U.S.A. Culture and Language Help

[Flobberworm93]

I personally know men and women who wouldn't leave the house without their boots on, and some of them without their cowboy hats on. I don't think it's confined to Texas, it's an American thing. You can find people wearing them all over our wonderful country.

I would have to disagree about that, actually. I live in America (although I won't be specific about where I live for safety/security reasons), and I rarely see people wearing cowboy boots, and I've only seen cowboy hats on Halloween costumes. I think it really depends on the exact location where the fic's taking place.

[queen fan]

I'm from the south, South Carolina to be more specific. We use "y'all" all the time and also "all y'all" too. It's just normal for anyone to say it. Also, there's the accent, it's easily identified as the southern accent (it's better than the yankee accent anyway).

I love fried food. Chicken is fried all the time, I love fried okra too. KFC never seems to have it anymore, that makes me soooo mad, Fried green tomatoes too, but I've never had them, there is a movie about them though. Collard greens are a must, though I personally hate them, but it's very southern. They smell up the house badly, but if you like them, you love them.

"The south will rise again" is used a lot, and I'm pretty sure Texas was with the Confederates. Also, when someone from the north does something you don't like it's "d*** yankees" (I'm not sure if I can say that on here). The confederate flag is everywhere.

My uncle goes by Uncle Bubba. His real name is Ricky but just wants to be called Uncle Bubba. I don't know anyone else by the name of Bubba.

I use supper and dinner pretty interchangably.

I've also never heard of "jeet?" and Whataburger.

*thinks* *can't think of anything else*

[Heiress_of_Insanity_]

I was born and raised in Texas, so I hope I will be able to help. First, I have to say, everything depends on where you live. I live in one of the big cities cmwinters mentioned (won't say which) and I say y'all, and sometimes fixin-to, but I don't say howdy unless I'm trying to kid around with my weird non-Texan friends, or jeet, or supper (most of the time, 'cept on Sundays when I'm with my grandparents). Out in west Texas, though, people say stuff like that more often. My cousin, who lives in College Station, calls her baby brother 'bubba' (she's two).

I heartily enjoy Mexican food (especially enchiladas) and Whataburger. I don't own any cowboy hats or boots, but I did a couple of years ago, and I go to the rodeo when it comes to town.

So basically, it all depends where they live. The closer to Louisiana you get, the less 'Texanized' people become. I hardly even have an accent Hope that helped! Or was it terribly consufing?~

H_o_I_

[butter_beer_drinker]

Well, I have to jump in. I live in what used to be a small town (at least it was 17 years ago). When I was in school I lived in the "city" which is fifteen minutes from here. I was in FFA, went to a small Rodeo called Cowbell (yes it really was!), owned 4 pair of "****-kickers" (boots for those who have never worn theirs on a ranch). I started dating my husband simply because he was a hot cowboy (who wore his Sunday boots to our Prom and a black hat and is known as Uncle Bubba to his sister's kids!), went to Billy Bobs on the weekends, stood in line for Garth Brooks tickets, rode a bull once and shovled horse crap for a school oproject. My mother drove a Cowgirl Caddilac (a Suburban) and I now drive a Ford Pick-Up. Boots and jeans are worn all over this town espically the Wal Mart.

I say ya'll and fixin on a regular basis and a good friend of mine who lives in Highland Park has a worst accent than me. So I am going to have to agree that it all depends on WHERE in Texs you live.

Now to throw a wrench in this, my "Cowboy" now wears Chinos and a tie to work, drives an Altima, sayes that Cowboy boots hurt his feet and rarely listens to country music. I wear flare leg jeans with heels, and my favorite band is Fall Out Boy. I still have an accent but so do all neighbors.

[OliveOil_Med]

Alright, Americans; I know your out there! I can tell because of the version of Engish that all the Brits here say they hate so much! Well, I have use for this thread, so it's high time we brought it back to life!

Let's start with a topic I KNOW we can get a lot of conversation out of: how does American magic differ from British magic? I know it will have a basis in the technique British wizards used, but our culture as a whole has come a long way in terms of language and culture from the colonial days. Why shouldn't magic be any different? Let's start off with some brainstorming questions.

For one thing, the Native Americans didn't leave behind huge castles for us to use for magic schools. What could be used instead: a plantation, a ghost town, entire neighborhoods, their own Hawaiian island?

What subject would be taught in American schools that wouldn't be taught in British schools? Maybe classes in Native American shamanism or folk magic? Classes that focus on people's different hertitages?

What would the school structure be like? Would their be houses, or just dorms? What would the teacher be like? How old are students when they start school? Are they eleven, like in Britain, or do they wait until their older.

C'mon, people; let's get those brain juices flowing. We know how much we love to talk about ourselves, and I know no one reads Harry Potter if they don't have a huge imagination. Let's put them to use!

[PadfootnPeeves]

Hiya! I've finally found a thread that I'll be good in!

I'm not sure exactly what you mean by how their magic differs, so I can't answer that one.

No, Native Americans didn't live in castles. What they lived in depended on the climate and whether they lived by swamps, rivers, etc. Others were nomadic, and had easy-to-carry houses so they could travel easily. They lived in tepees, long houses, adobe houses, wigwams, and others. Adobes seem to be the largest- they were msot commonly used by the Pueblos in the southwest. If you want to learn more about the houses and such, I recommend this site: http://www.native-languages.org/houses.htm

What subject would be taught in American schools that wouldn't be taught in British schools? Maybe classes in Native American shamanism or folk magic? Classes that focus on people's different hertitages?

Well, I suppose you could have a class on heritage and culture. People's culture usually ties in to Social Studies, but since this is a wizarding school, having a separate class would be fine.

What would the school structure be like? Would their be houses, or just dorms? What would the teacher be like? How old are students when they start school? Are they eleven, like in Britain, or do they wait until their older.

Public schools don't have houses, but I'm not sure about private ones, because I don't go to one. Most private schools are day schools- they don't stay overnight, unlike colleges.
Teachers would be like teachers- some strict, some nice, some boring, funny...
Well, for middle schools, most start in sixth grade (some seventh- in some schools sixth is still in elementary) when they're eleven or so. It depends on when your birthday is (the cut off is somewhere between late November- early December, if i'm not mistaken) It also depends on what the parents want- if they think their kid is ready, they can sen d them off to preschool early.

[Snape's Talon]

It would be good to note that many Native Americans live on reservations. They each have their own language with strong oral traditions. I wouldn't expect them to have ancient grimoires or spell books. Knowledge would have passed down orally.

In Florida, there are Seminoles. North Carolina, Oklahoma and other states have Cherokees. In fact, the Cherokee Nation has a rather modern website. So a mix of the traditional and the modern would be evident.

From what I've read, they would never name their shaman to an outsider. That sort of information is kept secret to each tribe.

[Ironic Inspiration]

Since I live in Texas, I figured I ought to put in my two cents.

Okay, so I live in a city in Texas. We have a three-story mall, nice restraunts, big buildings, ect. I don't see alot of people with cowboy boots and cowboy hats on, except my grandfather when he visits. It's ironic, I know. Don't get me wrong, it's still Texas. Beneath the large office buildings, there are a few cows and horses scattered around.

Anywho, I have never ridden a horse before. I've been to one (counts...yes, one) rodeo out of town. I have a Border Collie who thinks she is a teacup sized dog and has no clue what she is supposed to do around sheep. She would much rather guard from the inside, sleep in our beds, and harrass the cat. *shrugs*

My point is, is that in an American school (especially a magical one, which will have people from all over) is going to be very diverse. You'll have people like me, who only own a pair of boots from '07, because that was the fad. You'll have boys who sleep in their barns in order to take care of the animals better (I have a friend who does that) and you'll have, of course, the **** kickers along with the always apparent Texas football stars, cheer leaders, and the marching band. (I'm not hating, I was am a twirler).

This shouldn't be much different from a Britian school. I'm sure they have many different types of people. I am called a "city girl", for the simple fact that I can't get to school in a good mood unless I have Starbucks, want to be a writer, adn want to get the you-know-what out of here. In an American school, you are going to have a lot of gossip and talking about one another, because we simply don't understand people from other "groups". I like to say I don't, but I am not perfect. Basically, in Hogwarts ters. you'd have you Gryffindors (Cowboys, cowgirls) thinking that the Slytherins (City people) are snobby and biased. It's all the same.

Now, in an American Magical school, I don't see why they would start in the same age and learn the same stuff. They have to know all of the magica right? I don't think countries would influence the classes. And teachers are the same all over... You've got your fine History Teacher/Baseball coach, your strick math teacher, your cooky chemistry teacher, your passionate English teacher.... Some of them are fun and nice, while others you secretly want to stab in the back with your pencil.

[OliveOil_Med]

No, Native Americans didn't live in castles. What they lived in depended on the climate and whether they lived by swamps, rivers, etc. Others were nomadic, and had easy-to-carry houses so they could travel easily. They lived in tepees, long houses, adobe houses, wigwams, and others. Adobes seem to be the largest- they were msot commonly used by the Pueblos in the southwest. If you want to learn more about the houses and such, I recommend this site: http://www.native-languages.org/houses.htm

I think you misunderstood. What I meant to say is that American isn't going to have all these abondond castles lying around like the do in Europe. So it's not very likly people are going to go to school in a magic castle in Nebraska! But would could be used as the school instead.

Old plantation homes, ghost towns, maybe even though old Pueblos.

It would be good to note that many Native Americans live on reservations. They each have their own language with strong oral traditions. I wouldn't expect them to have ancient grimoires or spell books. Knowledge would have passed down orally.

Good to know. At least the kids won't need textbooks for that class. That doesn't necessarily mean they wouldn't learn it at all.

[A.H.]

Bryan/College Station is noted for Texas A&M.

I used to live in a hotel that was right across the street from Texas A&M. I even went into the campus nearly every day to use their computer lab... They never asked me to leave. I was about seven or eight so they had to know I wansn't attending any classes... Good times, good times Anyhoo, I've lived in every state in the Southern region, so I have a few knuts to throw in. I'm'a answer them there questions first though.

And no I do not have a "Texas drawl." That is also quite uncommon (though not unheard of).

Ah, but you do. I guarantee it. I denied that I had a southern accent until a few years ago, when I, by surprise, heard my voice... And then it dawned on me. I sound so southern that Paula Dean would be proud. I don't think I've ever said "you all" instead of y'all... It's not so much that I try to say y'all, rather it just comes out.

What subject would be taught in American schools that wouldn't be taught in British schools? Maybe classes in Native American shamanism or folk magic? Classes that focus on people's different hertitages?

Oh no, no, no! Religion is not taught in any school in America, and if a teacher were to try and teach their students about any religion I daresay they would be fired without questioning. Well, some schools are that strict about that policy, maybe others aren't as much. Either way, religion has become such a controversy over here that "One nation, under God" has been taken out of the Pledge of Allegiance in most schools.

What would the school structure be like? Would their be houses, or just dorms? What would the teacher be like? How old are students when they start school? Are they eleven, like in Britain, or do they wait until their older

.

Only Private Schools in America have things like Dorms... I don't believe any of them have houses, but as I've never been to one, I don't know. There are four... Hmmm, well, I don't know what'd you'd call them.

Preschool/Kindegarden: I started school when I was five, I think, in Preschool. Some parents don't feel that their children have to attend a preschool, and so some kids start in kindegarden.

Elementry: First through fifth grade. When I was in Texas... No, Mississippi, I think, they had an Intermediate school for fourth through seventh grade, or something like that. But that's not common at all.

Middle School: Sixth through eighth grade.

Highschool: Seventh through twelth.

It's not common for any of the above schools to be in the same building. Students who are in elementry go to a different building, sometimes miles away from Middle or Preschool or High, and etc. Although, some cities have begun to load all the students into one building, so that they can tear down the others... I don't know if I'm making any sense?

The school board provides free transportation to and from school each day: School Busses. Yes, those horried yellow things that you see in movies, with dozens of loud, noisy kids yelling and screaming and pulling each other's hairs. *shudders* Yech... I hated those things.

Also, it is mandatory for all children under the age of sixteen to attend school, Public or Private. Once you're sixteen, however, you can "drop out" (quit... dunno if that's an Americanism) and get your G.E.D. Which is a highschool diploma of sorts.

Teachers are just like Professors... except with a lame name. They have to get their Teaching Lisence by going to college and studying and all that jazz. I think that's the same in Brittian?

So, now let's go into a breif history of Arianna

I was born in Arkansas, and raised in every other southern state since then. Right now I'm in Alabama, and have been here for a whopping three to four years... Tis unusual for my family, with my dad being in construction. Luckily though, he quit and changed careers, and now we can actually stay in one place for more than a year. But I'm rambling.

About eight months ago I moved from a small town to a big city. In fact, Birmingham is the first city I've ever lived in. When I was in Texas, (not Commerce, where Texas A&M is) the ground was literally what you see in stereotypical wild wild west type movies - the ground was cracked, there were moths, misquitos, bugs everywhere, ranches every where you turned, cowboy hats gallore, and southern drawls everywhere your ears turned. But, again, I digress.

Actually, considering there are no certain questions anyone wants to ask, I'm not so sure I can think of anything to ramble about. Ask me about the south, and I shall tell you. I have an annoyingly extensive knowledge of it.

*tips cowboy hat*
Y'all come back now yah heer!! YEEHAW!
*ahem*
Oh dears.
-Arianna