Husbanded/ Bred like animals.

The Lady · Apr 23, 2009

Help me. I've had a story accepted for publication and I'm only now being sent the edits for approval. Some of them have curled my blood, it is true, but this one hurts the most. At one point I've used the phrase, "bred like animals" in reference to some women. In the edit, that's been changed to husbanded.

Eeek. The word jumps out at me as being all wrong. I know, technically, the word is correct. Yet it feels all wrong. Is it me? The word husbanded would never be used casually in Ireland. Is it a very common word in the rest of the world? Does it sound wrong to anybody else. Like somebody writing with a thesaurus rather than with an ear for language?

Would anybody else even spot it or is it just me being precious?

TheIT · Apr 23, 2009

I'd have to see the context for a complete answer, but the concern I'd have when using "husbanded" in terms of women is that "husband" already has a meaning. Trying to use "husbanded" to mean "bred" seems confusing to me.

The Lady · Apr 23, 2009

TheIT said:
I'd have to see the context for a complete answer, but the concern I'd have when using "husbanded" in terms of women is that "husband" already has a meaning. Trying to use "husbanded" to mean "bred" seems confusing to me.

I think it comes from agriculture. Animal husbandry means the care and breeding of animals. Which is why it is correct here to a degree, but feels so, so wrong to me.

TheIT · Apr 23, 2009

Agreed, it's "animal husbandry", so I can see why someone might replace "bred like animals" with "husbanded". Two problems, though: 1) I don't think "husbanded" is in common usage anymore, so readers might not understand that, and 2) if the word "husbanded" is being used in reference to women, it could be taken as "marriage" rather than being bred.

I suggest you challenge this particular edit.

Manix · Apr 23, 2009

I think the phrase referring to the women as "cultivated stock" sounds morbidly scientific and sterile, without emotion, as if they were no more than cattle.

I agree, "husbanded" may be the right term, but sounds wrong to my ear.

Silver King · Apr 23, 2009

"Husbanded" comes across as sounding clumsy, yet "bred like animals" is too broad a statement and doesn't fare much better unless you refer to a specific animal.

You don't have to agree with all of the changes the editor suggests. If you share your concerns with her, she'll most likely find another term that suits both you and the story. Don't be afraid to speak up, only try to do so without sounding confrontational. Or better yet, come up with a better simile you both agree upon.

benbradley · Apr 23, 2009

TheIT said:
I'd have to see the context for a complete answer, but the concern I'd have when using "husbanded" in terms of women is that "husband" already has a meaning. Trying to use "husbanded" to mean "bred" seems confusing to me.

I'm familiar with the term animal husbandry, and I understood husbanded in context to mean that, but perhaps only because the OP had already said the original text was "bred like animals." It might help to see a context that goes back a few sentences, but it would be easy enough to confuse the meanings and see "husbanded" as being a verb form of the commonly used noun husband and meaning assigned a partner for life as opposed to the animal husbandry meaning of being assigned a breeding partner, used only to get her pregnant.

Tsu Dho Nimh · Apr 24, 2009

The Lady said:
Help me. I've had a story accepted for publication and I'm only now being sent the edits for approval. Some of them have curled my blood, it is true, but this one hurts the most. At one point I've used the phrase, "bred like animals" in reference to some women. In the edit, that's been changed to husbanded.

It's not an Americanism ... "husbanded" actually has the overtone of being carefully guarded. You "husband your resources". It's nowhere near the meaning of "bred like animals".

"Bred like cattle" or "used as brood mares" might be acceptable to them

veinglory · Apr 24, 2009

Husbanded is archiac and I woudl reject that change. We do talk about animal "husbandry" but never husbanding or husbanded. The readers would be confused. "Bred like animals" makes perfect sense.

The Lady · Apr 24, 2009

Thank you all. I'm now clear in my mind that my initial concerns were justified. I shall reply diplomatically and hopefully he's not married to his changes.

Silver King · Apr 24, 2009

Some readers might misinterpret what the term means.

Recently, a bill was being drafted to ban bestiality in the state of Florida when one of the senators became confused:

In the Capitol, Sen. Larcenia Bullard, D-Miami, become the subject of jokes when she questioned a provision in the bill that ensures animal husbandry won't become illegal.

"People are taking these animals as their husbands?"

bettielee · Apr 24, 2009

"Husbanded" is much more PC than "bred like animals", and if you mean the women were bred like animals, you should fight for your description.

Matera the Mad · Apr 24, 2009

"Husband" as a verb means to use frugally, it has nothing to do with breeding. To use it in the context of breeding is totally wrong.

Fenika · Apr 24, 2009

Could you rearrange a bit more? Women as broodmares could work. So could 'women no better than breeding stock' or 'covered like a cow and put in the back 40 till just before calving' What? The last one was particularly clever

The Lady · May 1, 2009

A quick update. I emailed my concerns. All is well. I have got my way.

Thank you everybody. It's good to talk.

bettielee · May 1, 2009

Awesome!

Husbanded/ Bred like animals.

The Lady

Critical Member

TheIT

Infuriatingly Theoretical

The Lady

Critical Member

TheIT

Infuriatingly Theoretical

Manix

Mutatis mutandis

Silver King

Megalops Erectus

benbradley

It's a doggy dog world

Tsu Dho Nimh

veinglory

volitare nequeo

The Lady

Critical Member

Silver King

Megalops Erectus

bettielee

I'm a sparkly fairy princess!

Matera the Mad

Bartender, gimme a Linux Mint

Fenika

The Lady

Critical Member

bettielee

I'm a sparkly fairy princess!