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Re: Harry Potter IV
Posted By: Nyperold, on host 205.216.76.90
Date: Wednesday, August 2, 2000, at 08:58:34
In Reply To: Re: Harry Potter IV posted by eric sleator on Wednesday, August 2, 2000, at 08:17:35:

> > Huh. Everyone keeps saying this book has been translated into American English for us American audiences, but in this copy from our American bookstore I've only noticed two Americanisms ("glasses" and "presently" meaning "now"). The book is chockful of British words and usages, like "post" for "mail and such. Was the original British version shipped to my bookstore (a big chain branch), or was the translator braindead? Or are "glasses" and "presently" meaning "now" (as opposed to "soon") suddenly used in British English, too?
> >
> > -eric "by 'glasses' I mean 'the things you wear on your face when you can't see,' not 'the things you drink out of'" sleator
> > Mon 31 Jul A.D. 2000
>
> Well, I've read much farther (further?) now, and it seems they've translated the spellings into American English (colour to color, etc.) but retained the British words. This is a very odd thing to do.
>
> -eric "gray-colored post owl" sleator
> Wed 2 Aug A.D. 2000

From Webster's ©MCMLXXVIII:

farther a. more far; more remote; adv. to a greater distance.

further a. more remote; additional; to a greater distance; moreover.

Okay...

Both mean "to a greater distance" when they are adverbs, as in eric's sentence. "Moreover" doesn't really make sense in the above sentence, so I assume that "to a greater distance". So, take your pick. In this case, it matters not one whit.

Nyper"But what does the OED say?"old

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