Marks and Spencer’s is such a dumb name for a supermarket though.
The Uk is full of dumb nonsensical names.
Curries is an electric store.
Oh yes, perfect sense.
Please don’t let anyone Americanise it (1992)
271–280 of 326 posts
Re: Please don’t let anyone Americanise it (1992)
#272For some reason, in Ireland and possibly the UK, The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were instead called The Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles. 'Ninja' may have been too violent
I think that's right!
Incidentally, I was recently very surprised to discover, via my young nephew, that the Turtles are still very much a thing. Who'd have thought of the Ninja Turtles as a piece of 90s culture that would endure?
Re: Please don’t let anyone Americanise it (1992)
#273I used to grow up watching Danger Mouse, one of the most British cartoon shows. I still have fond memories of it and the dialog holds up well, acquiring nuance that went over my head as a kid, that I can appreciate as an adult. I learned about London landmarks -- Baker Street, Willesden Green, the Tower of London -- through this show, and even things like what a pillarbox is. Britishisms like that were always nameche…
I LOVE Danger Mouse. It still totally holds up.
Also Count Duckula! David Jason (who is very English) did an American accent in that. Which I don't recall finding odd at the time, as a child.
Re: Please don’t let anyone Americanise it (1992)
#274I am young so take my answer with a grain of salt but a digital watch number is instantly recognizable to me, more so then an analog watch.
My children would concur: they prefer digital time I think because that's what computers generally give. Also they prefer to have subtitles on but that's by the by.
I enjoyed Douglas Adam's letter though I can't help thinking it was meant for publication.
Re: Please don’t let anyone Americanise it (1992)
#275Earlier quoted context omitted.
> I'm not sure there's any reason to make that assumption. analog clocks are modeled around the idea that the time is circular because that's the natural cycle of day and night (same concept of the meridian, plus dark hours, when there is no shadow). I imagine that any alien civilization that lives on a planet that rotates around its star and has a light/dark cycle would measure time in a similar fashion.
> analog clocks are modeled around the idea that the time is circular because that's the natural cycle of day and night This is not supported by evidence. For one, it would make a 24 hour dial make more sense than a 12 hour one. For two, many early non-discrete clocks took the form of parallax observation or liquid flows and were not inherently circular. https://muslimheritage.com/the-clocks-of-al-muradi/ https://en.…
Iirc historically the day was first split into 12 parts with sundials, and only later was the night also split into 12 parts. Maybe thats where the 2x12 comes from. I guess another benefit is that it's simply less cluttered with 12 divisions.
Re: Please don’t let anyone Americanise it (1992)
#276Adams was brilliant, of course, but to me part of the appeal of Hitchhiker's was its deep Britishness. Absurdity is funnier against a backdrop of English inhibition. Monty Python's "Ministry of Silly Walks" is only funny because it's so English. Spinal Tap took on fake English accents because it's funnier that way. Comedy is about contrasts you see.
Re: Please don’t let anyone Americanise it (1992)
#277Earlier quoted context omitted.
I can't say I've ever taken the second hand into account when looking at an analogue clock to check the time, nor do I usually find myself reading the minute hand more precisely than 5 minute intervals. I've certainly watched it slowly approach 12 when waiting to get out of class or something like that, but I could just as easily watch a number count up toward 60.
It’s a useful skill. Anyway, you don’t actually need a second hand to get sub minute precision as a minute hand should be continually sweeping through the range. Which is why people in the thread are talking about the feel of time. You can get an intuitive feel of how much you need to speed up etc.
I was aware I had poor eyesight, but I'm kind of amazed to hear that there's anyone who can clearly see the position of a minute hand between two tick marks on a clock from any reasonable distance.
Re: Please don’t let anyone Americanise it (1992)
#278I've always been annoyed they replaced "Philosopher's Stone" with "Sorcerer's Stone" in the title of the Harry Potter novel, for American consumption. It feels kinda of insulting, frankly. I recently and randomly picked up a Japanese book, 1Q84. I was enjoying it quite a bit, when I started thinking about the cultural references it contained - it has numerous references to Western classical music and Sean Connery. It…
Agree. I remember very fondly an English translation of Gunter Grass' "Dog Years" for how German the novel felt. A great translation gives the reader the original's feel and impression. Too many editions/translations pander to the lowest factor and try to keep the even the dumbest reader comfortable!
Re: Please don’t let anyone Americanise it (1992)
#279Earlier quoted context omitted.
The myth of the Philosopher's Stone is not widely known outside the UK. Without correct context the title is dead boring and doesn't sound like it has anything to do with magic. Imagine picking up a book called "John Smith and the Architect's Compass" and having someone tell you the title makes sense because there is a legend about an ancient cult who guards a a device that can locate the holy grail.
It's pretty widely known at least in Western Europe. I knew it from primary school history class in the Netherlands (long before the first Harry Potter book was published). Similar for German and French colleagues. Not sure why the title should be changed to sound like it has something to do with magic. For people who are aware of the legend, the original title would mostly bring up associations with alchemy.
The fact that Americans like the title and Europeans do not... it's an excellent argument for that particular localization.
Re: Please don’t let anyone Americanise it (1992)
#280> Please don’t let anyone Americanize it
TFTFY