Parked up

Posted on December 2, 2007 | Comments Off on Parked up

I’m enjoying the first Jack Reacher novel (actually the second, after a prequel, though one is advised to read a few before the prequel) by Lee Child. But I keep stumbling over two British-isms that don’t belong in the mouths of characters from rural Georgia: "straightaway," and, especially, the obscure phrase "parked up." Sloppy work, Mr. Child, even if you are a Brit yourself. But, really, sloppy work seems to be the nature of book publishing these days. Doing a bit of Web wandering I see the books are published simultaneously in the U.S., Britain and Australia. That explains it, I guess. Wonder if they think American Southerners use their lingo? Take my word for it, you chaps, we don’t.

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0 responses to “Parked up”

  1. jdallen's avatar jdallen | December 2, 2007 at 4:25 pm |

    Try on some Swagger. Bob Lee or Earl. Mr. Hunter does not make those particular errors.
    Speaking of regional specific slang, though, it truly blew me away when one of the Brits I knew at work said, “Cheer-o” instead of “bye” or whatever, one day. I thought that was only in movies. He said, “No, we really do use that.”
    I wasn’t for sure, though, because he was a known liar, almost as bad as of of the Germans I worked with.

  2. jdallen's avatar jdallen | December 2, 2007 at 4:25 pm |

    Try on some Swagger. Bob Lee or Earl. Mr. Hunter does not make those particular errors.
    Speaking of regional specific slang, though, it truly blew me away when one of the Brits I knew at work said, “Cheer-o” instead of “bye” or whatever, one day. I thought that was only in movies. He said, “No, we really do use that.”
    I wasn’t for sure, though, because he was a known liar, almost as bad as of of the Germans I worked with.

  3. Dick Stanley's avatar Dick Stanley | December 2, 2007 at 6:30 pm |

    Thanks for the suggestion. But why is it, I wonder, that these thriller writers, like Burke and now Hunter, have Vietnam veterans for main characters/heroes/anti-heroes when they themselves never set foot in the war? Trying to glom on a little wannabee fame, eh? Hunter, now, he just missed it apparently. Says here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Hunter)
    that he served in the 3rd Infantry Regiment sometime after 1968, but never left the states–the 3rd’s second battalion was fighting in Vietnam from 1968-1969. Guess Hunter was in a different battalion. Plus, his veteran hero is a Marine. About which he can’t know anything firsthand. Strange, eh?

  4. Dick Stanley's avatar Dick Stanley | December 2, 2007 at 6:30 pm |

    Thanks for the suggestion. But why is it, I wonder, that these thriller writers, like Burke and now Hunter, have Vietnam veterans for main characters/heroes/anti-heroes when they themselves never set foot in the war? Trying to glom on a little wannabee fame, eh? Hunter, now, he just missed it apparently. Says here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Hunter)
    that he served in the 3rd Infantry Regiment sometime after 1968, but never left the states–the 3rd’s second battalion was fighting in Vietnam from 1968-1969. Guess Hunter was in a different battalion. Plus, his veteran hero is a Marine. About which he can’t know anything firsthand. Strange, eh?

  5. Scott's avatar Scott | December 3, 2007 at 6:43 pm |

    Interesting criticism, but I never even noticed it – Reacher went around the world as an MP. One imagines England, certainly. I can tell you that some of that talk sticks, no matter how big a hayseed you are. Frex, after six months in Jolly Olde more than 16 years ago, I still have Britisms stuck in my lingo, like knackered and dozy cow.

  6. Scott's avatar Scott | December 3, 2007 at 6:43 pm |

    Interesting criticism, but I never even noticed it – Reacher went around the world as an MP. One imagines England, certainly. I can tell you that some of that talk sticks, no matter how big a hayseed you are. Frex, after six months in Jolly Olde more than 16 years ago, I still have Britisms stuck in my lingo, like knackered and dozy cow.

  7. Dick Stanley's avatar Dick Stanley | December 3, 2007 at 8:56 pm |

    In this book, it’s not Reacher using these phrases but the denizens of this small, Georgia town, none of whom are portrayed as globetrotting cosmopolitans, which is why they grated on my eyes/ears, I’ve moved on to the prequel, meanwhile, and have not noticed either phrase in it.

  8. Dick Stanley's avatar Dick Stanley | December 3, 2007 at 8:56 pm |

    In this book, it’s not Reacher using these phrases but the denizens of this small, Georgia town, none of whom are portrayed as globetrotting cosmopolitans, which is why they grated on my eyes/ears, I’ve moved on to the prequel, meanwhile, and have not noticed either phrase in it.