I think that spellings are pretty transparent, but usage and vocabulary aren't.

I was told the Canucks go either way.

Well, Fraser certainly does. Oh, wait --

Fandom is a strange beastie. I once had someone e-mail me about a story because I had not used the French spelling of dishabille. Granted, I believe Fraser would have this information at the ready, but there is nitpicking, and then there is callous and strange nitpicking.

Apropos of very little, you know what I love? Canadian dictionaries have entries for "eh," and this pleases me.

On the language issue, there was something I was reading (I'm pretty sure it was RENTfic) where two of the characters were having a conversation in Spanish, and the entire thing, including the "How are you doing? Are you well?" "Yes, Mama. Have you heard from Carlos lately?" things that weren't relevant to the story at all, were written in Spanish, then had the English translation in brackets. But the Spanish translations were obviously done by just running the dialague through bablefish.

And the thing was, this was a phone conversation, and the main character was in a room with someone who didn't know Spanish. The author could have easily written two lines of the conversation in Spanish, then switch to mentioning that this other character was bored because he couldn't understand was was going on, then just get in the last line of Spanish and have him ask what had just happened. It would have annoyed me so much less.

Canadian dictionaries have entries for "eh," and this pleases me.

So does my USian one, actually. NOAD roolz!

It's the "he'd never say that" moments that make a story go wrong, on either side of the language question.

The other time it's a problem is in third person narration-- is that my voice, or not? For example, Clark walked round the front of the car, and I said he walked round the bonnet-- a UK phrase. My beta wanted it to be the hood-- what Clark would say or think, yes, but should the third person be his voice?

(That said, the letter or diary is an interesting case -- I'd probably side with the beta on that one, since in theory you're reproducing the character's words. But on the other hand, it'd make UK vs. US spellings much more of an issue than it ever really is, because the switching back and forth could really draw attention to them. Hmm. Must ponder. Must find examples on both sides. Must waste another day not getting anything useful done. Go team me.)

Yeah-- it was tricky. I've just checked, and in the end I kept British spelling throughout, both in "Various Versions" and the "Explanations" series, which was were the question arose.

Oaths, expletives, etc. are all fair game, as are nicknames ("mei-mei" for "little sister," and that sort of thing).

In fanfic, I've tended to feel that examples used in the canon were allowed-- but because Firefly canon used so many, the question of where to start/stop them in fanfic was difficult.

Saying "Passe-moi du sel, s'il te plait," (Pass the salt, please) is just unnecessary set-decoration, unless a character's inability to understand a language (or unwillingness to speak a certain language) is important to plot or character development.

Even then, if what they're saying is important, as well as the lanaguae they're saying it in, I'd feel I wanted to translate in the body of the text, or have it all actually in English and remark, "he said, still stubbornly in German."

I'm working myself into a neurotic dance of paranoia. I'll probably go home tonight and dig through all my fanfic on a mission to eradicate umpty-billion glaring errors. Whee!

You're not the only one stepping onto that dance floor.

So does my USian one, actually.

I covet your dictionary. My neighbor's wife, not so much, which indicates that the Ten Commandments were not written with me in mind.

If Laurence Fishburne moved in next door, that would sway the conversation.

Er. For on-topic-cakes, everyone who likes spy fic really ought to read Dana's new story, yes yes.

Even then, if what they're saying is important, as well as the lanaguae they're saying it in, I'd feel I wanted to translate in the body of the text, or have it all actually in English and remark, "he said, still stubbornly in German."

Wrod. In one of my fics, I slip in occasional reminders that one of the main characters' first languages is not the language he's speaking. Fractured grammar is annoying and distracting, so what I've done on a couple of occasions is show him being befuddled by an idiomatic expression or have to come up for a substitute for a technical term (e.g. "thick" rather than "viscous" to describe a substance found at a crime scene.)

should the third person be his voice?

Not necessarily, but if Harry Potter's wearing a jumper, Clark walks around a hood. It's the setting voice, and the Smallville setting is Americana.

Not necessarily, but if Harry Potter's wearing a jumper, Clark walks around a hood. It's the setting voice, and the Smallville setting is Americana.

Point-- and, in that case, I did in fact change it (edit: yes, I really did. I've just checked). The harder one was the same word, later in the same fic, only this time the car was Victoria's. I still haven't decided about that one.

Who's speaking? If it's the same narrative voice as the first time, it should be consistent. If Victoria's talking, then it's a bonnet.