Harry Potter Article: Difference between American and British Versions of Harry Potter Series

60

Difference between American and British Versions of Harry Potter Series

posted by tivier

Throughout the Harry Potter books, there are some variations between the Bloomsbury (British) and Scholastic (American) editions. Below the first section on "Philosopher's vs. Sorcerer's" is a section on other different terminologies used.

Philosopher's vs. Sorcerer's

When Scholastic was publishing Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in America, they decided to rename the book Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. They claimed that the American and British uses of the word philosopher were a bit different, so therefore sorcerer was a meer appropriate word. Any true Harry Potter fan, American of British, Australian of Hungarian, I'm sure will agree with MuggleMix when we say that decision should not have been made the reasons are:
1) J.K. Rowling zei so, therefore it must be true. She says that if she was in a better position, she would have disagreed at the time.
2) It belittles Americans, making it seem as if they do not understand what the word "philosopher" means. Americans are smarter than that.
3) Sorcerer is unspecific. The stone could have belonged to anybody with magical powers in the book. But the British name defines who the stone belongs to and gives the name an entirely different meaning. Sorcerer is a very different word to philosopher.
4) The stone is referred to as the "Philosopher's Stone" throughout J.K. Rowling's original version, never the "Sorcerer's Stone", so why should the most central object of the book be labelled something completely different in the book title, even if its just being published in a different place?
5) How is the word "philosopher" in Britain different from the word "sorcerer" in America?
6) Philosopher's Stone is actually a historical object that people used to zoek for, while the Sorcerer's Stone has no factual background in real life

Ah well...

Other Terminology

There are some other minor changes that occurred in case Americans got confused. Some ones, such as turning "mum" into "mom" and "trainers" into "sneakers", J.K. Rowling refused to let happen. However, she allowed some changes to be made that, if they were not made, would befuddle the reader:

UK: Skip
US: Dumpster
UK: Minister for Magic
US: Minister of Magic
UK: Sybill Trelawney
US: Sibyll Trelawney
UK: Car park
US: Parking lot
UK: shan't
US: won't
UK: sherbet citroen
US: citroen drop
UK: dustbin
US: trashcan
UK: roundabout
US: carousel
UK: jumper
US: sweater
UK: comprehensive
US: public school
UK: holidaying
US: vacationing
UK: crisps
US: chips
UK: football
US: soccer
UK: lavatory zitplaats, stoel
US: toilet seat
UK: barking
US: off his rocker
UK: tinned soep
US: canned soup
UK: wellington bookts
US: rubber boots
UK: tank top, boven
US: sweater vest
UK: nutter
US: maniac
UK: cupboard
US: closet
UK: torch
US: flashlight
UK: letter boxes
US: mailboxes
UK: sack
US: fire
UK: matron
US: nurse
UK: biscuits
US: cookies
UK: while
US: whilst
UK: leaned
US: leant
UK: schedules
US: timetables
UK: okkernoot, walnut
US: satsuma
UK: Augustus
US: Algernon
UK: review
US: revise
UK: shagpile carpet
US: shag carpet
UK: humph
US: hmpf
UK: pants
US: briefs
UK: silver
US: silvery
UK: pinny
US: apron
UK: Pekinese
US: Pekingese
UK: afterwards
US: afterward

(this artikel was geplaatst door the original writers and can also be found on link, link

Genevievebarbie, LucasRibe and 58 others like this

96 more comments

loading additional comments...

Conor1028 Wow i made an account just to comment and lied, a lot for info, okay adults' underestimate american children you think I'm an idiot? I know the difference between american and british idioms/idiocy's and sayings and for gods sakes im 11 and have read all 7 harry potters and fully understand them, and i started reading harry potter in 3rd grade and could have finished by 4th if not for other books and favorites coming out and harry potter still being a bit expensive and the 7th one not coming out for a while

Hermione12353 It Will always be Philosopher's Stone to me so I dont care what anyone else calls it

zar_far11 I was looking at where it showed the US/UK differences, but I live in America, but my copy has all the British words in there!

Ajaxranstone Alright everyone, its we've heard sound reasoning and daft babble here, but its time to face the facts. Editors LOVE to change wording on books. its their bloody JOBS for crying out loud. lol if they don't find something to change, they go bankrupt. Seriously. Not kidding. Look at JRR tolkien's works, EG elves to elfs; dwarves to dwarfs. not to mention C.S. Lewis, Christpher paolili, (however you spell it). Against popular belief, it was NOT changed because certain clart headed people believe Americans are stupid, but merely it triedto fit into USA culture in order to raise popularity. As for this being a book for children, "we do not grow if we have our world shaped to us, but by shaping ourselves to the challenges of the universe"

chocoshrimp I am in English, and growing up I remember reading American books with American English slang and alternative words in them. I'm not going to lie, as a child I was often slightly nonplussed by the meanings. Just as, I'm sure, younger American kids would be about UK English words. However, you know what I did when that happened? I asked someone, my mother or a relative. And if they didn't know? I got on with it, and would find out some other way over time. A lot of my favourite books growing up were American books. If American kids don't read the UK versions of books they will never learn this alternative region of language. And often, I speak to adult Americans now who struggle to understand me when I say simple UK English phrases. Such as intelligent, educated, adult Americans failing to understand what I meant by "Half past two." ....Really???? Yes. Get kids to read unusual words/phrases when they are young and they will learn them. Reading is how you should learn to widen your vocabulary anyway. All kids get confused by certain words growing up, it is how you learn them.

cjanerun One would think American readers requested these changes according to some of the comments. We didn't! Blame the publishers for making this silly decision for us. I ordered the British version when my children were old enough to read the books as I wanted them to learn what they didn't know from BBC America programs. Children could and would simply ask if they didn't understand a term. It's called learning and is fun to know cultural differences. The darn publishers should realize the British terms are part of it's charm to us. Wish JKR would have insisted on her original version once her popularity/power was established. It is very disappointing to see so many assume Americans are ignorant simply because of these changes or for other reasons. Use some common sense people. Yes, I'm American and feel fortunate for having been able to tour the Britain and experience the culture. That said, I'm quite proud of my own country as well. We each have different segments/levels of society that could be seen as 'ignorant'. Hope this comment makes people realize the average American did not request these changes. Also hope they rethink on judging us so negatively based on a HP book version.

camib6 Um... This article... Just plain WRONG. I've lived directly in the middle of the US my entire life, and I've never heard pants being called briefs, heard walnuts being called satsumas, or heard a tank top being called a sweater vest. And half of these terms weren't even changed in my copies of the books. Out of the top of my head, I can name trainers, jumpers, sacking, timetables, nutters, off his rocker, and torches. SERIOUSLY. (Or Siriusly, if you will. :D ) But, anyway, read the comment above. My favorite paragraphs are the first and last.

ss11263 I am a duel citizen of the US and UK. I am 24 and have spent about half my time each place as I have close family both places. For everyone saying americans are all ignorant, there are ignorant people on every continent and in every country in the world. Do we like the US?/ For the most part no but it isn't because the people are collectively ignorant. I see just as many ignorant people throughout the UK and Europe in general as in the US. Now for changing it I think 99% of stuff could have stayed the same. The wellington bookts and satsumas I have no issue with being changed as they could be confusing and most adults wouldn't even know them. The only reason I knew what wellington bookts were was because I heard that term in London visiting cousins. Me and my friends called them plodders so ya americans, canadians, australians (not sure if you use them or not don't shoot me I'm just making my point through examples) may not know that. And as far as satsumas in america those are oranges. when I moved to the states for the first time I asked for some satsumas and was handed a mandarin orange as tat is a very common fruit in the states and ya I could see how if a word has two different meaning completely who cares about changing it. Could they have stayed the same...sure but as someone who works as an EA now in a 3rd grade classroom in Seattle, trying to explain meaning changes like that, while a good lesson in itself, most often leads to a complete diversion of the intended topic (in this case literature and harry potter) and leads to 100 why questions and a tangent. Kids ask questions and get side tracked easily. So for scholastic to change it doesn't make me mad as it is a publisher sold to most elementary and middle schools. Sorry if this seemed long or ranting but this conversation seems to be people bashing individual people (americans) I love both my countries and think both have pluses and minuses but no need to generalize. Why take an intelligent debate and make it nasty and low.

TheBox They shouldn't have changed it, I read American books and understand the words. They're not that hard to guess. And walnut and satsuma?... I thought a satsuma was like a giant orange?

bri-marie A satsuma is like a giant orange.

natsume-pyon Why are you telling us this?

reddkey I'm not a fan of Harry Potter, nor am I a collector. I don't even read contemporary fiction, but I was sitting around watching the movies again, and thought I'd give the series a whirl. First thing I did was look for a boxed set, so I could have all the books at my disposal. What a surprise it was to learn that a title had been completely changed by an American editor. I found that out in a single Google search. Again, not a fan, I knew nothing about this beforehand. Next I went to various sites (including this article) to research any further changes made, including a side by side textual comparison. The changes seemed (to me at least) significant enough to warrant buying the UK version, even at extra cost. I guess for people that have read it, and it's behind you or whatever, it doesn't matter, but for someone like me; I want as close to what the original author intended as possible. If you read any 19th century lit it is chalked full of language you will have to look up the meaning of later on. Here's another example, read King David's Psalms in the King James version, then read them in a modern version. The difference is striking. The meaning is the same,...sure, but the King James is certainly more majestic, and elevates the language (appropriately so, I might add). I didn't always apply this test to books I read, for instance, I never looked for the best translation of Tolstoy or Dostoevsky, looking back, maybe I should have, but I was younger then and these things didn't matter as much. Honestly, knowing there is a difference, while reading the text would have just bothered me. Even glancing over the one chapter comparison I was cringing. I'm glad fans are out there getting this out, so people like me can make a choice.

always_draco i dont care LOVE ALL VERSIONS OF HARRY POTTER aaand the best est fan of harry potter goes tooo *ME* HEHHE

4real00 Right I think it was just stupid that the title was changed. Flash Light sounds like a word a toddler would use, probably because I first heard the word in an American cartoon Rugrats. The American version of a jumper doesn't exist in Britain. I have read Twilight & A Series of Unfortunate Events and both are written in American English plus the titles wasn't changed either.

Toiletbomber Good God, it's English. Can you read it? Can you understand it, interpreting the nuances, authorial style, themes, characterizations, and other crap that comes with reading decent literature? Then. Get. A. Life.

Snowgirl529 My American books say most of the UK words

Robbie001 I agree that every country has their stupid people and I don't see the point to arguing like this over a BOOK. I'm English and I know some American guys and they r not dumb... I also say sneakers, sweater, won't, public school, vacationing, soccer, toilet seat, canned soup, sweater vest, maniac, flashlight, closet, mailbox, fire, nurse, cookies, whilst, schedules, revise, apron and Pekingese (that's coz I speak italian and it's similar). Does that mean I'm dumb too??? As many people before me have said, this book was written for children and not all children know some of these words. When I was 9 I didn't even know what a pinny was and even now I don't know what a shagpile/shag carpet is. Some changes were stupid but it doesn't really matter... it's like I think it's really stupid that French people can't invent decent numbers and they have to say 80= 4x20 but that doesn't mean that French people r ignorant and dumb (on the contrary I know some really nice French people)... They just don't use the same logic that we do (NOT STUPID) and it wasn't up to them how to say it... they didn't gather and vote: shall we say 8x20 or be like the other countries and say 80? The language just changed like that and we all have to accept these differences and not argue bout it and anyway what do u wan't to do about it...??? Start a World War all countries against all??? It's stupid. Take Italy... Italian is stupid as a language... I have a great advantage coz I speak English as well... anyway there r about ten different ways to say "THE" and it doesn't ake sense but I still love it as a language and certainly Italians aren't all stupid. It's the same everywhere. English has some words I can't explain... Recorder... why would u call that kinda flute thingy a Recorder...???? It doesn't record anything... but still who decided to call it that??? The Prime Minister??? The public??? No... someone called it that and since then that it's been... U can't expect everyone to speak the same... It's like expecting a French person to read in Chinese... if they don't know that language they can't... And American English is SIMILAR to Brit English but slightly different... some things just don't make sense to them as some don't make sense to us. Everyone in my opinion has the right to read in whatever language they want if they want to read a great book in their "language" so they r most relaxed and can enjoy it better. I repeat some of the changes were unnecessary but so was this huge argument

LunaNotLoony JK said so, therefore it must be true. While I agree pretty much with this article (though I though they did change mum/mam to mom), that statement just made me laugh. The best example I can think of is her doing Ron/Hermione ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE BOOKS THEN RANDOMLY IN AN INTERVIEW DECIDING TO SAY THEY WOULD END UP IN COUPLE COUNSELLING! Sorry, I am quite angry about this, though the interview wasn't as bad as I thought when I read the transcript, but still... Anyway, JK isn't a goddess. She makes mistakes, changes her mind, like a normal person. Just because she said it does not mean it's the best possible thing (though it is most of the time LOL).

LunaNotLoony A satsuma is a giant orange? Are you talking American or English, because in England, it's a small orange.

lupin369 I completely agree. we americans are not stupid. It seems like we don't understand the words, so they were changed. I completely understand why they were changed- we just speak in different ways! so why do people think they changed it because we can't understand? I will never know.

hermionicole You’re all too hot… what’s done is done…and can’t be undone… the book was altered a little bit, yeah it’s a big deal…and they shouldn’t have done that because Rowling wrote the book and not them… If they wanted a book with The Sorcerer’s Stone title on it then they should have written a book all to themselves… but certain changes were quite unnecessary… no one really has the right to edit the book except J.K. Rowling… I’m not going against the Americans or the British, what I’m saying is that they should have had at least respected the author… that’s all…

Flickerflame Changing some of the terminology makes sense, when some words have different meanings in UK English and American English. But changing the title because they thought Philosopher's Stone would sound boring to Americans? Insane.

MurkS3ason People seem to forget that these books were written for children. American children would have had trouble with many of the British terms in the original books. Although, as an adult now, I am sad that the versions are not identical because it takes away from the original tone of the books and alters its genius. On a positive note, it gives us reason to buy many editions from different countries to compare and contrast verbiage. Ultimately I believe it to have been the right move. Without the American readership/popularity. The books would have never received the world wide recognition that it now enjoys. Britain produced the classic, but America made it internationally famous. Plus, the American artwork is undoubtedly better, which made it more visually appealing to families/kids.

Sickle_Claw The US versions are superior, if nothing else because they contain Mary GrandPré's fantastic illustrations. Also, American English is more practical and to the point, instead of trying to be all fancy dandy like British English. Why would 'mum' be the shorthand for Mother? That doesn't even make any sense. A lot of British terminology is just plain goofy and not grammatically correct. It sounds like gibberish. You have to be steeped into the culture in order to understand it. Some Brits like to look down their nose at us and condescend Americans by claiming we can't understand them because of our lack of intelligence. No, it's because of cultural differences and because you've made the language so unnecessarily convoluted and nonsensical that even a native English speaker needs a key in order to be able to decipher it.

Livi_macaroni55 Awesome article

3

HBP - Harry and Slughorn

added by PotterGal

2

Dumbledore's Army

added by Misstmor

3

French Half Blood Prince Calendar

added by shieldmaiden

Source: Warner Bros.

4

2007 Entertainment Weekly

added by dlyteful

7

Bonnie Wright

added by tubby2002

7

Dan Radcliffe

added by tubby2002

12

J.K. Rowling goes Beyond the Epilogue

posted by Thecharliejay

J.K. Rowling goes Beyond the Epilogue
[info from various sources including MSNBC and USA Today]

J.K. Rowling has announced in new interviews with the Today toon on NBC TV today (July 26) that the epilogue of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was vague on purpose.

She zei it was her desire for it to be "nebulous," something "poetic," and that she wanted the readers to feel as if they were looking at Platform 9 3/4 through the mist, unable to make out exactly who was there and who was not.

She admitted her original epilogue was "a lot meer detailed," including the name of every child born to...

5

33 Great Things About Harry Potter (in honor of his 33rd bday)

posted by zar_far11

The Boy Who Lived turns 33 today (age determined door Muggles That Rule The Internet), and he’s probably having a pretty great day. His kids aren’t yet at Hogwarts, so — if I can get a little fan fiction-y on u for a moment — he’s probably just spending the dag with Ginny, James Sirius, Albus Severus, and Lily Luna. His life is a lot easier now; not having a noseless mass murderer breathing down your neck (and in your head!) does wonders for your stress level. There’s a reason J.K. Rowling focused the story on his teenage years and isn’t currently writing an eighth book called...

6

Harry Potter vs Twilight

posted by HarryPotter1357

Lately I have come across many, many, many blogs talking about how twilight is better than Harry Potter. Now I'm going to tell u the reasons why that is so completely wrong!
1. Harry Potter has structured plot. If u think about it, Twilight is just about a girl with no emotion who gets stalked door a sparkling pixie. Harry Potter is about a boy who has to endure many difficult challenges growing up in life, like having to face the fact his parents were killed door Lord Voldemort, and eventually overcoming all of this and defeating the darkest wizard of the age. Plus there are things like ACTUAL...

9

Harry Potter Facts Pt 1

posted by koolamelia

1. The Spell for the Dark Mark "Morsmorde" means Take a Bit out of death in French.

2. Rupert Grint, the actor who plays Ron Weasley owns his own ice cream but cannot legally sell ice creams because he doesn't feel like doing the paper work

3. During filming one of the breakfasts at Hogwarts, Daniel Radcliffe gave all his spek to a 10 jaar old because he wa sick of having to eat it again and again.

4. Crookshanks is part Kneazle so he can sniff out anyone suspicious.

5. Demetors don't breed, they grow in damp, dark places.

6. To get into The Ministry Of Magic u have to dial 62442 to get...

9

Sirius Black's Last Words

posted by modrockz

Were Sirius Black somehow capable of getting some short and other very, very long messages to certain people at the moment he died, this is what he would have said.
To Hermione Granger: I am forever grateful for your intelligence and courage. I truly and literally owe u my soul.
To Ron Weasley: I’m still really sorry I had to break your leg. It was necessary. I’m sure u understand.
To Peter Pettigrew: I will find u in Hell someday. u mark my words.
To Molly Weasley: For all of our differences, u are the closest thing to a mother Harry has ever known. I know u will take good care...

4

Lily's theme & things it made me realize.

posted by jhakanaka420

Severus Snape,the missing piece of puzzle of the Harry Potter series.He is also perhaps the most crucial character in the whole series and after its completion,many readers' favourite.In short,he is JK Rowling's masterstroke.

But to be frank,even a few days back I could not even sympathize with Severus.In the initial boeken he was just a menacing person who gives the trio a hard time without really any proper reason.He was not even a just professor always favoring his own house students.Harry didn't like him either of course & suspected his involvement in the many dark things that start happening...

2

Ginny's Story: Chapter 2

posted by PotterLambert93

Chapter 2
Bad News

A few days had passed since the disaster. Ginny and her mother were preparing avondeten, diner while everyone was at work. She was doing everything she can to avoid Harry in her thoughts door doing chores. As avondeten, diner was set on the table, Mr Weasley arrived home, looking distraught.

Ginny: Is everything ok at work dad? she noticed The Daily Prophet in his hands

Mr. Weasley: Well, I think this should explain it...

He gave the Daily Prophet to his daughter. Suddenly, Ginny gave a huge outcry. Right in front of the paper was a picture of Harry with big huge words:

WANTED...

3

He's not my boyfriend! (A Harry Potter Fanfic) Chapter 11

posted by dpaisita97

WHOOPS, SORRY FOR THE LONG WAIT GUYS, I DIDNT WANT TO WAIT THIS LONG, BUT WELL IM NOT GONNA GIVE u MY LIFE STORY, ANY WAY HERE IS THE LONG AWAITED CHAPTER.

Chapter 11:Sista's before Mista's,right?

Well, oh man what should I do? Just let all of this blow over? It's her fault. Buuut, she DID apologize,and all those fun times we had together. Oh man flashback.

*******FLASHBACK*******
"What's that thing with wheels that u have?What does it do?"
"It's a skateboard, and u ride it.See, u stand on this wooden part, the deck,and u put one foot at the tip, of the tail,and the other foot on the...

17

No One Bullies A Weasley

posted by RealBenTennyson

NO ONE BULLIES A WEASLEY

A volgende generation one-shot drabble.....

23rd September 2019

Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft and Wizardy

Great Hall

9:30 AM

The breakfast was over, so there were very few students in Great Hall.

Hugo Weasley was sitting on Gryffindor tafel, tabel with a book in his lap. AGAIN.

But he was not alone. Marcus Mills, a first-year Slytherin was also there with his two cronies.

"Look who is here! What are u doing here Weasley?," asked Mills in his normal taunting voice.

"Can't u see, I'm reading.," replied Hugo. BAD MOVE.

"Reading! On weekend! Lemme see what u are reading.," zei Mills snatching...

5

J.K. Rowling Biography Research Project

posted by alexthedog

I did this for a school project in English class. Enjoy!

Pete and Anne Rowling met on a train, which is where their world-renowned daughter imagined her most famous creation Harry Potter, years later. Famous auteur J.K. Rowling has become one of the most challenged writers in publishing history. J.K. Rowling was born as Joanne Rowling on July 31, 1965. She started writing at a young age, and worked her way up to winning a Hugo Award in 2001. Rowling used her wealth to become one of the most generous celebrities, donating to charities, and taking part in many organizations. She is the celebrated...

4

WHY DOSE PEOPLE SAY THAT PADFOOT AND MOONY ARE GAY?

posted by madisynn4

Today I was reading a book on my kendle , WELL it was reading to me and I bought a book called MUGGLE NET .COM : HARRY POTTER HAVE SHOULD DIE! I READ A SAMPLE OF IT AND IT zei THAT SIRIUS BLACK LIKED LUPIN AND I WAS LIKE WHATTTTTTTT ! It book was a lie and it also zei that ALBUS .D was gay so don't read that book but here is a sample of the wierd , selfish and GAYYYY book. " ALBUS D. DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO FALL IN LOVE WITH A GIRL SO HE FELL IN LOVE WITH GRIMWATER AND SIRIUS BLACK LOVED LUPIN , HIS MOTHER WANT HIM TO MARRY A PURBLOOD SO BLACK GOT PICS OF MUGGLE WOLMEN IN THERE BATHINGSUITS...

5

"WHAT IS THE POINT OF ASKING THESE STUPID QUESTIONS?"

posted by emilykuru

So, im writing this artikel because im pissed off!

Do u guys know why? Its because I’ve seen many people in this club always asking the same vraag – the vraag that I hate to see,the vraag that I’ve answered so many times,the vraag that is unnecessary.

And it is called - “Why do most people hate ginny?”

And the same vraag keeps coming up again and again, like “why do most people not like ginny weasley”, “why do people hate ginny?”, “why……… and so on!

Now the thing that bothers me is not the vraag itself! But the purpose of the question! I don’t see any...

7

Rita Skeeter: Interview with Bellatrix Lestrange

posted by KateKicksAss

Me, Myself, and I

By Rita Skeeter

Exclusive interview with notorious Death Eater Bellatrix Lestrange

Here I am, sitting in the private dungeon of the notorious Bellatrix Lestrange, most feared follower of the Dark Lord, and having a completely normal interview. Read on to see if there’s meer to Bellatrix than just madness and a nasty reputation!

RS: Hello!

BL: *growls*

RS: Do u mind if I use a quick-quotes quill?

BL: What’s that?

*fingers wand handle threateningly*

RS: Oh, nothing, erm, moving on…Can I call u Bella?

BL: No.

RS: How would u describe your relationship with the man known as...

3

the hollows | chapter one

posted by starvingbarbie

CHAPTER ONE

VIOLA HOLLOW – RAVENCLAW POV

Hogwarts was a school of witchcraft and wizardry.

Haven’t heard of it? kom bij the club.

A selected few used to think that being called a “witch” was an insult. I’m one of those selected few, being a muggle-born and all. Although “muggle-born” is the politically correct term, Slytherins have developed a habit of calling us “mudbloods”. It’s a highly offensive term.

I was a witch, while my brother was a wizard. We both come from a string of muggles – A.K.A. non-magical beings – who have never heard of “Hogwarts” of anything else that...