(no subject)

[doyle]

Hmm. Looking through some old BBF discussion and I saw this comment by Gyrus (whose LJ handle I forget, sorry):

(For example, I recently read a fic in which something bad happens and Giles tries to tell Buffy that there was no way she could have anticipated it. She replies, "But I should've done!" That just looks weird to a Yank like me.)

I'm sure I'm guilty of using that myself. Why's it wrong? Should it be 'shoulda' instead of should've?

...any other glaring errors any of you have noticed non-Americans making? Because god knows I could go on for pages in obsessive Brit-picking of both Harry Potter fics and Buffy fics set in England (the language thing I get, but some of the cultural stuff, the 'my character's British so they've never heard of ___' : we do have pizzas and action movies and strange flavours of chips/crisps in Britain and Ireland, I promise you)

Comments

[dodyskin.livejournal.com]

It's ridiculous to change the spelling for an American character. It's artificial and silly, and inconsistent spelling throughout would be far more distracting. The only possible reason I could see for doing that is if it is a diary-fic or something similar, where it is actually the characters writing. Otherwise, that's like saying I didn't like this fic because the handwriting wasn't accurate, or the page indent was culturally inappropriate. Silly.

[attaining.livejournal.com]

I didn't say it was a flaw. I said it was something I noticed, and sorry, I wasn't making myself clear; I meant diary type things. Not meaning to offend; I was just stating an observation. Apologies.

[dodyskin.livejournal.com]

No apologies necessary--not offended, just opinionated. On the diary type things I completely agree. On the other hand, how do you feel about spelling mistakes? Authentic, but aggravating. :)

[attaining.livejournal.com]

Opinionated is good! I've just not been very great with the concept of "communication" this week. ;) Hee, yes, that's very true. A few are fine. But when every other sentence is that way? You're taking on the role a little too extremely. ;)