I'm with Fay. It isn't like British culture is that exotic from an American POV. We speak basically the same language. Much American culture is derived from British culture. Yes, a glossary would be helpful. Even a footnote the first time a word is used.

Maybe I'm trying to cultivate my eccentricity. And even though I had little problem in dealing with glossaries when I was a kid, I also was a very strange child when it came to reading.

But I'm convinced that half of America's problems in the world today are the result of complete ignorance of foreign cultures. Americans need to realize that the rest of the world isn't, and doesn't necessarily want to be, just like us. Maybe jumper vs. sweater isn't that big a difference in the grand scheme of things, but it does matter.

The Canadian editions actually provide a bit of a check here - there weren't any changes to the books, as far as I know, and most of the changes were words that are just as unfamiliar to Canadians as to Americans. Were the sales any less impressive in Canada (proportionate to population, of course)?

I suppose once it became a phenomenon, the effect of the popularity in the US would spread here (Canada) anyway. Hmm. Was there a lag in sales in Canada compared to the US? I have no idea how to look that up.

I think the changes are a bit of a shame, because I always enjoyed figuring out from context what plimsolls were and so on, but I know that I'm hardly the typical reader.

Anyway, I can afford to not care very much since it didn't inconvenience me at all. t /smug Canadian

Philosopher's Stone --> Sorcerer's Stone, OTOH, is just plain stupid. Oh noes, kids might not recognize "Philosopher's Stone" as a reference to the real history of alchemy!

Amen. Apparently kids were thought to be smarter in the '50s, since Elizabeth Enright's Gone-Away Lake uses the Philosopher's Stone as a main plot point.

The changes may have been important from a marketing point of view, but it doesn't make them less annoying. I managed E Nesbit as a kid, and picked up the odd words from context, which I was doing a lot of anyway at 8 and 9. The only thing that baffled me for a long time was "jumper."

I had problems with the word "jumper" as a kid, too!

I was happy to see the inclusion of a lot more British words in the later HP books. When I saw "trainer" instead of "sneaker," I knew that they had finally decided to trust us Yanks to figure these words out.

Yeah, I don't understand the change from Philosopher to Sorcerer at all.

I think that they thought that Sorcerer was more exciting than Philosopher. For children, philosphers are these boring old guys that just sit around and say stuff. Sorcerers do cool stuff.

Amen. Apparently kids were thought to be smarter in the '50s, since Elizabeth Enright's Gone-Away Lake uses the Philosopher's Stone as a main plot point.

yes, but it's not in the title. And the title is key for kids.

I was happy to see the inclusion of a lot more British words in the later HP books. When I saw "trainer" instead of "sneaker," I knew that they had finally decided to trust us Yanks to figure these words out.

either that, or they knew that they would sell like hotcakes regardless, so why spend the money? t /cynic

I had problems with the word "jumper" as a kid, too!

Vest is the one that always trips me up.

pparently kids were thought to be smarter in the '50s, since Elizabeth Enright's Gone-Away Lake uses the Philosopher's Stone as a main plot point.

Awww, I loved her books!

...wait, what does vest mean in British??

...wait, what does vest mean in British??

undershirt.

I still reread my Elizabeth Enright on occasion, and they're still good. The Melendys were the family I wanted to be part of, instead of my own.