| New York Transport |
[01 Jul 2009|07:17am] |
As I'm sure everyone knows, most actors, however famous, use the Tube (Underground railway) in London if they are working in the West End theatres or for the BBC. It's easier to get across town that way and parking restrictions in the capital make it expensive and awkward to use a car.
So, would actors do the same in New York when working on Broadway? Would, say, someone of the status of Ian McKellan use the Subway or other public transport?
ETA: Thanks everyine this has been incredibly useful
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| Hello everyone |
[30 Jun 2009|02:12pm] |
Hello there, everyone. I just found this comm and it looks very interesting, so I thought I'd join. I'd love to help any writers with crazy Americanisms! :)
I've lived in Minnesota for 6 years, so I can help people with the speech patterns and such of my state. Though, I can't think of any fandoms that take place in Minnesota, besides some movies like Juno, or Fargo. Which is actually North Dakota, but very close to the border. I've also lived in Massachusetts and Connecticut, though that was when I was younger so I might not be able to remember some things.
One of the most unique speech patterns we have is the use of the word "with" at the end of sentences. A conversation that may be heard throughout the rest of America might sound something like this....
Joe: Hey, I'm going to the movies. Wanna come with me?
Tom: I'm hanging out with Kevin.
Joe: That's ok, just bring him along with you.
In Minnesota, however, it would play out more like...
Joe: Hey, I'm going to the movies. Wannna come with?
Tom: I'm hanging out with Kevin.
Joe: That's ok, just bring him with.
See, that was very fun and educational. I could write more but I'm not sure what people would need help with. Just thought I'd give you some idea. :)
Also, almost NOBODY actually eats Lutefisk, but everyone sure as hell knows what it is, and might refer to it jokingly. And yes, cutting holes in ice and sitting around it in a tent, holding a fishingpole all day is in fact one of the most popular sports here. During the winter. The ice fishing opener is always mentioned in the news.
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| american bars? |
[29 Jun 2009|11:57am] |
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Quick question about bars in America-would they serve beers in bottles or glasses? I've got them drinking first in Illinois, and then in Nevada, if it varies from state to state.
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| Sprog? |
[24 Jun 2009|09:01am] |
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Would a lower class woman from Boston (Faith Lehane, if anyone's interested) use the word "sprog" when talking about her baby? Or does that sound extremely British?
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| Roadtrip questions: Nevada to Vancouver |
[21 Jun 2009|03:30pm] |
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mood |
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I've just found this community, so hello! It may be odd for a USian to be asking this question, but I live in New England and I've never driven anywhere west of Louisiana, so I hope this is all right.
I have a character (Rodney McKay of Stargate: Atlantis, in case that affects anyone's answers) who needs to drive from Nellis AFB, Nevada, to Vancouver, BC, Canada. He's driving alone and plans to drive as straight through as possible. He'll stop for fuel, bathroom breaks, and purchases of coffee/fast food as needed, but his intent is to get to Vancouver as quickly as possible without getting tagged for road violations. (He isn't counting on excessive speeding to cut the trip time, in other words.)
Google tells me that he's looking at a road time of a little over 20 hours, but I know that often translates oddly to actual trip time. In this case, I'm pretty sure the mountainous terrain affects travel and I don't know if Google accounts for that. Further, this is occurring sometime around March 2002 in a regular passenger car, so winter weather may also be a concern.
Is it reasonable for the character to think that he can make this drive in one straight run without stopping off for a night? (I'm less concerned with whether he's right than with what he might reasonably expect.) He's accustomed to being wakeful for long periods when necessary, so a 24-hour period wouldn't alarm him but 36 would give him pause, I'd say. He's setting out in the early afternoon and is prepared to drive through the night; I'm currently thinking he hopes to reach his destination by the next evening and want to know if that's insane. Any information, thoughts, or speculation greatly appreciated!
ETA: It sounds as if it's not a completely ludicrous expectation if the weather holds, and spot checks via Wunderground suggest favorable temperatures and lack-of-precipitation, so this seems to work for my character. Thanks, y'all -- this comm is great!
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| Food... |
[08 Apr 2009|08:16am] |
If I have someone eat:
ice-cream garnished with chocolate topping, Twinkies, syrup, and Snickers Bars
...ignoring how completely ridiculous that combination is, do the individual items listed sound like things you'd have in California?
Or do I need to change some of them?
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| Question about Cardiff, Wales (yes I'm in the right comm!) |
[29 Mar 2009|03:09am] |
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mood |
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I have a question for you American fans! I’ve got an idea for a Torchwood crossover fic with an American fandom, and I need help with the characters’ reactions when they are told they’ll be coming to Cardiff.
I’ve heard some Americans use ‘England’ when referring to Wales, or Britain as a whole, but how common is this misunderstanding? Have most people heard of Cardiff, and would they have any idea where it actually is? What are the possible (if any) stereotypes and/or preconceptions that my American characters may hold about the city, the country and the people?
Since most of my knowledge about America comes from watching TV, I suppose more people may have become aware of Wales and Cardiff since Torchwood and the more recent Doctor Who series aired (I’ve got no idea how popular they are!). If that’s the case, I’m interested in people’s views from before these shows began.
Thanks for any help you can give me!
Crossposted to ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif) torch_wood_cafe
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| Smoking in Ohio. |
[21 Mar 2009|01:19am] |
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mood |
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curious |
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Hi everybody. I have a quick question I hope somebody can help me with :)
Could you smoke in bars in Ohio in 2004? Or was there already a smoking ban in public places?
Thanks in advance for any help you can give.
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| car trip? |
[15 Mar 2009|03:13pm] |
I need a little help with a car trip/geography. I want to get my characters from Central Illinois to somewhere in Nevada. Googlemaps tells me it can be done in just over a day, but that seems kinda short for the distance. Can anyone give me a good estimate of how long it would really take, assuming they don't push it too hard. Also, a quick rundown of the geography along the way would be nice. My map has them going in a straight line through Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming and Utah. Oh, and the typical weather for the areas? It'd be in late July/early August. I'll do all the research I can, but I'd still appreciate some first-hand knowledge of the areas.
Many thanks!
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| Contractions |
[18 Feb 2009|10:15pm] |
Courtesy of a beta conversation, I've been led to wonder about contractions, and wondered which of these, if any, would be the most usual form in American English.
"I don't have all day."
"I haven't got all day."
"I've not got all day."
I know from experience that there is often a lively debate in this community, and I love it, but I find it hard to keep up with commenting in response. So thank you in advance - your help is greatly appreciated!
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| offices and cellars? |
[02 Jan 2009|07:33pm] |
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Would an office building in an American city have a cellar level? What sort of place might it be? I'm thinking of a regular, paper-pushing type of office in a mid-sized city, and I'm guessing it would sort of be a filing place, maybe?
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| High school calendar |
[18 Nov 2008|12:48am] |
I have some questions about high school:
Spring break - this falls in the middle of second semester, right? Or towards the end of the school year, anyway?
So at this point in the school year - following spring break - would seniors already have their college applications in? Would some of them know if they'd been accepted? What about those aiming for a sports scholarship?
Also, what time of year is high school football usually played, or is it an all year round thing?
Thank you!
ETA: Thanks everyone, I think I've got a good idea of how these things work. *hearts this comm so much*
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| Hospital treatment |
[13 Nov 2008|05:54pm] |
Right, so, I have a character (I'll call him A) who's going to need to be hospitalised after a near-drowning accident. Trouble is, he's also a wanted terrorist, and if he gives any personally-identifiable information, he's as good as dead.
He's going to get better fast, so what I need to know is -
1) What kind of official records would a hospital look at?
2) What kind of paperwork is done during treatment, or when a patient is discharged?
3) How would they go about paying for treatment? Would it be sensible for his friend B, a hacker, to create a fake medical insurance record for him, or would it be better for them to just assume A's fake identity is uninsured, and pay? How would they do either? Who would they go to in order to pay?
If it helps, the hospital will be in New York.
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| Serving in the army |
[31 Oct 2008|11:10pm] |
I have some quite specific questions which I'm hoping this lovely community will be able to help out with.
I think I'm right in saying that you have to be eighteen to enlist in the army - is that correct? I imagine that since the army is a federal force that rule would prevail across the country, but are there any regional military-type organisations which have different rules?
Prior to turning eighteen, is it possible to do any kind of army training? In the UK we have Army Cadets, who are a more military version of the scouts, and wear uniform and get to do lots of things that are involved in army training. Is there any equivalent in the US? If so, what are they allowed to do? I'm wondering specifically if they are trained to handle guns - I don't think the UK ones are, but our gun laws are much stricter.
Following enlisting, what's the minimum amount of time before a new recruit would be deployed to active service overseas?
Thank you very much indeed!
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| School question |
[28 Oct 2008|09:24pm] |
I did check the archives and can't find the answer to this already, so...
1st Grade, 7th Grade, 5th Grade [etc].
Is there a simple way of remembering/knowing what they mean?
Thanks!
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| Help! |
[06 Oct 2008|12:49am] |
Hey guys! Have a few quick questions..
1. What are the American terms for afternoon meals and evening meals?
I know that the general terms are lunch and dinner. But I get so confused when someone uses the term "supper" as that has its own significance in the UK and then we have "tea" as well which the Americans find confusing (and funny) and let's not even go there ;) Can someone please explain? The characters are Americans (from Texas) living in Canada.
ETA: Lunch and Dinner it is
2. Would the same characters call the refrigerator a fridge? Or a freezer or something else?
ETA: Fridge is right
3. You know how in some fighter jets there are no doors on the side like on giant commercial planes. Instead there is a cargo hold-like entrance at the back of the aircraft? I'm drawing a complete blank on what this "door thingie" is called and I don't even know what to google for :) How would you say something like - "the jet landed and the <<...>> opened to let the X-Men out" ??
ETA: The hatch!
Thank you people! :)
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| Radio four? |
[21 Sep 2008|02:35pm] |
Is there an American equivalent to Radio Four? Specifically a talk orientated station for middle class, middle aged people?
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| drinks |
[21 Sep 2008|02:54pm] |
Two questions:
1 - do Americans talk about "sculling" drinks (ie - drinking them really fast)?
2 - what is a beer my Californian character might have, and would he buy it in sixpacks?
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| Flannel? |
[23 Aug 2008|09:46pm] |
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What's American-speak for a flannel, ie a small square of towelling used to wash self?
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| Query about tween tastes... |
[20 Aug 2008|08:07pm] |
(Am going to post across to personal journal)
So, a character is talking about a young girl she is the 'honorary' big sister/god mother type to. Said young girl is about seven years old. She's very much a 'normal' little girl, likes pink and cuddly toys.
Said character says that said little girl's taste in film "Runs more to___________ than Hitchcock."
The question is - what is more likely for a young girl to be into. Hannah Montana or High School Musical?
If it was UK, I'd say High School Musical (it's everywhere!) but as I don't have kids...
Help?
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