Yesterday I looked up 'chipolatas' in the dictionary.

I had to do that when I first listened to the book!

Then later on I was watching Doctor Who and they were eating chipolatas! How had I never noticed that I didn't know that word before when I've read those books and watched that TV show so many times?

Rowling's books were translated? From English to English?

Yep. In the beginning it's all sneakers and sweaters and by the end it's trainers and jumpers. (Plenty of books are translated from British English to American English, especially cookbooks and DIY.) At the time I noticed the change, you could find long lists of all the HP edits on the Web. I'm sure you still can.

I wouldn't care either way, but I hate the inconsistency. Also, the fact that it stops at some point is a confirmation that the publishers just weren't spending time on the books anymore.

I'm surprised to hear the Brit to USian translations in Terry Pratchett's books as well. They seem so glaring, I wonder if a) American readers really can't adapt to that degree and b) Are ALL creative products that might be made popular in the States is geared that way from the outset.

I notice it on a lot of British TV as well. Do they shoot two different versions or are the scripts Amero-centric?

I had no problem with Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Fairy cakes, Biros... all these things are in the dictionary, or if not, gleanable from context.

Fairy cakes, Biros... all these things are in the dictionary

Not all of them, now that I check...

Still I tend to watch BBC with subtitles on if I can. Hamish MacBeth! I can't understand 10% of what you're saying but I love you anyway!

American readers really can't adapt to that degree

Well, to be fair, "jumper" is already used in American English, just not for the same article of clothing as it is in British English. I don't think it's that unusual to read a word you already have a meaning for and wonder at its seeming misuse (Harry putting on a jumper, for instance, or the whole "pants" definition thingie). Sure, it's more or less easy enough to work out in context (although I had to hunt down a British person to figure out what the hell a "modcon" was), but I just don't find misunderstandings of that sort to be proof of inability to adapt.

Perhaps it makes me a linguistic isolationist, but I tend to read things through the lens of the meanings of words that I've used all my life.

Sometimes I just skip over stuff I don't understand. I could swear I've never heard 'modcon' before but I'm sure it will jump right out at me next time I see it just like 'chipolatas' yesterday.

I read a lot of british mysteries, so I'm not sure much of the slang would phase me, but Beau doesn't understand at least 10% of the BBC shows we watch.