Scrub?

reigningcatsndogs · Jan 29, 2008

One of my WIP's is set in 1967/8 in the prairies. I'm a bit concerned that no one will understand what I am saying, that I may be using expressions that are too localized, and so I will have to do a lot more explaining (or perhaps it might be easier to just not include the subjects).

1. If I make a reference to grabbing a ball and bat and playing scrub, will anyone know what the heck I am talking about? Also Shinny and Cracking the Whip in the winter?

2. What about party lines, party line splits, and rubber-necking?

I do make references to what I assume are definitely 1960's Canadian television programs. Dances in the community hall and curling and rural life (yes, including chicken killing, which if any of you have seen, you'll know why!) are included. Other memory nudges are most welcome!!

Thanks for any help!!

~grace~ · Jan 29, 2008

1. clueless. but I am 21.

2. party lines were when a bunch of people shared a phone line, yeah? and rubber-necking is driving along staring at things.

Soccer Mom · Jan 29, 2008

The only term I didn't know is shinny. The only "shinny" I know is to "shinny up a pole."

The rest I totally understood. Then again, I'm a bit older than 21. Like double that.

Chase · Jan 29, 2008

Just a comment on party-lines and the reference to "rubber." Brings back fond memories.

Yes, "rubber-necking" had to do with stretching the neck to look.

But if the "rubber" you mentioned had to do with rural party lines, during the 1950s and early '60s, we had an eight-party line in rural Montana. Silently listening in to others' conversations was termed "rubbering," but I never knew its origin. Could be "rubbering" was the listening equivolent to looking.

TheIT · Jan 29, 2008

I don't recognize the games, but I recognize "party line" and "rubber necking".

In any case, I wouldn't pull out local color for fear readers won't understand. Depending on how relevant the games are to the story, they could be left in as simple names or with details if actually game play is important. I read fantasy and like to figure out references by context of the story.

POV makes a difference, too. For example, I grew up in Illinois in the seventies playing games like "Kick the Can" and "Ghost in the Graveyard". I wouldn't expect readers to understand the references or the rules, but I'd try to figure out what details needed to be included to carry the story along. If my POV character was me at that time playing Kick the Can, maybe I'd be sad that I couldn't find enough people to play a game, or that I accidentally kicked the ball into the neighbor's tree. If the POV char was my mother, maybe she'd be worried I'd trip when running to kick the ball or that someone would shove me.

citymouse · Jan 29, 2008

If you intend your WIP to be published and widely read, abroad for instance, then you may want to rethink your patois. Or you may want to add a glossary of terms. That said, my rule is any thing that causes the reader pause is generally not a good thing.
C

scribbler1382 · Jan 29, 2008

No idea what Scrub is. I'm guessing it's softball or something without a diamond.

Shinny and crack the whip, I know. But I grew up in the 60's in Ontario.

Danthia · Jan 29, 2008

If the first time you use them you offer some context so the reader can figure out what you mean, you'll probably be fine. I run into sayings and slang all the time that I may not know, but I can tell what they mean by how they're used. As long as understanding them exactly doesn't affect understanding the scene or plot, you should be fine.

NicoleMD · Jan 29, 2008

Danthia said:
If the first time you use them you offer some context so the reader can figure out what you mean, you'll probably be fine. I run into sayings and slang all the time that I may not know, but I can tell what they mean by how they're used. As long as understanding them exactly doesn't affect understanding the scene or plot, you should be fine.

Ditto. A reader doesn't have to understand everything 100% to enjoy a book. (I should know...I'm lucky to grasp 85% usually.

) It's all in the context, and if you take those little golden time-warp nuggets out, I think it'd be a detriment to the story.

Nicole

David I · Jan 29, 2008

~grace~ said:
1. clueless. but I am 21.

2. party lines were when a bunch of people shared a phone line, yeah? and rubber-necking is driving along staring at things.

I'm on the same page as Grace--except I'm a whole lot older.

"Rubber-necking" is still used here in California, especially around car crashes: "The accident has been cleared from lanes, but traffic is still slow-and-go because of RPS."

RPS = Rubber-necking Pinhead Syndrome. (Also known on the more formal radio stations as "Spectator Slowing." I prefer RPS.)

reigningcatsndogs · Jan 29, 2008

The story is told from the POV of a six-year-old girl who has moved to this one-horse town. All she knows is the city, so she's basically learning a new way of life. The 'quaint' aspect is important, especially considering the time frame, and she has to learn much of this herself. The reader will learn, for the most part, along with the m/c, but in teaching her, some other terms come up, and I wanted to see if it was really localized, or if it was more of a generational thing.

Scrub was baseball played without a diamond, with as few as three players. Shinny was hockey, and crack the whip was basically 'try to kill the kid at the end of the line' while skating!

We had 14 phone party lines, 7 on each split, and yes, rubber necking was everyone's favorite snoop tactic of listening in on other people's phone calls. There were no secrets back then!!

Judg · Jan 29, 2008

I knew the games, but I was a kid in Regina, so I have an unfair advantage. Played them all too... Well, not much shinny. I was a girl after all.

Polenth · Jan 29, 2008

I didn't know any of those terms. Worse, a party line to me is one of those dating chat-up lines. It isn't a shared phone line. I don't know if you intend it to make sense to people outside of America, but a little bit of context when you use the words wouldn't go amiss anyway.

An example would be scrub. I'd understand scrub better if you showed me it being played, including the person hitting the ball, doing the running thing and so forth. Telling me it's like baseball without the diamond makes me imagine baseball players in sparklie necklaces.

scribbler1382 · Jan 29, 2008

reigningcatsndogs said:
Scrub was baseball played without a diamond, with as few as three players.

We used to play a similar game called "Birbie", if I remember it right. You needed a wall, though. We drew a square on the wall with chalk (the strike zone) and used a tennis ball. There was a batter, a pitcher and a fielder.

Man, that takes me back.

KTC · Jan 29, 2008

I knew what all the terms were. I grew up playing shinny. It's basically unorganized hockey. We played scrub in an abandoned field next to an apartment complex near our house. We used whatever pieces of cardboard we could find for bases. Party lines...yep. I remember them. My aunts had them in NB.

KTC · Jan 29, 2008

They have shinny at the local rinks still...They have scheduled dates and times and anybody can come to play hockey. As long as it's not an organized league, you can call it shinny. It's also called pick up.

KTC · Jan 29, 2008

Hey Scrib...you're from Ontario...my town, actually. Do you ever remember playing a game with a soccer ball where the teams would stand at opposite curbs and throw the ball trying to hit the top edge of the curb? Different bounces would give you different points? I can't for the life of me remember what we called it...maybe something as simple as curb ball?

reigningcatsndogs · Jan 29, 2008

KTC said:
Hey Scrib...you're from Ontario...my town, actually. Do you ever remember playing a game with a soccer ball where the teams would stand at opposite curbs and throw the ball trying to hit the top edge of the curb? Different bounces would give you different points? I can't for the life of me remember what we called it...maybe something as simple as curb ball?

I'm no help -- didn't have any curbs

reigningcatsndogs · Jan 29, 2008

scribbler1382 said:
We used to play a similar game called "Birbie", if I remember it right. You needed a wall, though. We drew a square on the wall with chalk (the strike zone) and used a tennis ball. There was a batter, a pitcher and a fielder.

Man, that takes me back.

Oh, poo!! Now you got my wheels turning again.... I remember this as well, but nothing more than you have here. I'll have to start digging for this one!

KTC · Jan 29, 2008

lol.

I think that you would probably do best just to write the story and worry about the terms being unfamiliar later. I really think in the Canadian market most people will know what shinny is. I can't imagine not knowing...it's a word that has ALWAYS been in my vocabulary. Scrub...maybe just a short description would suffice...to give your reader the idea that it is just pick up back lot baseball.

No curbs, eh? Too much wheat?

reigningcatsndogs · Jan 29, 2008

KTC said:
lol.

I think that you would probably do best just to write the story and worry about the terms being unfamiliar later. I really think in the Canadian market most people will know what shinny is. I can't imagine not knowing...it's a word that has ALWAYS been in my vocabulary. Scrub...maybe just a short description would suffice...to give your reader the idea that it is just pick up back lot baseball.

No curbs, eh? Too much wheat?

dust and stubble!! But now I can walk over damned near anything barefoot!

KTC · Jan 29, 2008

So can I. I think that's the New Brunswicker in me. River rocks and all that.

reigningcatsndogs · Jan 29, 2008

damn! too bad foot calluses aren't marketable, cause we Canadians would have a lock on the business!! Guess it comes from our dads all walking barefoot to school in the snow!

KTC · Jan 29, 2008

5 miles there and 8 miles back. Yep.

reigningcatsndogs · Jan 29, 2008

uphill both ways

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