Some of the writers I admire who seem very, very funny and very emotional to me can develop a closeness with the reader without giving too much of themselves away. Lorrie Moore comes to mind, as does David Sedaris. When they write, the reader thinks that theyre being trusted as a friend. – Sloane Crosley
Brits and Americans have hundreds of different phrases for the same thing. Luckily, its usually a source of amusement rather than frustration. A flashlight by any other name is still a torch. My personal favourite is fairy lights, which we boringly refer to as Christmas lights. – Sloane Crosley