#the brit answers asks :]

[myheadsgonenumb]

Lowkey begging for a brit picking on common nicknames and who they're used for cos i keep coming across 'poppet' and like- no hate but it's giving me such a massive ick bc that's used pretty exclusively for children 😭 i feel like i'd be super helpful for folks having reference for which ones are more familial/platonic/romantic/any, could throw in some more regional ones too like 'me duck' n 'pet' n stuff like that !!

Ooh, OK this is a really interesting question and quite difficult to answer because the usage of pet names is very regional so I can only give a partial response. I'm in Yorkshire, in the north of England - if any other Brits come across this and have more to add please reblog with your regional input!

I'd say "poppet" is a no in general. I think, if it's used at all in HP, it's used by Aunt Petunia to refer to Dudley, which should tell you something about it's general soppiness and yes, it would be used exclusively by adults for children.

I think the famous one that everyone thinks of when they think "Britain" is "mate". I'd say this is used more frequently towards men/boys than it is to women and that, while women will use it, it is more likely a man calling another man "mate". HOWEVER I would say it's used more between people who don't know each other that well, or at all, rather than between actual mates. It's not never used between friends, but often it is a placeholder word when you don't know someone's name.

In Scotland they use "pal"... but I think there can sometimes be a bit of an edge to that. If they're calling you "pal" they're not being friendly!

In the north we use the word "love" a lot. And everyone uses it on everyone (people claim that men even call other men "love" but I've lived in the north my whole life and never actually heard that). This can actually cause a bit of cultural misunderstanding when the southerners venture past Watford Gap. A lot of southern women take offence when a northern man calls them "love" seemingly out of the blue (e.g asking them "are you lost, love?") as they think the man is being sexist. He isn't. That's just how northerners speak to each other. Men call women it, women call other women it, everyone calls children it.

"Duck" and "ducky" are similarly northern but are falling out of use. They wouldn't look out of place in a Harry Potter fic, though, as long as the fic had similar vibes to canon, because the books have that slightly old fashioned (even for the time), cosy feel to them. The would be used by older characters to younger ones.

"Dear" and "Dearie" would also come under the same umbrella- grownups taking to children, or possible very elderly adults. "Dear" is now a bit contentious, as there used to be a car insurance advert where Michael Winner told a woman to "calm down, dear, it's only a commercial". Later David Cameron, then Prime Minister, caused a ruckus by quoting the first part to a female MP in the House of Commons and it is now seen as quite sexist and patronising. However, adults do patronise both young people and the elderly, so those two groups might still get called it.

"Pet" is northern, as well, I think, and more likely to be used by older people. Either older adults talking to younger ones, or an old man calling his wife it.

Where the north say 'Love' to everyone, I'm told the south west call everyone "My lover". Everyone - strangers, children, your gran. Everyone. It's not sexual or romantic at all.

"My lovely" (or just "lovely") is a less hilarious variation on the same, and one I use quite a lot with the teenagers I work with. Other adult to children terms of endearment tend to be "my love" "love" "sweetheart" (that one is used a lot) and "darlin'" (the g is not pronounced).

Equally, though men chatting women up might also use "love" and "darlin'". (Somehow the darlin' sounds different when its a chat up to when its being used on a child though, I think you put more emphasis on the "Dar" - drawing out the ar sound - if its a chat up.)

When it comes to people in closer relationships - whether familial or romantic, they still might use "love", sometimes "honey" or "sweetheart" (possibly "Darling" with the g if they are quite posh), but a lot of times the names will be much more personal and will vary family/ relationship to family/relationship (my mum has always called me "pumpkinella"). Going back to Petunia, you see her use a variety of personalised names for Dudley - like "Diddykins".

A bit like British people can take any word and make it mean "drunk" they can take any word and turn it into a term of endearment. Pretty much pick a noun and there will be a loving parent calling their child that somewhere in the UK, and it would be a nice touch in your fic to have individualised terms of endearment that various parents call their children. examples are things like "bug" "bunny" "chicken" "squish" "mush" "tinkerbell".

When it comes to romantic relationships, I think age plays a large part in which word is more common. Older couples will use "love", younger ones will use "babe" (but just to throw a spanner in the works, its OK for an adult to call a child babe as a term of endearment and everyone gets that that's not sexualised or romantic).

"baby" is the same (though only a parent would call a child "baby", whereas an adult acting in loco parentis might use "babe") and used by parents to their children and between romantic partners.

I think, generally, the same words are used for and by all people, and the meaning of it is simply changed by the context. There's very few (possibly none) generic terms of endearment that you couldn't use with your romantic partner or child.

When it comes to young people talking to other young people - I don't really hear anyone use them out loud, unless they're being ironic (terms of endearment do tend to be a thing that you start to use as you get older) but on snapchat they call each other "pookie" "bestie" and "babe". These would all be terrible in a HP fic, however.

Back when I was young (and all this was fields) we didn't have group chats and so didn't call each other terms of endearment at all.

I've still never heard a boy call another boy a term of endearment (beyond "mate" - as per above) and that certainly didn't happen (in my experience) when Harry Potter is set. One thing boys did do in the past, which seems to be dying out (at least where I am) is give each other nick names based either on their name or something about their appearance e.g a boy whose last name was "Hobson" was called "Hobbo", "Shaw" was "Shawwy", names got shortened more e.g "Dave" and then there was names like "Ginge". This does seem to have died out totally where I am, but would be time appropriate for HP.

I think because Brits are quite reserved, terms of endearment are either used where the person isn't actually dear to them, and so there is no real meaning behind it (though it is used to be friendly) or in total private with loved ones. And when they are in private, the names can get weird and wonderful and totally unique.

We are far more comfortable showing genuine affection in public by insulting each other. So where I've never heard boys use actual terms of endearment on each other, I have heard them say "you wanker" or "you daft cunt" and mean it affectionately.

It's not all the time, every other sentence though. When someone has done something worthy of being laughed at for, their friends will laugh at them for it and use insults but it will all be in good fun. In my experience with teenagers today, it's not really an everyday occurrence to just call someone a "wanker" out of the blue, unless they're trying to wind them up/ start a fight. But in context of someone having been an idiot, then it's gloves off for insults between friends.

I hope this helps. I think the key is to not pepper every sentence with them and mostly have older characters using them towards younger characters. When it comes to romantic or familial relationships, you can't go wrong with "love" but it will come across as more authentic if you use something a bit offbeat and unique to that relationship. Just pick a word and make that "their word". And you can use insults as affection, but it has to fit the context. Someone has to have done something daft in order for them to affectionately be called a "daft cunt".

[tea-for-me-trauma-for-thee]

Turning the washing machine on

NONONO-

*spinning Ruin gibberish*

// *yes the mod is giggling in the corner…. yes they have popcorn* //

[salvadorbonaparte]

shout out to the beautiful country of South Africa which is where Brits most frequently guess my accent is from right after meeting me

[skyloftian-nutcase]

For the prompt game… Worcestershire!

"Woostsher."

"Warkestershyre!"

"Whoosh."

"How--that isn't remotely correct."

"The word makes no sense anyway!"

Wild laughed so hard he snorted milk out of his nose. Malon sighed, patting him on the back as the others continued to argue over how to pronounce Worcestershire sauce. Apparently they'd made a bet, and whoever could get the closest to the correct answer didn't have to do the yearly competency module.

"It's Worcestershire," came a voice from the doorway. Everyone looked over to see Time standing there with a cup of coffee in his hand, eyes half open and unfazed by the chaos.

"That can't be right," Warriors immediately denied.

"He's right," Malon said.

"You're biased!"

Malon raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying I'm wrong?"

Warriors' mouth snapped shut.

Wild snorted again. "She's definitely right."

Time smiled at Warriors. "You can do my training for me, then."

Legend, Wind, and Sky laughed at the army nurse's sour expression.

[piers-official]

Language :]

"Um, we don't serve those with our burgers, sir."

Piers eyes the waiter, completely puzzled by this odd notion. Currently He and Marnie are at a small burger joint in Castelia (At his sister's request) and were trying to have a nice supper before heading back to their Uncle's place. Piers glances over at Marnie with deep confusion, she simply shrugs.

"Ya mean, ya don' serve chips with the veggie burger plate, is that it?"

"No, sir... I believe you're thinking of Sub Wailord."

Well, this was even more confusing. They don't serve bloody chips with their subs. Piers quickly raises his head around the room, Everyone else seems to have chips with their burgers, so what was the problem?

"Are you alright, sir?"

"Aye, look-" He wasn't one to get mad at workers for something out of their control, but clearly they were misunderstanding him. He regains a calm composure, and continues, "-Don' mean ta be windin' up on ya, but i's a bit dodgy ta say ya don' got somethin' when ya clearly do. Ganderin' 'round, I can spot other blokes with chips sidin' with their nosh, So I'm a bit cheesed ta hear ya go off barmy like this."

A small pause occurs between the two adults, as they both stare in bemusement.

"Sir, I have no idea what you just said."

[killmymind]

man man man. breaks my heart to think of 1d getting such a tragic ending..

[airlocksandaviaries]

i’m gonna be watching top gun with my friends soon and i have no idea what it’s about do you have any tips

STEP 1 OF EVERY TOP GUN WATCH IS TO HAVE FUN AND BE YOURSELF!!! 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻

WATCH THE PLANES GO ZOOM AND THE SUNSETS SPARKLE AND THE HOMOEROTICISM SHINE

DONT FORGET TO LAUGH AT HOW RIDICULOUS IT IS!!!!

YEEHAW✈️💨🌅🌊👨🏼‍❤️‍💋‍👨🏻👬

[umlewis]

what an idiot. You won't even read because it's facts

this is so low effort it made me sad :( you're a sad sad saddy sad sad poo poo head

[m155y-74]

Weren't you supposed to be asleep miss ma'am?

yeah so funny story, i did not go to sleep buuuuuuut i did continue spiralling about how im apparently bi so the time wasn’t completely wasted

[tea-for-me-trauma-for-thee]

Ruin, come here, my sweet child (sits Ruin on their lap and gives forehead kisses, wraps him up in a blanket like a burrito, and holds him while reading and rocking back and forth on a rocking chair)

I-… What-?

*congrats! you have now acquired a confused british burrito! :D a brit-rito if you will

^ i thank my friend for that pun*

// this was so fun to draw in like 15 minutes for no reason- //

[fiveht]

Love, love, love Adore and am drooling over Head Over Feet!!

You mentioned a couple asks ago that you haven’t specified it’s in the US, and that made me very curious as to where they do live??

The way you’ve phrased east and west coast and mentioned eastern time (NA) makes me wonder (aka hope) that maybe, if not the US, they’re in Canada?!?! As a Canadian girlie I love some representation for us - so I just had to ask!!

They indeed are Canadian. 😁 They don't live in Quebec, but they're close! They live in Ottawa. For those unaware, Ottawa, Ontario and Gatineau, Quebec are directly across the Ottawa River from one another, and Hull is a historic neighbourhood in Gatineau. (By the way, the university in the story is Carleton.)

I'm a Canadian girlie myself, and when I started Disarm I thought, if American writers make them American in AUs, why can't I make them Canadian? So I did. I'm not from Ottawa (I'm from Newfoundland, which is way too distinct a setting, because we fucking weird over here) but I did spend a lot of summers there as a kid.

[yourlocalstilinski-valdez]

Where has it been confirmed that there will be a tribute to Liam at the Brit Awards?

I saw it here last night, but there's been more sources confirming since I saw last :)

[britcision]

Hi

I saw your post about you and your fellow brits being afraid of flavour and wanted to recommend you the Galloway Wild Food blog

gallowaywildfoods com/wild-spices-of-the-uk/

You say you're British, I'm not, and frankly I find it embarrassing for you that you would go online and disparage your own culture in a way that shows your ignorance to the extreme. Before going online and shaming your ancestors, your country, your country men and yourself, try and do some learning about the place you claim to be from. This is only the flavours comparable to "exotic" spices, and leaves out other unique flavours of the island

The moron who freaked out about the Italian restaurant literally said the food was fine. The "issue" was that the owner was friendly. You're so eager to talk shit about yourself and your people you're making up issues

The second hand embarrassment of watching white people lambast their own cultures is literally borderline lethal, please be a better person to yourself and your neighbours, instead of signaling your self hatred all over the internet to literally no one's benefit

Oh someone got a whole bee in their ass and I missed making a timely response! Whatever shall I do!

Sadly for this poor benighted fool, I am British. English, even! As in, born there, lived there my formative years, and yes, have sampled the food and culture. I speak from experience 🥰

So yeah, I’m absolutely going to take the piss out of my own homeland, especially when we can almost all admit we righteously deserve it - and the food, yeah, is fair game. So is the football, by the way!

I actually like (and cook) a lot of English food, but taking ten to fifteen seconds to look over a recipe will show you that there’s almost always an extremely short spice list, unless the recipe’s inspired by somewhere else

Salt, pepper, lea and perrins, you never even saw cilantro when I was a kid unless you were at an Indian restaurant

And, frankly, this kind of person? The kind of person who wants to get all butthurt and squinchy about someone else making fun of their own culture when they’re not even from that culture?

(Gee, I wonder where you could be from? So concerned about “white people” of any actual nationality being appropriately “proud”? 🤔)

Yeah, you deserve to be upset more often 🥰

We had a whole government party made to upset people like you, it’s part of our national heritage 🥰

Cringe and die of second hand embarrassment kitten, people who are secure in their cultural identity don’t need to prop ourselves up constantly by puffing chest and pretending we’re The Best And No One Could Say Anything Bad Ever

I will rip on English cooking (and especially English bacon, which you physically cannot crisp because it comes from a different part of the fucking pig) until the day that I die with love in my heart and a smile on my face, and other peoples’ approval has never and will never even turn my head

(You’ve never had lamb til you’ve had Welsh lamb though. No idea what they’re doing differently but it’s a whole thing)

Perhaps if you learned to laugh at yourself a little you’d feel less threatened when other people do the same?

Thanks for the blog rec though, I’ll check it out although if it has too much of the pseudo-nationalism you’ve been huffing I’ll probably tap out

[gigireece16]

i stumbled upon your uquiz post and saw the hugh dancy lesbian question and IMMEDIATELY sent that to my questioning comphet lesbian friend who loves hugh dancy a normal amount and died laughing. holy shit. that made my night :)

HELP I LOVE THAT 😭😭😭 i’m super glad you both enjoyed it.

[charlotte-of-wales]

what general public?? nobody cares that he didn't go. let's be honest right now. the vast majority of people didn't even know there was a word cup going on. in my country not one single match was televised. this whole thing is just jobless people making mountains out of molehills.

just because you live under a fucking rock doesn’t mean everyone else does

[palaeolithicc]

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