slightly OT: what sound effect word for... and more.

[mattias]

i'm translating a feature screenplay to english (my first paid gig as a screenwriter, yahoo) and i'm trying to find out how to translate some of the sound effect words. so, what's the sound of something falling into a bucket of paint, and the sound of closing a curtain fast and violently? i have flop and zip now, but i'm not sure they are the best.

also, there's a character called lillen, which literally means "the young/little one", which i think i have to translate. right now i have nipper, which the dictionary says can mean "small boy" in british english and also seems to fit the character's tendency to be a pain in the ass, but i've also tried junior, little one, tiny and shorty. what do you think?

finally, how would people generally pronounce the name gerda in english, with a hard g or with a j? i'm working on a mishearing joke that has to be completely rewritten.

thanks,

(this thread might continue)

/matt

[Taqi]

the sound of something falling into a bucket of paint, and /matt

Plop

the sound of closing a curtain fast and violently

Swish

[simong]

gerda: hard G

Little pain in the arse...How about scamp, (although not many would actually have this as a name, just a description)

[matt5791]

As regards tha name for "lillen" I would suggest that 'nipper' is generally used to refer to a particular child rather than as an actual name, although it would not necessarily be considered odd if it was used as a name. I would say 'Junior' or 'Shorty' were more American English in terms of the way they sound when applied in your circumstances, although not desparately so (if you remember Indiana Jones is repeatedly refered to as 'junior' in the third film by Connery, although, if I remember rightly, he dislikes the name)

Tiny or Little one are possibly a bit too descriptive

'Gerda' would almost always be pronounced with a hard G, at least this is how I would naturally pronounce it at first sight, and I would expect most other people to aswell. However I would not be suprised if someone told me is was supposed to have been pronounced with a J.

Matt

[ninjamoon]

my noise is SPLOOSH, and SPLOOP. like when i take a big dump.
little kids are brats. and my curtain goes SWISH like my cape.
GERDA, i pronounce with a silent G.
ninja

[mattias]

thanks a lot guys. lillen is not his name, people just call him that since he's the youngest brother in the family. i'll keep nipper and see what the producers think of it.

/matt

[matt5791]

Nipper would be my choice, although depending slightly on the circumstances, like the type of people etc.

Matt

[tim]

It seems as though 'lillen' is cognate with 'littl'un': a contraction of 'little one', often used to refer to a child, especially a boy.

[espo]

I like "gloop", it sounds more viscous than "plop". More like paint than water.

"swish" is pretty standard

"littl'un" is an endearing word, an old man talking to his grandson, say.

"nipper" is a bit of a hackneyed term, think East End of London 1940s.

Hope this helps

Ed