What word will pull you out of a story faster than anything?
For me, it's the word "bawled." It just seems silly to me.
For me, it's the word "bawled." It just seems silly to me.
Most distracting words
- Thread starter althrasher
- Start date
- Status
Irregardless. Hate that.
Mostly though, it's a word that's out of place, like something contemporary in an historical piece.
Mostly though, it's a word that's out of place, like something contemporary in an historical piece.
- Joined
- Oct 16, 2005
- Messages
- 6,260
- Reaction score
- 1,358
- Location
- Scotland
- Website
- www.fictionpress.com
Icky...never considered that...add that to my list of distracting words now, as well.
I hate that word. I hate it in speech and I hate it worse in print. hatehatehate!
- Joined
- Feb 11, 2005
- Messages
- 43,746
- Reaction score
- 8,654
- Location
- Los Angeles
- Website
- www.amazon.com
No word in particular, but I notice when an author has discovered a new word ("loquacious," for example) and uses it 9 times in 6 pages. Hate that.
Moreover. I hate that word - I always want to take a pen and scratch it out because it's usually unnecessary. I remember reading a book (can't remember the name) where it was used three times on one page.
- Joined
- Jan 18, 2007
- Messages
- 20,006
- Reaction score
- 5,353
*grin*
defenestration...only because I haven't figured out how to use the word myself yet. The only author I ever remember using it was David Eddings. The first time I read it, I was like, "Wow! He used an active verb for throwing people out of a window!" The second time I read it in one of his books, I frowned and said, "Wait a second. Wasn't it at about this time during this book in the LAST series that he used it???"
And regardless, irregardless is NOT a word.
defenestration...only because I haven't figured out how to use the word myself yet. The only author I ever remember using it was David Eddings. The first time I read it, I was like, "Wow! He used an active verb for throwing people out of a window!" The second time I read it in one of his books, I frowned and said, "Wait a second. Wasn't it at about this time during this book in the LAST series that he used it???"
And regardless, irregardless is NOT a word.
- Joined
- Jun 28, 2007
- Messages
- 22,289
- Reaction score
- 1,491
Oh, I forgot to add mine to the list: niggle.
I didn't even know that was a word until about a month ago when I went on a trashy romance kick. Is it a mandatory word in romance or something? It makes my skin crawl every time I read it.
I didn't even know that was a word until about a month ago when I went on a trashy romance kick. Is it a mandatory word in romance or something? It makes my skin crawl every time I read it.
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2007
- Messages
- 1,143
- Reaction score
- 247
- Location
- Bainbridge Island
- Website
- www.spontaneousderivation.com
For me it's "enormity" used to mean 'a big thing'. One of my favourite authors, Patricia McKillip, does this about 2000 times* in her book Od Magic. Which is otherwise a lovely book.
* Or so it seemed to me.
Though I must give an honorable mention to Georgette Heyer's use of the words "ejaculate" and "mount".
But when I'm reading Heyer, I want to bust up giggling, so it's mostly okay.
* Or so it seemed to me.
Though I must give an honorable mention to Georgette Heyer's use of the words "ejaculate" and "mount".
But when I'm reading Heyer, I want to bust up giggling, so it's mostly okay.
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2007
- Messages
- 1,143
- Reaction score
- 247
- Location
- Bainbridge Island
- Website
- www.spontaneousderivation.com
"By God, I'd like to have the mounting of you," he ejaculated.
Only the heroes ever talk about mounting, I think, and only to the heroines, which makes me wonder whether Ms. Heyer was being clever. She so often was, after all.
Only the heroes ever talk about mounting, I think, and only to the heroines, which makes me wonder whether Ms. Heyer was being clever. She so often was, after all.
J. R. Tomlin
Banned
I didn't know that either niggle or fisted were words. Niggle I could manage but fisted? That would jerk me right out of a book AND make me laugh especially if it were used seriously.
Ejaculate. Yeah, that makes me laugh if it's used as a dialogue tag. Mount is fine if someone is getting on a horse otherwise it should be stricken from the language.
Ejaculate. Yeah, that makes me laugh if it's used as a dialogue tag. Mount is fine if someone is getting on a horse otherwise it should be stricken from the language.
Well, "I wish I had the mounting of you" means "I wish I had the right to provide a horse for you to ride," but.. it's not where my mind goes.
Ha basically I love random nonsensical rhythmic filler words. They often serve the purpose of making whatever I say sound prettier and look smarter.
Yeah, I know. Give me the red pen, I'll get rid of them...
And I like therefore furthermore thusly bawled circumnavigate contrariwise AND irregardless. Sometimes it just SOUNDS better!
So basically, I like words that don't really belong ANYWHERE in a work of fiction...
Yeah, I know. Give me the red pen, I'll get rid of them...
And I like therefore furthermore thusly bawled circumnavigate contrariwise AND irregardless. Sometimes it just SOUNDS better!
So basically, I like words that don't really belong ANYWHERE in a work of fiction...
The phrase "needs must." It appears every few chapters in the otherwise very awesome Kushiel trilogy, and it pulled me out of the story every time.
- Joined
- Jul 3, 2006
- Messages
- 9,709
- Reaction score
- 2,054
- Age
- 48
- Location
- uk
- Website
- www.lukewalkerwriter.com
- Status