crumpets & muffins

[Joe Pickett]

The Beatles song is "I'm So Tired" on the White Album.

John Lennon says "get," referring to Sir Walter Raleigh, who has gotten him
addicted to cigarettes.


Joe






Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU>@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on 01/18/2001
07:45:30 PM

Please respond to American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>

Sent by:  American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>


To:   ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
cc:
Subject:  Re: crumpets & muffins


>The Americanization of the Potter books is even stranger, given the fact
>that most American kids are raised on Disney Britophilia such as Peter
Pan,
>Alice in Wonderland, 101 Dalmatians, Mary Poppins, The Sword in the Stone
>(though recall the American-accented Arthur), The Great Mouse Detective
>(one of my favorites), and many others.  If kids can get the Caterpillar
>and Mad Hatter, why not the philosopher's stone?
>
>But I think the Americanization of the Potter books actually was fairly
>limited. For instance, Harry's friend Ron often uses the word "git" for
>schoolmates he doesn't like. This word is not in most American
dictionaries
>and is unfamiliar to American kids and to most of their parents as well.
>
>Joe
>
Luckily for some of those parents, the Beatles used "stupid git" in
at least one of their songs, so it's not totally unknown to us.

Larry