Help with English variants wanted! And info on jeeps.

[indri]

nwhepcat is kindly betaing my fic at the moment and what's become apparent is that I sometimes muddle my slanguages. Scots, English, Strine and American---I keep getting them confused.

So I wonder if anyone has any suggestions for the following:

(i) hoon noun 1. a fast, reckless driver of a car, boat, etc. 2. a speedy drive; a fang: going out for a hoon tonight. 3. a hooligan; a lout. This is Aussie slang but I need Brit or US. I'll just use some dull synonym unless someone knows of a word connoting reckless speed.

(ii) bodeganwhepcat tells me this is the term I need but I'm not comfortable with it as it's not a standard part of my vocabulary. Is the term "convenience store" sufficiently dialect-neutral? I think "corner shop" is largely British and "deli" and "milk bar" are Australian.

(iii) bogie A railroad car or locomotive undercarriage. I can't use this with a straight face, as "bogie" is Scots (and English?) slang for congealed snot. I'd prefer something less polysyllabic than "railroad car" or "locomotive undercarriage" though. Will everyone understand me if I write "rail-car"?

(iv) Frosties It's "Frosties" in one country and "Frosted Flakes" in another. Does it matter which I go for? This is Spike POV, so I figure either UK or US brandnames would be OK.

And also---

(v) jeeps Are these manual or automatic transmission vehicles?

Thanks, all. I may have more slightly daft questions tomorrow.

UPDATE 9:30pm Just got back from dinner with the SO (mm, congee), who kindly explained to me all manner of things about jeeps and gears. I am OK now for jeep knowledge.

Comments

[superplin.livejournal.com]

A few comments from a (mostly) American perspective:

(ii) bodega nwhepcat tells me this is the term I need but I'm not comfortable with it as it's not a standard part of my vocabulary. Is the term "convenience store" sufficiently dialect-neutral?

I would go with convenience store, myself. I think bodega is kind of regional, since I have a very hard time imagining it being a commonly used term in, say, the Midwest. (Of course, it may be regionally appropriate to your story, too, so that's worth considering.) I think convenience store is the most neutral.

(iv) Frosties It's "Frosties" in one country and "Frosted Flakes" in another. Does it matter which I go for? This is Spike POV, so I figure either UK or US brandnames would be OK.

Well, if I read "Frosties" I'd have no idea that it referred to Frosted Flakes, unless context made it perfectly clear. I normally think of a "Frosty" as a shake, or if Spike said it I might think he was talking about beer. I rarely associate cold cereal with Spike. ;)

Having never driven a Jeep, and having no idea what to suggest as a synonym for "hoon", that's all I can offer at the moment.

[indri]

"Bodega" is regionally appropriate to my story but I don't want to use the word because I only just learnt what one is.

"Frosties" as beers, yes that makes sense.

I rarely associate cold cereal with Spike.

Whereas my website is called "Blood and Weetabix".

Mmm, Weetabix. Time for my breakfast, I think.