#i was literally thinking about this today#they have a MASSIVE amount of users and... they decide they need donations. ignore the palestine thing happening theyre more important#apparently#reblog
I understand that you're 22 and corporate internet is all you've ever known, but you need to know that users COST sites money.
The sole case when users do not cost sites money is when 1) users are constantly shown ads, 2) users' private data is being harvested and sold to advertisers.
AO3 does not do either of those things. It was its mission upon being founded to not do either of those things. And thus, we have twice-yearly donation drives. Every year. Yes, every year. Even that year. Even the April and October of the pandemic, even the Aprils and the Octobers of mass BLM movements, even the April after Ukraine was invaded, and yes, even this October. It's not "failing to read the room". It's called maintenance costs and being an ad-free NGO that doesn't monetise its users.
I need young people to realize that when you say "AO3 should just make money like social media sites do rather than running donation drives" what you are actually suggesting is "AO3 should sell detailed and privacy-violating data on the porn consumption habits of its users to ad companies in order to make a quick and easy buck." That's what you're suggesting when you push for that.
This is like if you looked at Wikipedia and said "Why are they asking for donations? They could just charge people and companies money to be able to rewrite their Wikipedia pages to say whatever they want about their brands!"
I mean, yeah? They could sell out their fundamental mission and all of their core userbase in order to squeeze some money out of advertising and general enshittification. They could do that. Do you really want them to? Really? Is the little donation banner (which I assume you never bother to click on anyway) really so annoying to you that you'd rather the site just sucks forever (but without needing donations, I guess)? Call me out of touch, but somehow I doubt that any of you advocating for that sort of thing would actually want the inevitable results.
And if the argument is that how dare someone donate to ao3 when there are other more worthy causes that need money in the world, It'd like to remind you that a) a one off yearly donation of 10USD to ao3 is literally almost nothing more than what someone might monthly pay for a netflix subscription (and you don't see people crying about how dare you have netflix when Palestinians need aid) and b) people can give donations to multiple things.
Did I give ao3 10USD? Yes I did. Did I send a significant amount more than that to a Palestine relief organisation? Yes I did. Donations to ao3 and other causes aren't mutually exclusive, and even if they were, someone who donates to ao3 might still be taking direct action in numerous other ways to try and make change for Palestine.
10USD is the price for going out somewhere for lunch. That someone has chosen to spend that much supporting an organisation they appreciate is not the end of the world, even in times when horrific things are happening. And if this is what you're wasting your energy being upset about, when there are so many other things you could be using that energy for to try and make a difference, then you might need to sit down and take a moment to reexamined your priorities.
Also, can I just point out, 'with everything going on'... look I get that you probably just tuned into what is going on outside of your little bubble, but there's always, ALWAYS something going on.
War, accidents, floods, fires, earthquakes, etc. the world is constantly moving, something is constantly happening, the only difference is that most of the time your national media doesn't care as much or even at all.
There is never a good time to ask for donations by your standards.
Absolutely, as someone who works in a non-profit NGO I can promise you there's always something else going on.
It doesn't matter what you work with - there is always some shit going on somewhere in the world that is deemed "more important" than whatever it is you're doing, no matter what that might be.
There is no-one who can decide which cause is the 'most important' one right now. If I choose to donate money to AO3 that is my choice and my right and it says nothing about me as a person.
Does a donation to AO3 negate any money I potentially send to Doctors without borders? Does it take away from the fact that I work with kids with disabilities?
I'd say that as someone who spends every single day having to deal with the horrific fucking state of the world, trying to raise money to be able to do something as basic as helping kids leave their house, AO3 is my lifesaver.
It's my space. It's where I can disconnect everything else. It's where I can be creative and share my silly little stories so that I can find the fucking energy to wake up the next morning and try to change the world again.
Do not use a fucking humanitarian crisis like what is happening in Gaza, or any other part of the world, right now to peddle your hatred for AO3.
Did I donate to AO3? No, because I work for a non-profit NGO and I barely get paid because there's shit happening in the world that people rather donate money to than my organisation. I am, however, eternally grateful to all of you who do because it means I can continue using AO3 to find the energy I need to carry on despite the bleak fucking state of the world.
[grabs your shirt] listen. listen to me. the practical is holy. the everyday is sacred. the simple act of surviving is divine. do you get it? sanctity begins at home, in the hands that build and the lives we live and the deaths we die and the worms that eat our bodies. if making something by hand is not worthy of veneration then nothing is.
Do you have any recommendations for fics that start in their first year and continue on through their time at Hogwarts?
Hello!
I hope these are what you are looking for. Some of these fic don’t cover all years in depth, I’ve marked these with an asterix*.
Fics are listed in order of word count and don’t forget to make yourself aware of warnings before reading!
Enjoy!
Wolfstar All Seven Years
Once in a Blue Moon
FullMoonDreams | Explicit | 408,087
In a world where Remus never received his Hogwarts invitation and Sirius wasn’t accepted by the Gryffindors the two lonely boys become friends. A story beginning in their first year, and continuing right through Hogwarts and beyond.
Casting Moonshadows
Moonsign | Explicit | 393,500 words
Lonely and outcast by his classmates, Remus wishes on a moonshadow for a friend who understands him. To his amazement his wish is answered not once, but three times, by his former enemies, the Marauders.
Momentum
Children_of_the_Shadows | Mature | 259,084 words
An epic tale of Remus and Sirius’s lives, starting from the very beginning. A love that carries on through trials, tribulations, and war. AU towards the end, just before October 31st.
Note: This also continues into the war after school. One of my favourite authors, I’ll likely be doing a more in depth revewi of this in the near future.
The Shoebox Project*
Dorkorific & Ladyjaida | Mature | 231,000 words
A ‘Shoebox’ full of memories… enough said
Note: This fic also continues past the end of their time at school.
These Four Kings
escribo | Teen and Up | 159,816 words
Seven part series of the marauders time at Hogwarts.
All the Young Dudes
gamesformay | Not-rated | 147,450 words
1971-1978. A love story, a war story, a record collection.
Howl*
smollprince | Teen and Up | 57,962 words
Going into his first year, instead of being excited about his lessons, and wondering which house he’d be placed in, Remus was scared of making friends, scared of being himself, of hurting someone. Scared of someone finding out his secret; that he’s a monster
Seven Things That Didn’t Happen On Valentine’s Day At Hogwarts, Or Maybe They Did*
rageprufrock | Mature | 25,172 words
“This is the weirdest Valentine’s Day yet,” Peter mused. / “But not ‘ever,’” Remus said dryly.
Scenes From the Life of Sirius Black and Remus Lupin*
kjcp | Mature | 15,147 words
Scenes from years 1 - 7 of Remus and Sirius, focusing on the progression of their relationship.
Seven*
livinglibraries | Explicit | 13,300 words
Each year the Hogwarts Express leaves from King’s Cross station, for seven years it takes the Marauders to school and one time takes them home.
Seven Lessons With Sirius Black*
fruedian fuckup | Explicit | 5,575 words
Over the years, Sirius Black has been the everpresent devil on Remus Lupin’s shoulder.
Hi Lotta! Who are your favorite authors or favorite fanfics?
Hi there anon! :) Sorry this took so long to reply to, I was 1) gathering sources to ensure you got nothing less than a word vomit for this post, 2) spending 2 hours scouring through 60 pages of my ao3 history trying to find a fic I STILL HAVEN’T FOUND and FOOLISHLY never bookmarked. GRRRRRRRRR nah I’ll keep wasting hours looking for it just you wait
I’m assuming you mean recs for r/s? :’) I’ll just go down that route anyway –– honestly I’m so glad you asked because I’ve been WANTING someone to ask for a long time so. THANKS
General rule of thumb is that my absolute favoritest favorites of all time are in my bookmarks on ao3. To make it there, one must truly win the battle royale of fics. (In there you will also find some curiosities… if you’re interested in what I was reading in 2014 LOL.) HOWEVER I am a serial fic abandoner™ (as in I start fics compulsively and never finish 85% of them… I have slept around with many a r/s fic… but trust that I have finished the ones that make it to my rec list HAAAAHAHA) ok enough blathering
So when I first discovered r/s about say a year ago I, of course, fell headfirst into the gorgeous, heart-wrenching POETRY that are @montpahrnah (x) and @yeats-infection (x). Their brilliance may be old news to you but I couldn’t make this post without mentioning them!
My typical preference for fic tends to be “(Emotional || Just Sad) && Hot” so there’s no surprises here…
- I LOVED And the Water Was Grey by @toyhto (gut-wrenching, tentative love, HELD ME FOOKEN BREATH THE WHOLE TIME)
- One of my favorite ones ever (WITH GORGEOUS ART TOO!) is The Fault of Walls by @maraudersaffair and dustmouth (yeah ok whoever wants to can come at me for the side pairing)
- This Thing I Did Last Summer by kittymoon has too many of my favorite things: petty(and HILARIOUS)!Sirius, Slytherin!Sirius, dryasf!Remus. yeah the sirius + snape friendship was well done too ok
- The whole Bound series by @shiftylinguini is TOP Sad and Hot material. hohhhh baby ok running to go read it ALL AGAIN
- all the young dudes by @macklesufficient (x) is honestly, honestly the most wonderful Hogwarts Era Marauders fic I have yet to encounter. Oh my god please read it. Oh my god I am begging you please please read it. gamesformay has the most brilliant humor and imagination and writes with a cleanliness I CRAVE TO EMULATE BUT CANNAE BECAUSE I AM A WORD VOMITER.
- @xylodemon (x) has a brilliant library of r/s (ranging from v hot to v sad + hot lols. I may have also read plenty of GoT and even Supernatural works from them and they are all fantastic, too.)
- I am a sucker for all things pretentious and this recent guilty pleasure addition to Le Bookmarks combines Uni AU with pretension and asshole!Sirius (yeah me like) and filth and drugs AND, AND the most pleasant, visual prose so have a look at the only WIP in my recs, The Secret “Oral” History by lovely bbs @jennandblitz (x) and @stonecoldhedwig (x) (as I am a serial fic abandoner as well as a slow reader I haven’t made it through all their fic repertoires but do go ham anon ;))
That was surprisingly short (oops. I need to stop abandoning things) but I hope this does ya well, anon! 💖 Everything mentioned above is guaranteed to hurt your heart or make you squirm. If it doesn’t, read it again. And feel free to send me recs for fics that I might like and not abandon, I L I V E through recs!
“I am but paper. Brittle and thin. I am held up to the sun, and it shines right through me. I get written on, and I can never be used again. These scratches are a history. They’re a story. They tell things for others to read, but they only see the words, and not what the words are written upon. I am but paper, and though there are many like me, none are exactly the same. I am parched parchment. I have lines. I have holes. Get me wet, and I melt. Light me on fire, and I burn. Take me in hardened hands, and I crumple. I tear. I am but paper. Brittle and thin.”
Tips for authenticity for HP fanfiction writers (mainly targeted at Snapedom but also other ship writers too)
I think so many people forget that Snape was British, from Cokeworth. He was surrounded by the Wizarding elite in Slytherin, who were essentially upperclass British citizens for the most part. Therefore the way he thinks, acts, and lives would be quintessentially British - part of him would be like the Malfoys, but the majority of who he is inside would be the bloke from Cokeworth. He’d have been influenced by his colleagues (*cough* McGonagall) and also his peers when he was a student. I don’t know how many Hogwarts students were born/raised in England/Ireland/Scotland/Wales and areas that speak using British English, but I’m guessing it was a lot, and even if they came from overseas as exchange students or something, they’d still adapt their language to the style they were hearing at school at Hogwarts.
So it’s important to contextualize what you’re writing, understand where your character(s) are from and how it would affect the way they speak/think, and how you should write as a narrator in third person, if that’s your style.
It’s interesting to think about what’s going on in the Muggle world politically at the time Snape (and other characters) were growing up. What were the big hits in British Muggle music? What were the trends in fashion, and what was the latest update in British slang?
If you’re not British yourself or haven’t lived in the UK, let me give you a run down of things that are widely considered British (or Irish/Scottish, depending) and are not really that stereotypical. I won’t really be addressing Wales for the moment but will be happy to cover that in a future post.
T/W: lots of colorful language, mostly in British English (I am educating the masses on the correct naughty words to use in fanfiction written in British English, apologies in advance.)
About tea (leaving coffee out of it for now):
1. Tea. In quite literally any socially awkward or tense situation, or even in a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere, usually the first offer your host will make is some variation of “Tea?” or “Shall/should I put the kettle on?”
2. They will have their favorite mug or cup for tea.
3. They will have their favorite type of tea - whether it’s in a bag or in leaf format, and what brand. There’s Yorkshire tea, Lipton tea, loads of different types.
4. They will have their favorite milk or creamer for their tea. Some will have lemon (for squeezing) as an option as well.
5. And they will have a method for the actual preparation of the tea. It is the topic of major debate in most places in the UK. “What comes first, the milk or the tea?” / “How long do you leave the tea bag in for?” / “You MUST remove the tea bag before you put the milk in”. There’s loads of examples of how people’s views on making tea.
6. Digestive biscuits, or any type of “cookie” (generally called biscuits in British English) will often be offered along with your tea.
About queueing and cars:
1. Queueing - or waiting in line - is a thing that people think of when they think of Britishness. British people are very good at it, even if they’re fuming inside.
2. Cars drive on the left side of the road. And that (usually) means that the steering wheel is on the right side, with passenger seat on the left.
About social etiquette, and “softened” speech:
1. Generally speaking, British and UK people value manners very highly. More importantly, if someone you don’t really know asks “How are you?”, the correct response is “Alright, you?”. You do not elaborate. You do not say “My goldfish just died and I’m actually quite depressed.” No. You just say “I’m fine.” And that is acceptable.
2. Similarly, if something awful’s happened to you, you soften the reality of it. You play it down, and don’t make it a big thing. Being “stoic” is another stereotypical (but honestly pretty true) characteristic of classic Britishness.
3. A number of British, Irish and Scottish people I’ve met (especially middle, upper-middle and upper-class families) care a lot about table setting rules and table manners, so that’s worth investigating too and also incorporating into your characters. For example, Hermione as a character cares about table manners and oral hygiene, but she also was a single child from a family of two dentists. They had the time and patience to teach her that stuff. The Weasleys, on the other hand, may have been too stressed to deal with teaching their kids table manners after Charlie. (Bill, Percy and Charlie seem to handle themselves alright, and Ginny too. But Ron, as we know, is a mess, and it drives Hermione crazy even in the books). The Malfoys, comparatively, care about how they appear in public. These are things to think about. Where does Snape fall on the scale?
Vocabulary differences (colorful language coming up):
1. INSULTS: There are huge differences between USA English and British English when it comes to insults. For example, it’s really unlikely that you’ll hear a British person calling someone an “a**hat.” You’re more likely to hear them calling someone a “tosser/wanker/git/prat/pillock” (sorry British/UK folks, this is a teaching moment). Note: If you use an American English word in a story that’s set in the UK, it’s noticeable. If authenticity is your goal, then Google is your friend. I won’t list all the insults here, I don’t want people to get the wrong idea of what my page is about after all. (lol).
To nick: To steal. “Did you nick that pudding from the kitchens?”
Pudding: dessert.
Cheers: What you say when you toast someone, but it can also be the way you sign of an email or a message, or a way to say thank you. Like: “Flitwick’s looking for you, Harry. Something about an assignment you missed.”/“Oh, right. Cheers.”
Chuffed: Happy. “I got nine OWLs, did I tell you? I’m chuffed.”
Brilliant: Amazing. “That was brilliant, Luna.”
Proper/right: really. “I’m right chuffed.” “I’m proper chuffed.”
Bugger(ed/ing) (it) up: to mess up. “I buggered up that first date completely.”
Dodgy/dodge: suspicious/off. “I think that avocado’s gone all rotten, it’s a bit dodgy.”
Mad: crazy.
Manky/mank/rank: dirty/gross. “Take off your shoes, they’re manky as hell!”
Minging: stinky/smelling. “God, you’re minging. Get a shower. Honestly.”
Plastered: drunk. “Forge and I got plastered Friday night. It was wicked.” “Right you are, Gred.”
Wicked: awesome.
Knackered: tired. “I didn’t sleep a wink last night. I’m knackered.”
Can’t be arsed: don’t feel like it. “I should study for Divination, but I really can’t be arsed.”
Bloody: an expletive with a Christian religious tie, I believe. Ronald Weasley said “Bloody hell!” pretty often. It’s not very polite for believers to hear someone say. It’s kind of like saying ‘Holy’ sh*t. Part of the reason why other characters would berate him or shush him all the time when he said it.
Bog/bog roll: bog = toilet. bog roll = toilet paper.
Loo/loo roll: same thing. loo, toilet. Loo roll, toilet paper.
Cheeky: cocky/bold/fresh. “Don’t be cheeky with me.” or “You’re a cheeky one!”
Cracking: great.
Crack on: carry on. “Crack on, you lot.”
You lot: you guys.
Faffing around / faff: mess around/waste time/a waste of time. “Stop faffing with your robes and get a move on.” “I waited all day at Gringotts to speak to a consultant. I was late to dinner. What a faff.”
Muppet: incompetent person, a fool. In an AU I could imagine Draco saying “Goyle, you muppet!”
Gutted: Devastated. “I can’t believe Hufflepuff lost against Ravenclaw again. I’m absolutely gutted.”
Do: party. “You going to Slughorn’s do or not?”
Whinging: whining. “Oh, stop whinging, Ron.”
Draught: same meaning(s) and pronunciation as draft. So: “She downed the butterbeer in one draught.” “Lupin shut the windows to keep the draught out.”
Dunderhead(s): idiots.
Blockhead(s): also idiots.
Lout: rude way to refer to a guy. “Lazy lout.”
Sod: ditto. “Lazy sod.”
Blimey: wow. “Blimey, ‘Mione.”
Taking the piss/mickey: pulling my leg/making fun of me/joking. “Are you taking the piss, mate?”
Mate: dude.
Trousers: pants.
Elevator: lift.
Metro: the tube.
Trunk (of a car): boot.
Pants: underwear.
Fanny: vulva. In the USA ‘fanny’ refers to the derrière. In British English it refers to the vulva.
Bum: butt.
Note: this difference ^ is why I think ‘bum bag’ is better than ‘fanny pack.’ The second one leaves way too much room for misinterpretation.
Arse: ass. (Although depending on the region in England/UK, some pronounce it ass. Just depends)
Quid: a pound. “Those trousers cost fifty quid? Are you mad?”
Okay, so those are some handy words for you. Next!
Irish slang:
Grand: great. “That’s grand, Harry.”
Leg it: move fast. “We’re late to Herbology, leg it!”
Feck/fecker: f*ck/er
Gas: that’s funny. “That’s gas!”
Craic: fun, pronounced “crack”. (this is a difficult term to understand but here goes!) If something is minus craic, it’s the opposite of fun or entertaining. If you’re having the craic, you’re having fun. Someone is good craic if they’ve got a good sense of humor. If you say “What’s the craic?” you’re asking what’s up with something/someone/how they’re doing.
The messages: the shopping/groceries.
Eejit: idiot. Also used in Scottish slang.
It’s rotten out: bad weather outside
It’s pissing (it) down: it’s raining (a lot!).
Sound: great. “I’m coming over later.” “Oh, sound. See you then.”
You’s: you (singular or plural).
Scottish slang:
Dinnae: do not.
Ken: to know. “Dinnae ken.”
Aye: yes.
Wee: small.
Bonnie: pretty. (mostly heard in songs.)
Braw: handsome. (mostly in songs).
Scran: food
Dram: a bit/a shot, i.e., of whiskey.
Mingin’/minging: not good/dirty/smelly/etc.
Nippy: cold. “It’s nippy out.”
Scunnered: tired
Jobbie: the thing. “Pass me that jobbie, will you?”
I won’t go into stereotypical Scottish phrases because there are a few and I live with a Scotsman who’d yell at me if I got into that. Also there’s a huge difference between Glaswegian slang and other regions of Scottish slang. So… yeah. Just be careful of where the stereotypes are.
About Welsh slang, maybe someone else can contribute to the list?
SPELLING!!!!!!!!!!
1. Hugely important: colour, not color. favour/flavour, not favor/flavor. Check the British/UK spellings of words.
British Christmas traditions (for those of you who observe it or are writing about it in your fanfictions):
1. People often dress up on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
2. The 26th is Boxing Day. (Google it).
3. Christmas crackers. They’re mentioned in the books.
4. Going to Christmas Eve midnight mass, or watching the Christmas Eve mass broadcast.
5. Listening to Christmas carols/songs. (King Wenceslas for example).
6. Panto/pantomime.
7. Christmas pudding (usually covered with alcohol and then set on fire. It’s très dramatique) and mince pies.
8. Watching the Queen’s broadcast/speech.
Scottish traditions (because McGonagall):
1. Burns Night. (Google it).
2. New Years’ Eve in Scotland is called Hogmanay.
3. McGonagall was born in Caithness in 1935. She may have grown up around Scots Gaelic speakers. If you’re looking to use Gaelic in your fanfiction, I recommend doing your research first. Or just message me/send me an ask. :)
4. Céilidh(s). (Pronounced caylee/caylees). These exist in Ireland too. They’re like parties where everyone gets together to dance, or sing, or read poetry, but generally it’s like an assembly for Scottish/Irish jigs and dances.
5. Bagpipes, called ‘the pipes.’ A person who plays the bagpipes is a ‘piper.’ Also, they have pipes in Ireland, just not the same ones as in Scotland.
6. Highland dancing.
Not sure about Irish/Welsh Christmas traditions. Feel free to add/contribute.
Right, that’s all I’ve got for now. More to come at a later date, might update as I think of these! Feel free to contribute to the list.
So if you’re writing Snape fiction, or any HP fiction in any ship, and it’s set in Scotland/England/UK, bear in mind that the words you use will give away where you’re from as an author. If you’re a stickler for authenticity, then this might help you. If you don’t care about this sort of thing, then carry on.
I feel like fandom generations are both very specific and easily conflated. Like,, you either live through so many they blur together into one hellish mess or you join in on one generation and remain blissfully unaware of the previous ones
like your blog but no offense how are you on Tumblr in ur late 20s?
Good question anon! Here’s my secret: the old folks home lets us out for an hour of water aerobics every day and while the other residents are huffing and puffing like a bunch of suckers I’m off to the side of the pool with everything I need for posting quality content to Tumblr Dot Com.
#if you’re 17 and you came here in 2017 i’m sorry to tell you that YOU are the sadsack in this scenario #i’m like the chernobyl grandma that won’t leave but you saw the reactor melt and THEN you MOVED here (x)
Maybe I’m really late to be doing this but for any fic writer out there who speaks an American dialect of English but wants to write British characters/fics set in Britain, here’s a help post for some common words that are different in a British dialect*.
American dialect = British Dialect
Sweater = Jumper
Buck (as in, one dollar) = Quid (as in, one pound) — NB: When referring to £5 notes or £10 notes we may also say “fiver” or “tenner”. This only applies to these two notes specifically.
Hood (as in, the thing on a car which covers the engine) = Bonnet
Trunk (as in, the storage space typically in the back of a car) = Boot
Chips = Crisps
French Fries = Chips
Block = trick question, we don’t have ‘blocks’ in our towns and cities. They aren’t planned that well, they just grow and spiral out at random over hundreds of years.
Highway = Motorway (typically; a British person may refer to the highway, but I would say motorway is more common)
First floor = Ground floor (this is a little confusing even to Brits sometimes: we refer to the bottom-most floor of a building as the ground floor, and the floor above that as the first floor; i.e. the second storey of the building is the first floor in Britain. You will notice this when you use the elevator and stairs in multi-level buildings)
Elevator = Lift (these two terms are used pretty much interchangeably in Britain nowadays, though)
Pants = Trousers
Underwear = Pants (though we also say underwear)
Sneakers = Trainers
Gas (as in, what fuels a car) = Petrol/Diesel (depending on what it is)
Gas Station = Petrol Station
Service Station (a place where you can stop on a long journey to rest, eat, use the toilet, etc) = services/the services
Mall/Shopping Mall = Shopping centre
Store (as in, a place to buy goods) = Shop
Cotton Candy = Candy Floss
Biscuits (those… soft scone-looking things? What even are they? I don’t understand what they are and I can’t even translate that. Bottom line: in Britain, those aren’t biscuits.)
Cookies (as in, a baked good which is typically thin, sweet and crunchy) = Biscuits
In Britain, a cookie is a very specific type of biscuit; it can be soft or crunchy, but it is usually thicker than an average biscuit and contains (usually) chocolate chips or some variant of chocolate chips, like m&ms. “Cookie” is never used to describe, for example, a jammy dodger, or party rings, or shortbread. Oh, and we don’t have Girl Scout cookies. It’s just not a thing here.
Candy = Sweets
Candy Store = Sweet Shop
State = County (this is a very loose comparison more than a direct equivalent; we don’t have “states” in the UK, we’re divided up into counties, which is sort of similar but also different because our systems of government are fundamentally different. If you want to understand the difference between a US state and a British county, I’d recommend more research)
Sidewalk = Footpath/Path/Pavement
Fall = Autumn
Vacation = Holiday
Couch = Sofa
Faucet = Tap
Basin (as in, where you wash your hands after using the toilet) = Sink
Flashlight = Torch
Apartment = Flat (these are increasingly used interchangeably in Britain)
Garbage/Trash = Rubbish
Trash can/Garbage can/Waste paper basket = Bin
Mail = Post
Principal (as in, the head of a school) = Headmaster/Headmistress/The Head
Recess (as in, the break taken by children at school) = Break time
Eraser = Rubber
Period (as in, the punctuation mark which ends a sentence) = Full stop (“full stop” is substituted in idiomatic phrases too, for example, “I won’t do it, full stop” as opposed to “I won’t do it, period”)
Elementary School = Primary School
High School = Secondary School (The two words for school are used as a loose comparison here; the schooling systems of the UK and US are very different, especially as time goes on. If anyone would like, I can make a different post explaining how UK secondary schools operate, in terms of the system of years 7-9, 10-11, and 12-13 [aka Sixth Form] and GCSEs & A levels)
NB: College is not the same thing in the UK as in the US. As I understand it (and I’m by no means an expert), US College is more comparable to UK university. In Britain, college is ‘further education’ (as opposed to ‘higher education’, which takes place generally at a university), taken usually at the age of 17-18. Further education can also be taken at a Sixth Form/Sixth Form College instead. In the UK, everyone must stay in full-time education until the age of 18 by law.
Zipper = Zip
Bathrobe = Dressing gown
Diaper = Nappy
Soccer = Football
Resume (as in, a document which details the skills and qualifications of a job applicant) = CV (which stands for curriculum vitae)
Cellphone = Mobile phone/Mobile
Movie = Film (increasingly used interchangeably, but film is the default for most Brits)
Cop (as in, law enforcement) = Police Officer/Policeman/Policewoman (or pig, but this is a derogatory term) — please remember that British police do not carry firearms; in the event of an emergency in which firearms may need to be used, the British police must call in a specialised Armed Response Unit. Armed officers may also be put on as a precaution/deterrent at a large event, but this is rare, generally only occurring if serious disturbances are anticipated or if there has been a recent spate of terror attacks.
Math = Maths (small difference but I promise you, British people do not say math, including in idiomatic phrases like “do the maths”)
Tuxedo = Dinner jacket
Janitor = Caretaker
*Please remember that the terms I provided are just common ones that I see often, not by any means an exhaustive list. Additionally, dialects are different in different parts of Britain; a Scottish person will speak different to an English person, and a welsh person, and so on and so on. There are even regional variations within England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. If you want to be very specific when you’re writing, that might be something you want to keep in mind!
If anyone has any questions or requests for future posts about Britain (though I don’t know everything!), feel free to leave a reply!
I’m in my twenties. It feels like I should know this by now. But I don’t. I don’t know if I’m perhaps demisexual?
In the recent year I have reflected more and more on the fact that I don’t seem to experience sexual attraction in the same way as my friends. It’s not that I never feel sexual attraction, it’s just different. I mean, I have always kind of known that I’m bi, but at the same time I’m almost never attracted to anyone, no matter the gender. Never in my life have I met a stranger and been sexually attracted to them. I’ve only ever been in one relationship in my life, and then I felt sexual attraction - but I mean, I was in love with her!And I think I felt romantic attraction before I felt any sexual attraction. But I’m so rarely in love that it’s difficult for me to tell if that’s always the case!
I’ve had one night stands, though. I have dated and had sex with people I don’t really know. But I’ve still never felt sexual attraction? I have never actually enjoyed that sex. I’ve just had it because other person wanted to, and it felt expected of me. So, the only time I’ve actually enjoyed sex, was in my only romantic relationship. But then, there’s also masturbation. Which I do. So, I don’t know where that leaves me.
And then there’s the question of celebrity crushes. Because I’ve had them. And then I’ve felt sexual attraction (and so, i have never even pondered the idea of being demi before). But, this attraction hasn’t been based on that these celebrities are “hot” or something like that. I’ve mainly had crushes on actors (and book characters!) that play parts that I kinda fall in love with a little bit.
So. I don’t know. Am I demisexual or do I just happen to not feel very much sexual attraction? Any demisexuals that have similar experiences? Or other experiences? Am I just generally confused? I’d be soooo grateful for answers!
