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As a young American graduate student in London, I often elicited howls of laughter or mere bafflement from my British colleagues with my apparent mangling of the English language. One evening in particular, my friends were quite amused when I announced that I needed to change my pants before heading down to the pub. How was I to know that “pants” was short for “underpants”? (What we call pants in the U.S. are called trousers in the U.K.)
Maybe that’s why today I am particularly attuned to British word usage in American publications. When I’m editing manuscripts and see “jumper” instead of “sweater,” or “lift” instead of “elevator,” my impulse is to change the phrase to American usage. But because a number of freelance writers for National Geographic have been schooled in British usage, I often resist that urge in order to preserve their writerly voices—as long as the usage is clear.
That’s how a lake became a mere in the February edition’s Photo Journal. Irish photographer Andrew McConnell wrote of “the surreal stories of Lake Katwe, a volcanic mere” in Uganda. I wasn’t familiar with the British term “mere,” which means “an expanse of water,” as in a lake. We could have avoided using the word by saying “the surreal stories of volcanic Lake Katwe.” The text editor, however, liked the use of the unfamiliar term and wanted to keep McConnell’s language intact. Another colleague questioned why we used the word—and seemingly sent the majority of our American readers to the dictionary to look it up—when it just means a lake.
Yes, a mere is just a lake. But what’s your take on British terms in American publications? Is it proper to use them, or are they downright daft?
—David Brindley
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Comments
Mar 12, 2009 2PM #
I personally love British terms, and always wear "trainers", never sneakers or running shoes. As a Canadian, I do get funny looks, but I persevere nonetheless! Please keep those uniquely British or Australian or Canadian terms...these cultural markers are too precious to lose. And if I have to run to the dictionary, thanks to NG for teaching me something new!
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