Is there a conventional way of writing "Shhh..."

Status
Not open for further replies.

Writing Jedi

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 20, 2006
Messages
329
Reaction score
213
Location
Summers in Toronto, Winters on Tatooine
I mean, is there a proper way?

Do you say, "She shushed him" ??
Or can you say, "Shhh," she said.
And if you type "Shhh", is there a particular way you are supposed to do it? Like, is it "Sh", or "Shhhhhhh", or "Shhh"...Is there a certain number of H's or is it however the heck you want?

I guess there are some things that don't have to be expressed in a standard way but it drives me nuts every time I see it in my manuscript.

Thanks for all thoughts.
 

Maryn

Sees All
Staff member
Super Moderator
Moderator
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
55,451
Reaction score
25,484
Location
Snow Cave
Word's spell checker--which is pretty conservative when it comes to accepting new words--doesn't flag Sh. I've added Shh, my preferred spelling. To my eye, anything beyong 2 H's looks funny.

Those are just for dialogue, of course. As a verb, you could use "she shushed him," but there's almost always a less awkward way to phrase it. It would depend a lot on the voice of the narrating character.

Maryn, whose narrators are often pretty laid-back about language
 

veinglory

volitare nequeo
Self-Ban
Registered
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
28,750
Reaction score
2,933
Location
right here
Website
www.veinglory.com
I've wondered about this myself. I tend to use a variable number of h's depending on how long the 'sh' is. As it is just an onomatapea (sp?) I don't worry too much about what the dictionary thinks.
 

Zolah

Over the hills and far away
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 7, 2005
Messages
465
Reaction score
83
Location
England
Website
www.zoemarriott.com
Writing Jedi said:
I mean, is there a proper way?

Do you say, "She shushed him" ??
Or can you say, "Shhh," she said.
And if you type "Shhh", is there a particular way you are supposed to do it? Like, is it "Sh", or "Shhhhhhh", or "Shhh"...Is there a certain number of H's or is it however the heck you want?

I guess there are some things that don't have to be expressed in a standard way but it drives me nuts every time I see it in my manuscript.

Thanks for all thoughts.

Maybe this is only a British thing, but around here 'She hushed him' means exactly the same thing and is far less awkward than using 'shush' as a verb. I don't know if this is accepted on the other side of the Pond though...
 

Sage

Currently titleless
Staff member
Moderator
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 15, 2005
Messages
64,566
Reaction score
22,378
Age
43
Location
Cheering you all on!
Zolah said:
Maybe this is only a British thing, but around here 'She hushed him' means exactly the same thing and is far less awkward than using 'shush' as a verb. I don't know if this is accepted on the other side of the Pond though...
I use "hushed" as well (in the U.S.). Also "shushed" & "'Shh.'"
 

FedUp

I think that "she shushed him" sounds more Southern. My Grandmother would say "she shushed him" where my Mom would say, "She told him to hush" :)
 

Jamesaritchie

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 13, 2005
Messages
27,863
Reaction score
2,311
Shh

Dictionaries I've looked at list both "sh" and "shh" as meaning "Be silent."
 

Celia Cyanide

Joker Groupie
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 1, 2005
Messages
15,479
Reaction score
2,295
Location
probably watching DARK KNIGHT
Zolah said:
Maybe this is only a British thing, but around here 'She hushed him' means exactly the same thing and is far less awkward than using 'shush' as a verb. I don't know if this is accepted on the other side of the Pond though...

It is, but, at least in the US, "hush" means "to be quiet" as well as "make someone else be quiet." If there is a direct object involved, it wouldn't be a problem, but I'm just saying.

Also, "Shush" means "to demand quiet," while "hush" means "to make someone quiet," which may mean two different things, depending on how the person reacts. You can shush someone without hushing them, if they aren't listening.
 

zarch

GOML.
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 28, 2005
Messages
333
Reaction score
38
Location
Texas
FedUp said:
I think that "she shushed him" sounds more Southern. My Grandmother would say "she shushed him" where my Mom would say, "She told him to hush" :)

Did someone say Southern?

Shuddup and pass the grits 'afore I knock you upside the head.
 

Zolah

Over the hills and far away
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 7, 2005
Messages
465
Reaction score
83
Location
England
Website
www.zoemarriott.com
Celia Cyanide said:
It is, but, at least in the US, "hush" means "to be quiet" as well as "make someone else be quiet." If there is a direct object involved, it wouldn't be a problem, but I'm just saying.

Also, "Shush" means "to demand quiet," while "hush" means "to make someone quiet," which may mean two different things, depending on how the person reacts. You can shush someone without hushing them, if they aren't listening.

Yes, I know the difference - I just mean that if I were to say that I had hushed someone, people in the UK would automatically assume I had gone 'Shh!'. It conveys the same meaning, even if the sentence went: 'She hushed him, but he continued to grumble loudly'. But, as I said, I don't know if 'hush' is used in the same way colloquially in the US.
 

gp101

Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 16, 2005
Messages
1,067
Reaction score
246
Location
New England
Zolah said:
Maybe this is only a British thing, but around here 'She hushed him' means exactly the same thing and is far less awkward than using 'shush' as a verb. I don't know if this is accepted on the other side of the Pond though...


Here in the Colonies, you can "hush" someone in an almost infinite variety of ways. "Hushing" to me could be achieved by something as innocent as a forefinger pressed against the lips, to something as permanant as killing them. But there's little doubt when "Shushing" is used. That usually involves the "Shh" sound or the forefinger on the lips or a combo.

But that's for prose. If "hush" is used in dialogue ("Alright, hush now..."), then you hardly expect anything violent. "Hush" in this instance is almost always inferred as (IMO) a severe suggestion.
 

Zolah

Over the hills and far away
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 7, 2005
Messages
465
Reaction score
83
Location
England
Website
www.zoemarriott.com
gp101 said:
Here in the Colonies, you can "hush" someone in an almost infinite variety of ways. "Hushing" to me could be achieved by something as innocent as a forefinger pressed against the lips, to something as permanant as killing them. But there's little doubt when "Shushing" is used. That usually involves the "Shh" sound or the forefinger on the lips or a combo.

But that's for prose. If "hush" is used in dialogue ("Alright, hush now..."), then you hardly expect anything violent. "Hush" in this instance is almost always inferred as (IMO) a severe suggestion.

See explanation to Celia Cynanide, above. Damn Colonials - always making things awkward.
 

gp101

Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 16, 2005
Messages
1,067
Reaction score
246
Location
New England
Zolah said:
See explanation to Celia Cynanide, above. Damn Colonials - always making things awkward.

WTH! Next thing you know you'll raise our tea tax.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.