How to Talk Like a Winchester
Mar. 11th, 2014 12:49 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
caranfindelSam and Dean didn’t grow up in Kansas, but John did (as far as we know). And since the boys were so transient, their vocabulary would most likely have been based on John’s example, rather than any particular geographical area where they might have landed. In other words, they should sound like they’re from Kansas. Here are a few tips…
In some parts of the country (East and West coasts?) people refer to numbered highways with the word “the,” as in “the I-10.” People in the center of the country, particularly people from Kansas, do not. None of the Winchesters (or Bobby) would take “the I-35 through Kansas.” It’s just I-35. A Kansan will use “the” if the highway has a name, such as “the Sunflower Bypass.” (Also, while we’re on the topic, the Winchesters almost never take the interstate anyway. If you’re aiming for accuracy, the roads they take are state highways at best.)
Americans don't buy beer in pints. If they're at a bar they'll either have a bottle or a glass.
When shortening “I have” as in “I have something,” people in the U.S. generally do not simply use “I’ve,” they say “I’ve got.” Americans do not say “I’ve an idea,” they say “I’ve got an idea.” Now, there may be pockets of the U.S. where this is not the case, but those pockets do not contain the Winchesters.
The word paracetamol is not used in the U.S. The generic name in the U.S. is acetaminophen, but the vast majority of people would use the brand name Tylenol. Those are facts. The rest of this is strictly my opinion… It’s more realistic for the boys to take ibuprofen or even aspirin. Acetaminophen can be awfully hard on the liver (something to worry about when you’re a hard drinker) and most people of my acquaintance don’t consider it as effective at relieving pain. The only people I know who regularly use acetaminophen are people who can’t take other pain relievers, or children. It’s considered something you take if you can’t take the good stuff, you know what I mean? And the Winchesters would take the good stuff.
Other words people never use in Kansas
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snickfic has a good post on American vs UK writing; you should check it out if you're looking for a more authentic American voice.
In some parts of the country (East and West coasts?) people refer to numbered highways with the word “the,” as in “the I-10.” People in the center of the country, particularly people from Kansas, do not. None of the Winchesters (or Bobby) would take “the I-35 through Kansas.” It’s just I-35. A Kansan will use “the” if the highway has a name, such as “the Sunflower Bypass.” (Also, while we’re on the topic, the Winchesters almost never take the interstate anyway. If you’re aiming for accuracy, the roads they take are state highways at best.)
Americans don't buy beer in pints. If they're at a bar they'll either have a bottle or a glass.
When shortening “I have” as in “I have something,” people in the U.S. generally do not simply use “I’ve,” they say “I’ve got.” Americans do not say “I’ve an idea,” they say “I’ve got an idea.” Now, there may be pockets of the U.S. where this is not the case, but those pockets do not contain the Winchesters.
The word paracetamol is not used in the U.S. The generic name in the U.S. is acetaminophen, but the vast majority of people would use the brand name Tylenol. Those are facts. The rest of this is strictly my opinion… It’s more realistic for the boys to take ibuprofen or even aspirin. Acetaminophen can be awfully hard on the liver (something to worry about when you’re a hard drinker) and most people of my acquaintance don’t consider it as effective at relieving pain. The only people I know who regularly use acetaminophen are people who can’t take other pain relievers, or children. It’s considered something you take if you can’t take the good stuff, you know what I mean? And the Winchesters would take the good stuff.
Other words people never use in Kansas
- Whilst
- Petrol
- Nought/naught, either for the number zero or as a synonym for “nothing.” There are people who will dramatically say “it was all for naught.” These people are not the Winchesters.
snickfic has a good post on American vs UK writing; you should check it out if you're looking for a more authentic American voice. 
