So, if you follow me on Twitter, you may have seen that I recently started a new Twitter account called The When of Words, where I’m tweeting any word that I check the etymology of while I’m writing. These range from the surprising (unorthodox, adj. – 1657) to the mundane (pencil, n. – late 16th C.) to the just, plain, can’t-be-used, (glitch, n. – 1962). You can follow the crazy bouncing ball of my current work in project if you follow @whenofwords on Twitter.
That said, it got me thinking about things that I’d really like to write, but that I just don’t think would fly (read: things that would give my editor hives) in a Regency-set Historical. For example, my hero is an antiquarian, but it might not be ok for his friend to reply to his reference to the heroines marbles with, “Is that what they’re calling them these days?” Funny? To my latent 13-year-old boy, yes. Historically accurate? Well, I’m guessing I’d get kicked out of the Beau Monde chapter of RWA. And, frankly, I kinda like the Beau Monde.
And then, I started getting punchy.
So, without further ado…I give you, 9 Phrases That Don’t Belong in a Regency-set Historical:
9. “OMG, I totes love you.”
8. “That’s what she said.”
7. “My dancemaster is insisting I learn the Robot.”
6. “I saw what she wrote on your Facebook wall, my lord. I know that you’ve poked her.”
5. “I’m happy for you, and Imma let you finish, but the Duke of Wellington was one of the best military leaders of all time.”
4. Anything involving “bases.”
3. “You have impugned the honor of my lady. Paint ball at dawn.”
2. “I don’t like to kiss and tell, but have you seen the girl’s ankles?”
1. “I should like to take you riding…if you know what I mean.”
ok. i think it’s best if i back away from the manuscript. Right now.
But not without asking you what I’ve missed, first!
September 27th, 2009 at 1:15 am
LOL, funny – I think you should somehow sneak them in there in a coded subtext!
September 27th, 2009 at 3:11 am
Haha that's hilarious. I especially like #3 and #5.
September 28th, 2009 at 12:48 am
Oh I don't know. Maybe you can pull a time travel one a la Mandy Hubbard and get some of those phrases in. Would be hilarious :)
September 28th, 2009 at 2:25 am
This list cracks me up XD
I love the paintball one & the ankles one.
October 3rd, 2009 at 6:46 pm
That list is fantastic! :)
October 4th, 2009 at 7:40 pm
So funny. One of my hugest pet peeves is when an author uses a totally time-inappropriate word or phrase in a novel. People seem to think that an ego has been around forever.
October 14th, 2009 at 9:17 pm
This was a genuine laugh-out-loud moment! Especially #1, 5, and 6.
Maybe you could add something about "OMG. Look at her hair. It is sooooooo big." I dunno, something with OMG, LOL, JK, IDK. :D
January 1st, 2012 at 12:37 am
[...] Sarah MacLean (The Season) posted 9 Phrases that Don’t Belong in a Recengy-set Romance. My favorite is: “I saw what she wrote on your Facebook wall, my lord. I know that you’ve poked her.” [...]