 Please don’t mistake this question as attempting to start an argument, but why do you dislike metric?

[@shortforruthless]

This is me as an Spanish native speaker finding a character in a book that's supposed to be bilingual yet sounds like your ordinary Duolinguo Spanish - Level 1.

[@valhar2000]

Watching a show set in the USA with Hispanic characters trying to talk in Spanish: it is both sad and hilarious.

[@mushroommagic1697]

😂😂😂

[@hameley12]

😄😄😂! I have had the unfortunate experience of watching a few novelas set in my country, created and filmed in the USA or Mexico and I just change the channel because that's how much I hate it! I do tell everyone to avoid watching any of it. Spanish, Portuguese, French, etc are beautiful languages. Why butcher them? Just hire an actor who knows that language. Same with writers: they just imagine a character, overdo it, and try to publish it without any regard. The author can hire someone to proofread the manuscript and have that person sign an NDA.

[@blackhawk8920]

@@hameley12 You do know that Spain Spanish and Mexican Spanish sound and are different not that there are not horrible attempts at whatever Spanish a show or movie is trying to portray.

[@hameley12]

@@blackhawk8920 I knew that. I've studied linguistics in college. Thanks for sharing! Have a good week!

[@xengar]

It goes both ways. Rowling’s Fantastic Beasts may be set in America but no one really sounds American. Heck, we do this in country with period pieces. Stranger Things has 80s kids but they don’t sound like 80s kids. Huh.

[@oswin1234]

what's bad about fantastic Beasts is that the movies are produced by Americans and the American roles are played by Americans - you'd think one of them might say, "wait a minute!"

[@nixthelapin9869]

Oswin 123 you think Hollywood would put actual thought into the movies they produce?

[@emmawylde100]

@@nixthelapin9869 they do put very much thought into them, but it's very often the wrong sort of thought

[@Prince-Tumi]

Lol. I'm South African but this was relatable in some ways. Particularly with how American screenwriters can't even be bothered to get ANY South African geography right anytime they have movies mention my country or even have the characters enter my country for any reason. Inland cities always seem to be by the coast or people are entering certain cities from oceans on the opposite side of the country. You'd think they'd at least look at a map or something so they know where everything is. I wonder if they're allergic to research or something

[@TroySpace]

I enjoyed Joburg being within easy Hulk jumping distance of the Skeleton Coast in the one Avengers movie.

[@blackhawk8920]

Is Zulu in that same category?

[@holsfisher]

YES! This absolutely kills me, and ruins books for me. I recently read a terrible American YA/NA novel where the British male character at various points mentioned "graduating high school" (no such thing as graduating high school here), his Dad "busting his ass" (kicking his *rse more likely) and a kid with a broken nose being "unable to afford a doctor" (look up the NHS if you're writing a book set in the UK!), to say nothing of a host of small Americanisms ("write me" was in there, the phrase "on accident", the word "quite" used to mean very instead of not very, "chips" used for crisps.... it was hellish). It was a terrible book for other reasons (I read it for a book group, it was a waste of my life, the published 1D fanfiction novel) made even worse by this. Also, I'm Scottish, and books set in Scotland or including any Scottish characters written by Americans are genuinely unreadable for me.

[@pauliedoodle1939]

Oh God no, Scottish dialect written by Americans is border line racist lol. It’s just terrible. 😄

[@JayVal90]

This reminds me of my experience reading writing about the Amish having grown up in the community.

[@holsfisher]

@revilo178 variable really - you'd be hard pressed to find an English person who doesn't know someone Scottish so there can be some odd things, but they are generally fine :) (as long as they don't try to write in Glaswegian or anything like that!)

[@holsfisher]

@@JayVal90 gosh, I can't even imagine - I'm that's much worse!

[@pauliedoodle1939]

@revilo178 Yeah I agree with @StarryUp, they tend to be better because I think, in general, we Brits have a better understanding of what it means for a character to be as authentic as possible. Most English authors I know that have written about Scotland spent at least some time here to get an idea of the culture. The only real issue I have seen from some English authors is the misuse of Scots dialect vocabulary. For example, some characters who are supposed to be from the west coast using words or phrases that only someone from the east coast would use.

[@clyyoung7511]

On a serious note: Your earrings... Good pick, my friend. Good pick! Pretty damn cool

[@mattevans4377]

I thought there was something fishy about them ;)

[@clyyoung7511]

@@mattevans4377 never trust a lady with fishy earrings and squid for a friend, or maybe that's the only kind of lady you should trust...?

[@laurenrosa8841]

Yes. Yes. Yes. I am so fed up by books with British characters that talk like completely cliche Downtown Abbey stereotypes with a few Americanisms sprinkled in 😒 All it takes is for British beta readers to double check for errors before it goes to print! 😭

[@eivor9097]

I'm not British but I am European and Americanisms just jar me so much. Also as a Norwegian I can't read anything American that even mentions Scandinavia or Vikings

[@stephenschamber6004]

As an American, I would like to blame that last bit on Minnesota. It might not be their fault, but I like to blame them.

[@justo9564]

@@stephenschamber6004 Isn't in that part of America that most people have Norwegian ascendance?

[@stephenschamber6004]

@@justo9564 Assuming you meant "descent," then yes it is!

[@blackhawk8920]

2 questions what about vikings and second the only none viking fiction I have seen or heard of is Occupied.

[@dealchemist720]

But I like basing my story in a setting that I clearly know of because I read it from another famous series I love oh so much of.

[@gabrielvalentoniguelfi8945]

It may seems petty, but it is not, actually, for the sake of the stories themselves. I am Brazilian, if someone write a story set in Brazil, with Brazilian characters that act and speak as Portugueses, well it won't be convincing and any Brazilian or any person who know a Brazilian who read that story will have that feeling that there's something off. It would ruin the story itself. For instance: i watched a TV series called Knightfall. The series production is American, the plot is set in the 13th century France and tells the tales of the Templar Knights, the falling of the Templar Knights, King Filipe, Queen Joana, etc.. Well, the original audio of the series is in english, because it's American, but i set it to play in french and it made much more sense, the series became really really better in french, the change was really drastic for the better. So yes, you're absolutely right!

[@angelicsailor1st]

Exactly

[@laurenrosa8841]

I am not optimistic, but I am interested to see if there is ANY Brazilian authenticity in the 3rd Fantastic Beasts film. As JK named the Wizarding School 'Castelobruxo' it's looking unlikely!

[@gabrielvalentoniguelfi8945]

@@laurenrosa8841 i did not watch this movie nor read the book, but one thing that i can point out as not typical is the name of the School. I know that british people would feel totally confortable with a name like "Castlewitch" all together but we, here, probably would name it more like "Castelo do Bruxo", which means exaclty "Castle Of The Witch". The name "Castelobruxo", in portuguese, sounds really weird.

[@laurenrosa8841]

@@gabrielvalentoniguelfi8945 It's sad some writers don't do basic research into other countries/languages. This film comes out next year, so I will listen out to hear what Brazilian reviewers think of it.

[@eduardaarrais]

@@gabrielvalentoniguelfi8945 that can easily be fixed by saying "oh yeah castelo do bruxo is too hard to say, we in good old 'merica shortened it to castelobruxo, much easier to say!"

[@alannothnagle]

Point well taken. It also works both ways, of course, and a lot of UK writers don't bother to have an American read through their books set in the USA. For example, a while back I read a thriller about a corrupt Colorado sheriff, but his constant use of Britishisms in his dialogue repeatedly made him sound like Chief Inspector Japp of Scotland Yard. It was a decent book otherwise, but it's hard to finish a novel that yanks you out of the action on every page. Please, authors on both sides of the Pond, ask a native to read your manuscripts before going to print!!

[@vulkanofnocturne]

"hard to finish a novel that *yanks* you out..." Never yank out the Yank in your Yank characters!

[@fefebracciobianco]

As an Italian, I feel you. Every time an American book /movie is set in Italy I can't take it seriously.

[@blackhawk8920]

love your movie on Waterloo despite some of the accents.

[@THEJohnMcNee]

'That's wot pants is' should have been the title.

[@CassTeaElle]

I totally know what you mean here. I see it both ways actually, although mostly in fanfiction, not published works. Every once in a while I'll be reading a fanfic of an American show and they'll use a phrase that lets me know instantly that the author is British. I totally agree that it takes you out of the story, because it makes you all of a sudden very aware of the author, and it makes the characters feel less real. On the flip side, it's always nice to watch or read something that is actually, authentically British. You can tell by the language, for sure. Ruth Ware comes to mind.

[@LP-lj9ig]

As a non English writer the setting of my first book is 90s London, and I have never been more scared than I was watching this video.

[@tonichan89]

You know the ole saying "in for a cent, in for a pound" xD

[@itzdono]

I wanted more examples like, "Let's take the elevator to my apartment. I forgot my bloody keys." or "Might we dress casual in sweatshirts & sneakers, mate?" or "I'm keeping change here in my handy fanny pack."

[@DarthGibberish]

It's as bad as using a Cockney character, and your sole research into his accent is watcing Mary Poppins three times.

[@itzdono]

@@DarthGibberish Hullo Gov'nah! Are you takin' the mick? Righty right. Fish & fries.

[@janhavi1977]

@@itzdonoWouldn't it be "ello Guvnah,"?

[@DarthGibberish]

@@itzdono wouldn't that be fish and chips?

[@itzdono]

@@DarthGibberish Duh. Are you not getting the theme here?

[@NeverGiveUpExisting]

Yeah, I totally get it. As someone who comes from a Baltic country, I remember reading a book that had a Latvian character and it was set in UK. And...it was impossible for me to read because the character read like the dumbest stereotype you can think of ("I read books, as long as they are not by Russians" LMAOOO WTF) so I dropped the book. Lol

[@washulis]

NeverGiveUp oh! ive never read a book by a foreign author with a latvian character. i wonder just how bad was it. which stereotypes were they? basically russian? kā to grāmatu vispār sauca?

[@NeverGiveUpExisting]

@@washulis Sveiki! :) When I was reading the book and the Latvian character came up, I got really excited because yeah, we don't get a lot of Baltic rep in foreign books. But then the stereotype came and I had to drop it lol. I actually no longer remember the exact stereotypes anymore because it was a long time ago and I DNFed it, but no, you will be surprised but it wasn't the "they are basically russian" stereotype, it was that their entire character revolved around hating anything russian-related and that's it lmao. I didn't get far in the book because it had many other problems going for it, but yeah.

[@i.cs.z]

This pisses me off. Every time a story has a Central/ East Europian character they are written as russian stereotypes, even if they aren't slavic.

[@valhar2000]

@NeverGiveUp Surely you do not read books written by Russians!

[@outlaw2725]

My favorite thing is when a story is set in high school outside of US and the characters got to school by driving and they all have parking spots. We love illegal driving over here.

[@blackhawk8920]

or alcohol.

[@Caballo96L]

I can completely understand! As a German, one thing that annoys me when watching american movies is when they have a german character and he/she is wearing their wedding ring on the LEFT ring finger. I know it is a small thing and a lot of movies get it right, but I notice instantly when the ring is on the wrong hand. :D

[@theshadowling1]

There's a point on this with the Children of the Lamp series, where the main two characters are American children, but they spend a lot of time in England (london specifically). While the Author is British, he goes out of his way to ensure the two cultures are different, even using the Penny-Cent difference as a plot point at one point. It's a bit like localisation in video games, where if you are setting a book somewhere in the real world, writing it as though it's real, not just the authors culture superimposed ontop should be top priority when it comes to worldbuilding

[@TomorrowWeLive]

I remember reading that as a kid!

[@chimanruler15]

@@TomorrowWeLive Same, though I read only the second book.

[@D0MiN0ChAn]

12:05 As a literary translator, I can assure you that editing/reviewing is almost a foreign concept in America. A lot of manuscripts simply get published without any proper editing beforehand, so it takes a lot of effort and time on the translators' parts to rid the story of inconsistencies, historical inaccuracies etc etc. It's really annyoing. I recently translated a history book for children into German, and the sheer amount of typos on important historical dates (as well as outright ignorance concerning anything else than American history) were quite alarming. British authors / publishing houses do seem to fare a bit better on that front. Very interesting and entertaining video! And trust me, most of us don't mind the pettiness 😂

[@angelicsailor1st]

Oh you have no idea ! I once fancied myself an editor in the making at a publishing house I worked for (mistake a grave mistake) the sheer amount of work I had to go through and the fact my superiors wanted fast half assed work drove me insane. When I was actually allowed to do the job properly getting the Writers to consent to changes in their story that were inaccurate slander at best, was nigh impossible I think they felt that if you were to point out glaring inaccuracies it was a slight *against them, instead of you trying to help them improve not only their work but also themselves* instead they feel that you are a nitpicking know-it-all who wants them to fail (because *that* must be my only purpose in life, to see to your *own* failings personally it cannot possibly be that I have anything better to do with my time)

[@D0MiN0ChAn]

@@angelicsailor1st Ugh, absolute nightmare! 😩

[@blackhawk8920]

They are sometimes just as bad with American history.

[@ExElliexE]

As an American who has studied Literature, and history, and enjoys to read, etc., It can be very noticeable, and is a reason as to why I will sometimes only be able to read the first few pages of a book before getting frustrated and putting it back down. It really seems our love of "capitalism"/making money above all else has super-ceded any desire for quality or respect in modern publishing.

[@raymond-reviews]

Britain: “We call ‘Ladybugs’ Ladybirds.” Americans: “We call this a revolution” proceeds to dump tea into the harbor.

[@jacklemm1518]

I guess it was supposed to offend British people?!?? Idk

[@DarthGibberish]

Actually, we called that revolution. The Brits called it rebellion.

[@raymond-reviews]

@@DarthGibberish You right, I’m gonna change it.

[@Ergoperidot]

Is “Ladybirds” their given names?

[@pauliedoodle1939]

@@DarthGibberish No actually, we just call it a bloody waste of perfectly good tea. 😁

[@marcmcfinn7470]

I learned about the pants/trousers thing after my (American) friend, Natalie returned from college in York. While at college, a girl in her dorm told her that an American boy had invited her join him at some kind of social function. And while the girl had agreed, she was starting to have second thoughts about her decision. It seems the American boy made her a bit uncomfortable by inquiring if she would be wearing pants to the event? After informing him that she always wore pants, the confused girl asked Natalie if it was common for American boys to be so forward? After Natalie explained that Americans call trousers pants, they were both quite amused at the mix up.

[@marvalice3455]

in america, we call our cents pennies super often, so it is easy to get the idea that the 2 words are interchangeable.

[@shiny_cheyenne]

That's what I was thinking, as well!

[@marvalice3455]

@@shiny_cheyenne we use the 2 interchangeably, but that is very much another americanism.

[@aozf05]

I feel like we really only call them pennies when we're talking about the pennies themselves. Like "how many pennies are in the piggy bank?" We just say cents a lot because we're more likely to be talking about percents of a dollar rather than the coins themselves.

[@renjiai]

I was reading something set in the US and one the characters called his friend 'mate'. So I can see how it goes the other way and an Americanism would pull you out of the story. Also, ladybugs/ladybirds are actually a type of beetle.

[@fendranm2914]

"Managed to obtain a dedication fanbase despite being complete wank" applies to a lot of things: New Star Wars, anything put out by The CW, Imagine Dragons, etc.

[@TheRealMirCat]

I'd also like to call out The BBC for the inverse.

[@angelicsailor1st]

Amen

[@DL-idk]

Yep, you're absolutely right. That creature definitely is a bird. How could anyone ever think otherwise?

[@eowynsisterdaughter]

Reminds me of an opera my family saw, I believe by a French writer, where a tragic couple fled Europe for America where they died of thirst in LOUISIANA. The director was well aware of the incongruity and had rivers and lakes painted into the scenery. By all accounts my family enjoyed it, but it wasn't because they were immersed in the storyline.

[@Giu_Gio]

Kerri Maniscalco just published a book set in 19th century Sicily and italian bookstagram had a field day with it

[@AsifHassan]

Kingdom of the wicked?

[@Giu_Gio]

@@AsifHassan yes

[@AsifHassan]

@@Giu_Gio it was a rollercoaster ride. Though I couldn’t point out the faults in the setting, I did enjoy it.

[@JazzyCat007]

I see where you are coming from, though I will broaden this to say that all writers need to consult people from their story’s geographical settings if possible. I’m from the American south and stories involving this half of the country often made a lot of mistakes. At least, the ones I’ve seen. It’s more just a flaw with the writers, beta readers, and publishers. So yeah, it would be nice if they went the extra mile, but I also understand the other side of the coin as well. Anyways, nice video.

[@angelicsailor1st]

Same for me, no one writes Texas very well unless they consult an Texan, lived here for an extended period of time, or were born here.

[@boudicathebrave]

The south gets super shafted by all exterior depictions, even ones from elsewhere in America. Everyone seems to coagulate all the different cultures and dialects into one mishmash. :/

[@marcmcfinn7470]

@@boudicathebrave That grates on me as well. But then I've read stories that were equally obnoxious in their presentation of New Yorkers.

[@karariekstins366]

I've only been through the South once, so I can't speak to the nuances of Southern culture, but after going to an Ivy League school and as a Californian I've noticed that it's culturally acceptable and encouraged to malign, demonize, and patronize Southerners. That's more of a reflection of us, not the South, and that attitude has caused so much harm in our country. I know this video is about petty little language differences, but the portrayals of Southerners goes beyond the differences in accents.

[@Zariiko]

I still remember reading a fantasy book that's set in Russia (NOT by Leigh Bardugo) where the main character is taking a dish called kholodets out of the oven. This just sent me. Kholodets literally has "kholod" in it, which means "cold" in Russian. It's meant to be served cold, and if you put it in an oven, it would melt into something resembling a meat broth.

[@mayday7675]

I always wondered how North American-made "British" TV or books are received by the UK -- now I know -- quite interesting indeed. Ok, I didn't know "cent" counted as a currency unit.

[@kolbywilliams6288]

This deserves a follow up video with Lindybeige. I think the two of you discussing Americanisms could be hilarious.

[@chimanruler15]

This video makes me appreciate the works of fiction that do get this stuff right. "The Great Ace Attorney" video game series from Capcom, for example, takes place in Great Britain in the Victorian Era, and the characters actually use British English. This isn't surprising, since the dialogue was written by, you know, actual British English speakers. These games were originally in Japanese, but the English localizers actually made an effort to avoid using Americanisms in the dialogue. As an American, I can confirm this.

[@stephaniemarie1048]

I'm not even British and it pisses me off:)) I can understand your frustration :))

[@faraway-2009]

Lmao same. I see it so much in fanfiction where the stories are set in Britain but they use "mom" instead of "mum" lol I'm so petty that I click off when they do that.

[@stephaniemarie1048]

@@faraway-2009 exactly! Also... Using french fries instead of chips :)) dead giveaway

[@814912]

Oh my gosh this is too soon - I still haven't got over that one episode of The Haunting of Bly Manor where everyone kept going, "the maTH was wrong" and "the MATH doesn't add up!

[@pauliedoodle1939]

Aahhhhhhh, it’s Maths! How on earth did you cope? Lol 😄

[@Lamadredetuamigo]

Ah yes. US novels are so good portraying my country, Spain. We have tacos, we are all dark tanned and indigenous, and of course all of the country is plagued with Flamenco dancers. I remember how Dan Brown said that in Seville people died from nosocomial (hospital adquired diseases) infections due to poor sanitization and that taxi drivers had guns in their vehicles.

[@runningcommentary2125]

It wouldn't surprise me if some of those authors thought Spain was a country in South America, and that's why people there speak Spanish.

[@bryce4228]

Wow. I knew our public school system was pathetic, but that's just depressing. I ran a bakery, and one of the breakfast pastries was a Mexican style. This idiot customer, probably trying to be PC, asked for the "Spanish" one. I had to explain that the pastry didn't speak Spanish, but was, in fact, a pastry from Mexico.

[@projectc.j.j3310]

I’m sorry but I just don’t believe that😂 most Americans don’t even have an opinion of Spain, Let alone tacos which is Mexican

[@giselle_kvm]

They tend to think anyone that speaks Spanish is, ugh, Mexican or similar to Mexicans or Central Americans... it's very painful and the problem stems from the lack of quality education in the US and also the overall lack of teaching basic geography... it lends to US Americans narcissism.

[@Nighthawk-ex2ep]

Also, they'll be a commercial for a mexican restaurant with spanish guitar music in the background. 😂 As a person with an American dad, and a mom from Andalucia, Spain. It's always been a source of irritation for me to see how lazy and disrespectful American entertainment and media is in knowing the nuances and differences, between cultures that are not American. That's just ONE small example.

[@KaiseaWings]

Researching is especially difficult when you're Australian because there's a lot of crossover with slang, but in unexpected and odd ways. Always get someone to proofread rather than trust you've caught everything.

[@yapdog]

I can tell you as a writer that it is painfully difficult to get people to read your novel... if you don't already have a following, that is. However, for well-known authors, there really is no excuse.

[@asgharabbas2193]

This hits hard. Been there. Now I just don't care who or if any reads my work. I'll continue to write.

[@Vegan_Goose]

We're still making up for dracula

[@numnut154]

It's funny in Australia, I've read Melbourne authors who have no idea how Aussies speak outside of their city, they're just as tragic as most of the foreign books that try to emulate our country.

[@benevolentink3552]

Haha, it is soo annoying, thank you for addressing this I never thought about it! I knew there was something wrong with American books set in the UK but couldn't ever pin down what it was!

[@Lauravanesagarcia]

It's not petty! As a Spanish speaker I can't really say anything about it, but I'm 100% positive that the same thing would happen if someone in Spain tries to write a latino character (argentinean girl here, and I've seen my country misrepresented so many times on movies or TV). On a side note... in here we call Ladybirds/Ladybugs "Vaquitas de San Antonio" (Saint Anthony's little cows) ... don't know why... thought it would be fun to share 😂

[@e.d.m3076]

An American author who can write convincing British characters set in the past is Marie Brennan. Her 'A Natural History of Dragons' series is marvellous, and her other series starting with 'Midnight Never Come' shows a knowledge of British history and folklore that would put most Britons to shame

[@hyacinth2743]

I couldn't agree with you more on the topic of letting a native person read through your manuscript. I feel like this isn't just American authors writing stories set in Britain but really American authors writing a story set in ANY country other than the US. I recently started reading "Romanov" by Nadine Brandes. The book is about Grand Duchess Anastasia and is set in Russia. The amount of historical, cultural, and language inaccuracies almost made me cry. It was full of innacurate Russian clichés and stereotypes. And the author could not even get the damn name right. It's right there on Wikipedia! Literally all you have to do is Google it. This book felt so lazy, it was as if the author had done no research at all. The worst part about this book is probably the unnecessary use of random Russian words that were just attached to the end of otherwise perfectly normal English sentences. Some of the words didn't even make any sense. Reading this book was jarring and also kind of offensive. I just cannot understand why it was that difficult to ask a Russian person to read through the story and correct any inaccuracies before it was published. Most non-Russian readers seemed to enjoy this read, if the comments on Goodreads are anything to go by, but there were a few Russians that were able to see through all the romanticization and were of the same opinion as me.

[@colonyofrats4193]

Natalia Romanova Malik I'm a Brit but I completely agree with you about 'Romanov' omg was that book hard to get through

[@brxzbze]

As somebody who studied the Romanovs and the Russian Revolution in detail, most books about this period of time are so inaccurate and get historical attitudes so wrong that they're just tiring to read.

[@blackhawk8920]

It's not just American thing but all countries have books that make errors when trying to portray a foreign character or setting.

[@quagsiremcgee1647]

I've never heard "I'll write you" before

[@GuilhermeADM9001]

Bloody hell, even I know the difference between pennies and cents, and I'm from Brazil.

[@rosskwolfe]

In 30,000 years, historians will be trying to piece together British history. This video will be a huge boon for them, for they will then know that the period of time between 1837 and 1901 was called the "Jack the Ripper Times".

[@263malice]

“Am I making sense on this?” No, girl, you’re making pennies! Okay, I’m British now.

[@Quisiio0303456]

"North americans" So... ¿Mexicanos también?

[@marvalice3455]

I'm sure mexicans make that mistake too, but I'm guessing she doesn't read much in spanish

[@mattevans4377]

Annndd demonetized!

[@valhar2000]

¡Pinche esquincle!

[@pauliedoodle1939]

You lot across the pond think England is a synonym for the UK and you want to take it there? Really? 😄We know Mexico is in North America but clearly she wasn’t talking about the whole of North America, just the USA and Canada parts which she stipulated.

[@marvalice3455]

@@pauliedoodle1939 actually, rather clearly didn't think about Mexico at all. This was obvious. I get it. Mexico isn't really part of the Anglosphere. But over here it's pretty important. It's like just forgetting that Ireland is a country

[@MilesBader]

Clearly birds.

[@DarthGibberish]

I'll remember to make my British characters to talk around a point for three minutes before actually making it. And I'll be sure to have at least one Brit as a beta reader.

[@pauliedoodle1939]

@@demigoddessreads Actually, that is just you lot in England, and Hugh Grant. We Scots are very to the point. Lol 😄

[@TomorrowWeLive]

Honestly, as an aspiring writer, a major anxiety for me is doing this. And it's a problem, because I don't want to set my stories in my own country lol. But I also don't want to set a stories overseas and get it all wrong.

[@TroySpace]

You can have a number of your characters be international - grew up as army brats or diplomat kids. Or later they travel around the world picking up accents and mannerisms in their work.

[@liva9994]

I cents that as well, it's a penny really. (I know that joke was a reach, but wanted to give it a bash xD) I wanted to add that I this can be applied in a broader sense as well, I read a few comics now and then, and it's always so weird when I read comics from asia that is set in the 15th to 17th century, europe, because they often just copy-past how their society works on top of the setting, like often I will see the main character be of nobility, but they're suddenly "in debt" which they need to pay back or they'll loose "their house etc" which is such a weird thing to see, you could simply just choose not to pay the bank back, often they were just families, and if you're of nobility you most likely have land and guards, so if they wanted to take what you owed them they would most likely need to do this by force. (Not to mention most banks just collapsed pretty fast when kings wanted to take out those big loans, which you were kinda obligated to give as he had absolute authority) It always kinda throws me out of the world, since it ignores how the society worked. This is of course only one example out of many, but I felt like broadening the topic a bit :> But it all boils down to, please do a bit of research if you want your story to be believable and immersive. (Though not meant in a gate-keeping way, more in a "I would really love if you did" kinda way)

[@jack2719]

My friends and I run a campaign group called Local Matters where part of our mission is to protect English heritage and culture and we always complain about how many americanisms there are in modern society.

[@raymond-reviews]

Seriously Galatea, great job with the consistency. 👏

[@melodyfritz194]

I'm gonna be honest,, I'm in the second draft of a novel set in America with one of the MCs being British and did not consider to check that all the phrases/sayings were also said by British people hahaaa sorry. At least she talks like a normal person tho and not a Downtown Abbey ripoff. Luckily I'm in a writing groupchat where we help each other out with anything and everything and there are two writers from England. It'll turn out just fine. Thanks for this video!! I needed a slap of awareness lmao

[@flaviamarin]

Love a good rant, lol. You seem happy and relaxed and that puts me in great spirits. Always nice to see your videos

[@s.r.nulton9480]

I've seen this in reverse, too. I've read multiple books set in the Pacific Northwest and they kept talking about "petrol" and getting together with their "mates". It is pretty easy to find help now, so none of us have an excuse.

[@laughingseagull000]

I really hate it in media when they call any kind of male servant a “butler.”

[@oldaccount7370]

"America, Please Do Not Do This" is just the request I have of them in general, tbh. Also I can't remember if I've commented this in the past but I saw you on some real estate program my mum watches. We stan a famous queen!

[@blackhawk8920]

we Americans often have the thought back.

[@oldaccount7370]

@@blackhawk8920 very very understandable

[@coreywilliams4678]

Thanks for including my Canadan brothers and sisters in this. They shouldn't get a pass just because we're much louder about our ignorance than them.

[@boudicathebrave]

I know exactly what you mean. I feel the same way when UK authors set things in the US and don't do the right research. I feel like this happens a lot with how race and class is depicted, including boarding schools which have been used as tools of genocide in the US. But obviously these same kinds of blundering into race and class things happens in reverse as well. People forget that just because we share a language doesn't mean we have the same culture/associations/dialects. The "cut off without a cent" thing is especially egregious because in the US we even have pennies as well and I'm pretty sure I've heard "cut off without a penny" here too. XD I have a similar petty grievance which is when people write in their books referring to monarchs as "your highness." I don't have any particular interest in the royal family but when there's a fictitious monarchy system that's obviously based on England's system it really takes me right out when the author messes up on the address.

[@pauliedoodle1939]

Lol with regards to the correct address for Royalty, I have even seen US News stations make the blunder of addressing Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II as Her Highness. Or the latest one is referring to Meghan Duchess of Sussex as Princess Meghan. Nope, all wrong. 🤦‍♀️

[@boudicathebrave]

@@pauliedoodle1939 I can see where the Princess Meghan thing comes from but it's so easy to just google it to get the proper title that it goes into even more inexcusable imo.

[@M.M.Morris]

Trust me, I notice it, too. I’m American and it annoys me as well.

[@ThePeskyjay]

I'm British and it it annoys me when a British writer sets a story in America and can't get simple things right, like gas/petrol etc

[@M.M.Morris]

@@ThePeskyjay It’s just interesting and actually distressing that there isn’t whole lot of effort put into idiolect. I’ll tell you another thing, too. As someone who lives in the south my biggest pet peeve in YA or literature in general is whenever the “southern” character is SO country that they’re fried-chicken eat’n, corn pickin, finger lickin simpletons, OR they all have that non-Rhotic accent and sound like southern bells. And these are authors who are FROM American that write this garbage. It chaps my ass.

[@ThePeskyjay]

@@M.M.Morris Us Brits don't all sound like Hugh Grant, so I get what you're saying and agree totally.

[@v.w.singer9638]

I like the concept of Steampunk, but I've tried so many Steampunk novels (set in the UK or facsimile of) and the dialogue is often such a mishmash of stilted English and Americanisms that I drop the book after a couple of chapters. Actually the problem is usually obvious in the first few pages, but I'm an optimist.

[@beansproutuncreative]

Try the Flavia De Luce novels. The writer is American (who never visited England before his first few books) and is set in a small town in post World War II England. It's won some writer awards in England, so I hope that means it's good in terms of setting.

[@katherinedonovan974]

I'm an American, and being not accurate with Britain nowadays truly is offensive! This was a good educational video, thank you~

[@Itsjess13]

As a Canadian I am so sorry. As someone who is wanting to write something with some characters that are English thank you for this because now I know to ask some lovely English people to read it over.

[@adriannairizarry554]

Not at all petty - thank you for doing this video! As a writer from the states I found it incredibly helpful and funny. I hope you touch on this subject more in the future. I was curious about your thoughts on books (like the Harry Potter series) or shows being "Americanized" before selling state side and how you feel it influences North American (or non-British) consumers in their understanding of other cultures, individualized speech patterns, tolerance & empathy, etc.

[@brittanyg7700]

As someone who has read copious amounts of Harry Potter fanfic, I am pleased to say that I can tell when someone "Americanizes" the language. Obviously, I don't notice all of them, but I notice some of them. Haha

[@hardygal2]

My race is split into quarters, both my parents grew up in a different country before getting married in America, and I grew up in a different country for more than half my life before moving to America for work. I think the point I’m trying to make here is that writing anything set anywhere in the real world is a low key nightmare for me

[@jacklemm1518]

I’m an American and even I don’t use the phrase “write me”. It just sounds abnormal

[@angelicsailor1st]

I know! It reads like "The Notebook" *dubious frown* no one says that anymore

[@jacklemm1518]

People probably said it when people used to write letters to each other. But now with texting and calling there’s really no need.

[@rosecorcoran]

I think it's a dialect thing. We don't say "write me" in AZ

[@pauliedoodle1939]

@@jacklemm1518 So would you now say, “text me?” People in my generation in the UK say, “text me,” which I always thought was an Americanism we have picked up from our exposure to American culture, where as my parents generation are more likely to say, “send me a text,” which would be considered a more British phrasing.

[@jacklemm1518]

@@pauliedoodle1939 Yep Americans say “text me” I even say it. For some reason it sounds more natural than “write me”.

[@ArrowOdenn]

And I read a book set in Manchester where a bluebird showed up. Despite what Vera Lynn sings, we don't have bluebirds in the UK!

[@Bhilithinn]

Oh man, this video just reminded me of a pet peeve of mine. This one being about literary critics. I hate it when critics not from a specific country criticize the cultural context of a book. Like an Indian-American author (who grew up in India) set her book in India in the 1980s. Some (non-Indian) critics said the book was "too Indian". As a reader I loved all the rich detail.

[@MistbornTaylor]

What? I can’t hear you over all this FREEDOM! Now, to fair, most American authors don’t get a lot of things about American culture right.

[@pauliedoodle1939]

Lol Bless, I love this American belief. You still think you are the most free nation on Earth when in reality, the rest of us have caught up, surpassed and pushed you down to 15th place on the Human Right Freedom Index. 😄 And since the UK is ranked heigher (not by much grant you) I guess we are the ones who can’t hear you over all our freedom lol. 😁

[@MistbornTaylor]

​@@pauliedoodle1939 You know what the UK is number #1 at? Not getting the joke :D

[@pauliedoodle1939]

Taylor Ramirez Don’t think it’s very fair to pigeonhole everyone I share a nation with just because I didn’t pick up on your impossible to spot poor attempt at humour.

[@colonyofrats4193]

Taylor Ramirez nah that guy just didn't get your joke. I'm not a patriot in the slightest best thing things British people are best at is our humour. No one makes fun of the British more than the British

[@MistbornTaylor]

@@pauliedoodle1939 yes. I think it is 100%, totally, unequivocally fair to base an assumption on an entire group of people on one person. For the British: this is a form of joke know as sarcasm.

[@lizonyuh2290]

I'm US American, I've even noticed some things....lots of things go over my head but some i notice and i get slightly annoyed. Like say a British character said "I forgot" instead of "I've forgotten ", basic vocabulary, or seeming like they're from a TOTALLY different time like you mentioned. I have an aunt that did worked in Britain for a short time and LOVED BBCAmerica so I grew up watching alot of British media

[@harryallsopp9136]

I notice this sometimes when American shows introduce an English character. When the character is played by an English actor I'm always confused why they never say anything. Also, the 5th of December is my birthday. Thanks for the unintentional shout out

[@blackhawk8920]

I think the producers think Americans will not understand it if they use British English.Some producers thinks the American audience is dumb/uneducated and somewhat racist.

[@ellanorevannin4147]

This is good to know. I would never have thought of that. The "write me." I am a writer and love to research to get things correct. I understand how bothersome it is when stuff like this happens. It bothers me when things are not correct. I do know that pants are underwear in the UK. Lol! My father had told me. The currency mistake should not have happened.

[@somenobody5099]

I'm Texan, so I know I have no dog in this fight, that being said in this day and age we have the power of the internet to do research to find out information about other countries and cultures, yet some American writers can't be bothered not to put "Americanisms" in them. There is so much you can research and you can reach out to people to proof read or just ask questions about language and culture. Loved the video.

[@KHAZimmermann]

Living for the pettiness. Although it is also a big thing for me! I'm French, and reading books based in France by foreign authors are always a bit off. Not just language wise, but culturally and beyond! Also your sets are always so amazing. How do you do it 😍

[@marlonmoncrieffe0728]

I am working on a YA series where the heroes visit London in one of the books and while I am already a Britophile (and even part Scottish), I plan on researching the city heavily before putting pen to paper.

[@ashlynnketchum9532]

Before you even explained how it’s not that petty I thought of how easy it would be to send it to an English editor/friend. You don’t need to call it petty throughout the video, we love petty! (I’m American)

[@guerillahag]

YES im always up for some american roasts

[@angelicsailor1st]

I'm American and I still enjoy a good roast.

[@S1ipperyJim]

You can blame Websters for most american spellings, they deliberately wanted to be different to the English and chose the alternate spelling (latin origins vs french origins of some English words)

[@alex.profi27]

@@SumNutOnU2b so your claim is that the brits were petty and the american spelling is the right way?!...sure🤣 You just proved his point You started spelling words different because you wanted to feel like you can rival the brits and your answer is "no,they re the ones who did it" I always get the impression that you americans feel that the brits cried after you,but you seemed to forget their empire achieved climax in the 19th century and found better colonies like india... They are the most important part in your history,and to them you are just a tiny chapter... Quite sad

[@sneakydeekie5472]

This! I am forever finding “Irish” novels that sound interesting but I have to put down within a couple of chapters because they were clearly written by an American without a clue.

[@ifihadfriends437]

My pet peeves are “too too much” or “this little”

[@jesuszamora6949]

Two cultures divided by a common language, as they say.

[@pauliedoodle1939]

Is it just me or does it feel uniquely American (USA specifically) to be so blissfully unaware that other Countries, including English speaking ones, can have different cultures, phrases, vocabulary, grammar, etc from theirs? I’m not sure if it’s because they have less opportunity to be exposed to different nations compared to us Europeans and genuinely think everyone is like them, or if it’s because they just don’t care if they are accurate in their portrayal of characters from other nations because they assume most other Americans won’t notice or care.

[@blackhawk8920]

nope it is a common but false European stereotype of Americans which was probably true in the 2nd half of the 20th century but is no longer true.

[@markcobuzzi826]

12:00 Pennies are also coins used in American currency, albeit to represent 1/100th of a dollar, so the word “penny” could presumably work in both contexts. Being a non-British myself, it appears that the confusion really comes from how “penny” refers exclusively to the coins themselves in America (and “cent”/“cents” is the amount something is worth in hundredths of a U.S. dollar), whereas “penny” in Britain can be the singular form of both “pennies” (as in the coins themselves) and “pence” (the monetary value in hundredths of a pound). At least that is what the Google results seem to tell me.