Americanisms

[Tommens Cat]

Scottish. C*** is definitely creeping into more usage here. Although, pretty much just referring to a man.

Only a c*** would call a woman a c***.

Haha. That's a zinger

[Red Raven]

<----- American

The only thing that has jarred me is quite minor and really random- the use of the word cunt in a sexist way, as notably monologued about by Asha. In Britain, it's mainly used against men, hence it being a little less tabboo.

I've heard it used by both Americans and British and there is a difference, though less so now than there used to be.

The British I've heard have used it against males as a more coarse way to say "idiot" "moron" "jerk" "jackass"...things along those lines.

In the US it was virtually exclusively leveled against women as the worst possible insult you could imagine. In the last few years, however, I've heard Americans use it more often against males and more in the British manner.

Like "bitch" it's becoming more gender-neutral.

* * *

It's a little jarring for the characters to use "feet" and "miles" to denote distances because it sounds so American. I'd almost rather they use "kilometers" but I know that's backwards because metrics are relatively recent and use of the imperial system (that us Americans obviously still use) goes back centuries before.

[Stannis Eats No Peaches]

<----- American

I've heard it used by both Americans and British and there is a difference, though less so now than there used to be.

The British I've heard have used it against males as a more coarse way to say "idiot" "moron" "jerk" "jackass"...things along those lines.

In the US it was virtually exclusively leveled against women as the worst possible insult you could imagine. In the last few years, however, I've heard Americans use it more often against males and more in the British manner.

Like "bitch" it's becoming more gender-neutral.

* * *

It's a little jarring for the characters to use "feet" and "miles" to denote distances because it sounds so American. I'd almost rather they use "kilometers" but I know that's backwards because metrics are relatively recent and use of the imperial system (that us Americans obviously still use) goes back centuries before.

Actually miles are almost always used for long distances in the UK. Feet are used too but metric is also common for short distances.

[mcb]

I believe that the actual size and climate of Westeros is a distinctly American influence - it may look like Scotland, but it's comparable in size to Europe or even South America. There are a handful of nations in the world large enough to have a cultural expectation that contiguous nations equal small continents: Russia, Canada, Brazil, China, India, Australia, and the USA. I do think his American background influenced GRRM's worldbuilding - there just aren't that many countries with both the extreme variations in local climate and the sheer size of climactic zones as found in Westeros.

Nah. There's nothing inherently American about big countries. The author just needed an epic setting for his epic story. Middle-earth looks big, too. And any real world inspirations were medieval or ancient rather than modern.

(Sorry for not contributing anything regarding cunt.)

It's a little jarring for the characters to use "feet" and "miles" to denote distances because it sounds so American. I'd almost rather they use "kilometers" but I know that's backwards because metrics are relatively recent and use of the imperial system (that us Americans obviously still use) goes back centuries before.

It sounds American only if you are American. Otherwise, it just sounds like an old unit of length, once used by everyone (although good luck figuring out whether a medieval French foot was shorter or longer than a medieval English foot).

[Theda Baratheon]

lol I used ''cunt'' for men and women, if someone's a shit then they're a shit but yeh, in the UK it's not a sexist term, just a word for a total twat.

[Stannis Eats No Peaches]

Martin is an American and more than likely writes using American spelling: color, analyze and center. However, editors adapt the language for the countries the books are sold in so the spelling in a book bought in Britain will have colour, analyse and centre. Word selection, such as cunt, etc. doesn't get adapted so it might not follow local language conventions.

Actually my British copy uses "honor."

[The Great Walrus]

lol I used ''cunt'' for men and women, if someone's a shit then they're a shit but yeh, in the UK it's not a sexist term, just a word for a total twat.

Were as in America it's essentially the female version of the N word.

[Red Raven]

Actually miles are almost always used for long distances in the UK. Feet are used too but metric is also common for short distances.

Stannis Eats No Peaches, thanks. I wasn't sure if there was still a residual usage in the UK.

[Ser Pounce FTW]

Actually my British copy uses "honor."

Really? And the other different spellings, too? That is very surprising.

[Lordling]

An Americanism I can think of off the top of my head is Robert saying "ass" in AGoT. We say "arse" in Britain, "ass" means a donkey.

I'm also pretty sure that Jon calls Theon an "Ass" in Bran's first chapter of AGoT. Arse seems to get used more as the books progress. (I've never understood the word asshole. A donkey hole?) I'm sure (and glad) that Martin uses "arse" more frequently in the later books e.g. "he fell on his arse". (In Australia it's all arse.)

[Ser Edmure Tully]

That's because we have been formed to imagine that. Because the plan worked, as it did for the Christians and many other political and powerful entity. You can't kill all the women or pagans, but you can dilute the cognitive process of a population to make them control or police themselves.

How very Foucaultian.

[Stannis Eats No Peaches]

I'm also pretty sure that Jon calls Theon an "Ass" in Bran's first chapter of AGoT. Arse seems to get used more as the books progress. (I've never understood the word asshole. A donkey hole?) I'm sure (and glad) that Martin uses "arse" more frequently in the later books e.g. "he fell on his arse". (In Australia it's all arse.)

When Jon calls Theon an ass, I think he means donkey.

[Stannis Eats No Peaches]

Really? And the other different spellings, too? That is very surprising.

I think so yeah. ETA: White Harbor too, but that's a name so it's understandable.

[Kienn]

On the OP I had rather anglocentrically I know assumed GRRM was British at first as when I looked at westeros I saw Scotland, Hadriens Wall, the North with Winterfell - York and its more stoic salt of the earth types, and the South with KL- London and the flashy, dishonest southerners. Woops.

rather shamefuly.

U in words refers to Anglo spelling such as Colour

another one is Z in things which I would spell with an S recognise and recognize for instance. and yes it catches me out and throws me off every time.

Umm... by Scotland don't you mean the whole island of Great Britain? The whole thing looks nothing like the scotland portion to me, but look at Great Britain and Plymouth = Sunspear and Highgarden = London. Then some minor changes north of that (add the fingers) and obviously flip the whole thing east/west.

[Ser Edmure Tully]

Scottish. C*** is definitely creeping into more usage here. Although, pretty much just referring to a man.

Only a c*** would call a woman a c***.

Pretty much the same where I'm from in Australia.

[FrozenFire3]

Nah. There's nothing inherently American about big countries. The author just needed an epic setting for his epic story. Middle-earth looks big, too. And any real world inspirations were medieval or ancient rather than modern.

(Sorry for not contributing anything regarding cunt.)

It sounds American only if you are American. Otherwise, it just sounds like an old unit of length, once used by everyone (although good luck figuring out whether a medieval French foot was shorter or longer than a medieval English foot).

:agree: I believe Martin's influence is intrinsically 'global', from Midlle Eastern Dornish settings to Venetian Braavosi canals and bridges. His is a fictitious world that gets inspiration from English and European medieval history, Classical Tragedy, Roman Republic history, Celtic/Arthurian/Northern legends, Greek mithology and thousands and one different cosmogonies. Not to mention its countless literary echoes and even... animal ethology LOL It's the universal quality of his writing that appeals to people all over the world and explains its success.

[The Boar of Gore]

Scottish. C*** is definitely creeping into more usage here. Although, pretty much just referring to a man.

Only a c*** would call a woman a c***.

We built a wall to keep you c***s out.

[Pharnavaziani]

Nah. There's nothing inherently American about big countries. The author just needed an epic setting for his epic story. Middle-earth looks big, too. And any real world inspirations were medieval or ancient rather than modern.

No, but there aren't actually that many that have such a diversity of expansive, unique climates. The USA doesn't just have warm deserts, wet rainforests, sweeping plains, towering mountains, intricate wetlands, and large arboreal areas - it has areas of the country dominated by any one of these, themselves the size of other countries.

Middle Earth is not a country. Westeros is a continent almost exclusively taken up by a single country, itself a amalgamation of nearly-equal sub-nations, with a history of ethnic migration from the East displacing native populations, but also integrating with and retaining certain indigenous customs. Of the other continent-sized countries in the real world, few have quite the same wild swings between different climates. For me, only the USA and China come to mind. I am personally pretty convinced that Westerosi geography is heavily influenced by North America in general, the USA in particular.

[King Robert's Warhammer]

We built a wall to keep you c***s out.

Are you a Roman? It was Hadrian who built the wall as he could not subdue the Scots. England on the other hand was thoroughly invaded and subjugated. :)

[Dragonstar]

As an Englishman, I find it cool how the books are based partly on my country's history, and was a little surprised they are written by an American. Which is probably a bit harsh, but also maybe a compliment that his culture hasn't seeped in. The only thing that has jarred me is quite minor and really random- the use of the word cunt in a sexist way, as notably monologued about by Asha. In Britain, it's mainly used against men, hence it being a little less tabboo. Of course there's no reason Westeros couldn't share that use of language, it just struck me as very "other side of the Atlantic". Any other examples?

Wait. The whole series and the use of the C word struck you as American?