A Harry Potter fan has gone viral on TikTok after revealing a hilarious difference between the UK and US editions of the books.
A seemingly minor linguistic tweak in the Harry Potter series has led to amusingly different interpretations of a particular scene.
English may be the common tongue for both the UK and the US, but they each embrace distinct versions that vary in spelling – and even meanings – depending on which side of the Atlantic you find yourself.
Devotees of the wizarding world are likely familiar with discrepancies between the British and American editions of JK Rowling’s celebrated novels. For instance, whereas the debut novel is known as Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone to most Brits, stateside, it goes by Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.
Yet, an eagle-eyed enthusiast has surfaced another little-known distinction which, if read in a certain light, could induce fits of giggles and make you picture an entirely different scene in your head.
In a wildly popular TikTok video, a user by the name of Devin dissected an amusing realisation about Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the fifth instalment in the mesmerising series.
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It features twins Fred and George Weasley bidding farewell to academia while leaving behind a magical “portable swamp”, a legendary prank that turned out to be quite troublesome to remove. While the water was being cleared, caretaker Filch had to escort students across the flooded corridors.
In the UK edition of the book, Filch is depicted as needing to “punt children across the swamp” – a phrase which for Brits typically evokes images of calmly navigating a punt, which is a flat-bottomed boat, across the water.
However, this terminology left American readers like Devin scratching their heads, as she declared it proved to her that “British English and American English are different languages”.
@lildummydev
im sure people have talked about this on the internet before but my friend dropped this lore on me in early august and i think of it DAILY so now you all must know #britishenglish #americanenglish #harrypotter #americanfootball #nfl #punting
original sound – devin ️️ – devin ️️
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She explained: “Punting is a very specific move in American football in which a kicker – a punter, it’s a dedicated role – takes the football and kicks it across the field as far as it could possibly go.”
Consequently, Devin amusingly recounts her childhood confusion: “So, as a child, I was assuming that Filch was just kicking children down a hallway. And because I had already suspended my disbelief because this is a fictional book about children wizards, I was like, ‘Yeah, this is fine’.”
Some savvy commenters highlighted that “punting” also crops up in rugby discussions, but it’s often easier for Brits, well-versed in their native pastimes, to deduce which meaning J. K. Rowling intended, unlike the American audience who might not be privy to the nautical connotation.
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Others were utterly astounded by Devin’s shocking news.
One gobsmacked individual confessed: “I legit thought he was drop-kicking those kids all these years.”
Another stated: “It totally made sense bc of how much Filch hated the students. Of course, he was drop-kicking them! Even after I realised it was a different kind of punting; I still couldn’t stop picturing the drop-kicking.”
Sourse: www.express.co.uk
