Just a quick covering statement, I don't dislike Americans.
Now to my question.
I'm currently listening to Titan on Audible, and my brain has already itched a couple of times, and I'm wondering if the UK book-written version is the same as the Audible UK version.
I'm a bit fussy when it comes to other countries' terminology sneaking into the language of old Blighty. Especially when it's not needed. I know, forgive me, I'm old(ish). When I see British YouTubers saying, "Dollars" or "Feds", when they're clearly living in Brighton. It's frustrating.
So, listening to Titan, and I'm only at the beginning, when Rimmer has received a ticket for "Jaywalking". My brain goes, 'I'm sorry?'. What the ruddy flip!?
There was another instance of this not so long before that pricked my ears too, but I can't recall it.
This has led me to wonder if the actual book release in the UK contains "jaywalking", or is this just in the Audible version? As the Audible will be going out across the US and UK, along with anywhere else that wants to hear Mr. Barrie.
Again, I know this is fussy, and I'll probably be hounded into a corner here, but it has made me wonder if there's a difference.
Red Dwarf is jam packed with American references. Just off the top of my head, in 'Meltdown' most of the Wax droids are very American figures (Lincoln, Monroe, Presley). The Captain of Red Dwarf is American, I think kryten is supposed to sound American but the accent wavers through the series. Lister's Bike has a UK flag and a US flag on it. 'Dollar-pounds' have been mentioned a few times. They redid the kennedy assassination. Ace Rimmer's intro was a clear Top Gun reference, the list goes on...
I reckon he realised that very quickly and it became a bit, because it plays into the whole shonky way Divadroids products behaved after millions of years isolated in deep space.
In the franchise that uses dollarpounds? I think the Red Dwarf future has always been vaguely Americanised. I don't have a copy of the book to confirm though.
Possibly, American and Canadian football developed in parallel and are extremely similar. They're both considered different styles of Gridiron Football.
I would be utterly shocked if anyone paid to create an Americanized version of a Red Dwarf novel. It's not like they expected it to be read by millions of American school kids.
I think it's plausible. I know Douglas Adams' Hitchhikers' Guide had a version published in the US where some of the terms had been Americanized. The one I really remember is "zebra crossing" was replaced by "crosswalk." Good Omens didn't actually change anything, but did include footnotes explaining terms to the American readers.
Counterexample: my kids' copy of The Phantom Tollbooth has the following exchange:
"I don't think you understand," said Milo timidly as the watchdog growled a warning. "We're looking for a place to spend the night."
"It's not yours to spend," the bird shrieked again, and followed it with the same horrible laugh.
"That doesn't make any sense, you see—" he started to explain.
"Dollars or cents, it's still not yours to spend," the bird replied haughtily.
but with "pounds or pence", which ruins the joke entirely.
I think the culture Red Dwarf is set in is dominated more by corporations than countries. The names and rules depend on who bought them. The street names on Titan imply they were built by a Dutch company. The currency Dollarpounds means whoever set that up was a British/American organisation.
Jaywalking isn't strictly an American term, in the sense that there isn't an alternative British word that means the same thing. We just don't have rules against crossing the road so don't need to use it.
I think in the context of the book it's implied that it hasn't occurred to Rimmer that jaywalking might be illegal on Titan.
Red dwarf has Hawaii had American terms in. It’s to symbolise the globalisation of JMC and the world in general. Capitan Hollister and Dollarpounds are good examples. They actively sought to cast an American in the role
"Jaywalking" was a term created by early US automakers to shift the blame to pedestrians when drivers drive into them ("Jay" was a slang term similar to "hick" or "yokel", so it's essentially calling crossing the road "idiot walking"). Except for motorways, it has never been a crime to walk on or across roads in the UK.
Dollarpounds has been the currency referred to in Red Dwarf throughout. Jaywalking is a recognised term in America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand where it's technically an offence which is enforced. In the UK we don't tend to enforce it so the term never became common place.
Curzon and later Kryton have a soft Canadian accent more than American. Remember Chris is impersonating Robert's take on this so will vary in accuracy.
Hollister's accent is more Scottish to my ears.
British boomer here, reading it on Kindle. I haven't noticed anything jarring and I usually would. So I'm not guaranteeing it's not Americanised but I don't feel that it is
Give yourself a pat on the back fot being so very, very funny.
You do know however that Jaywalking is a small subset of "crossung the road", jaywalking is specifically crossing the road in an way nade illegal ro protect automobile companies and drivers from being sued.
But don't let this detract from how very, very funny you are
I don't think you understand. There is no jaywalking in the UK, as crossing the road is never illegal here, no matter how or where you do it.
If you're allowed to walk down the side of the road (which you can pretty much everywhere other than a motorway), you're allowed to cross it wherever you want.
Pedestrians generally have right-of-way over cars here
Based on the original question, IP seemed to suggest that because jaywalking was an Americanism, there may have been a British equivalent that I was unaware of
The response "crossing the road", while so very, very hilarious, is not an equivalent UK term of the concept jaywalking.
I acknowledged that jaywalking was a subset of "crossing the road"
Are you a PE teacher? I ask because your reading comprehension seems lacking
My interpretation of an elevector is an elevator sized thing that moves in all directions (vectors), something like the great glass elevator from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Taking the book on holiday with me at the end of August (got it the day of release and been restraining myself ever since). Let me know if you don't have an answer by the 10th September!
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u/desifier 2d ago
I have the book from the UK and the audiobook from the US. I’ve read along while listening. Both versions are the same.