[PW] Re: Merry Christmas

[Nichael Cramer]

>Why, for standard American English, is Christmas merry  -- and nothing else?
>You'd never wish someone a "merry birthday" or describe someone as merry.

Likewise, how did it happen that the phrase changed as it travelled
across the Atlantic ("Happy Christmas"<==>"Merry Christmas")?


The following doesn't necessarily contribute any new information
to the discussion, but it struck me as interesting.

Among their many claims to fame was the fact that the Harry Potter books
required a number of minor adjustments or "mini-translations" between 
the British
and the American editions in order to make the books more suitable 
for American
(especially young American) readers.   (E.g. torch/flashlight, 
jumper/sweater or, perhaps
most famously, the alteration of the title of the first US volume to 
"HP and the Sorcerers's Stone"
because it was apparently felt that too many folks would either miss 
the reference to the
"Philosopher's Stone", or, more likely, be scared off by the phrase.)


So, apropos the current discussion:  In one of the books, as the 
holiday approaches,
Dobby the house-elf covers the walls with banners wishing everyone a

      "HARRY CHRISTMAS"

I found the (possible) word-play here striking.  That is, in 
AmerEnglish --where
"Merry Christmas" is the standard expression-- the pun is purely aural.
However, in BritEnglish --where the expression "Happy Christmas" is 
far more common--
the wordplay is purely visual.

Needless to say, I have no way of knowing if this was 
intentional  (perhaps I'll bring it up
the next time I have dinner with J K Rowlins...)   Nonetheless, I 
thought it was worth noting.

Nichael


--
Nichael Cramer
Guilford VT
nichael at sover.net
http://www.sover.net/~nichael/