And now onto today's post...
Being a writer has made me realize some things I thought were common really aren't. For instance, I had thought everyone knew what it meant to “have the TV watch you”, and it wasn't until I penned my first novel that I realized “anyways” was mid-western slang and most people said “anyway” without the “s”. (Just in case someone reading this doesn't know, the first is when you fall asleep in front of the television and now the television is watching you, instead of you watching it.)
And I chuckled when one
of my CPs commented that my character drying the sink after washing dishes was
an odd thing to do. My mom always dried the sink. Therefore I do, too. My
character, however, ended up leaving it to air dry. (The horror! J )
Another saying that I've
gotten so used to is “soup sandwich”. My husband will say this when someone (usually
me) is doing thing out of order or is all over the place. I’d gotten so used to
the saying that I said it to a group of friends only to have them pause and ask
me what I’d just said. Hubby has a few saying like this. I really should borrow
them for my books.
This is one of the
reason I love my critique partners, beta readers, and editors. If I put something
in my novels that makes them stop reading, I know I either have to find a way
to nonchalantly explain it or I need to change my wording.
Have you discovered
that some of the things you do or say aren't as common as you thought?
I've lived all over, so I've gotten used to the way people in different areas say things. Especially in the South. Even something as simple as asking for a drink can confuse some people - soda, pop, soda pop, or Coke? (I say pop.)
ReplyDeleteOh, yes! I forgot about that. I tend to say soda.
DeleteI will have to agree with Alex's comment. I live in the South, and I've noticed that if I ask a non-Southerner if they want a "drink," I often get a funny look. I also call a grocery cart a "buggy"--I remember a friend looking at me like I was crazy when I said that! And when I order iced tea in SC, it is always sweet. You usually have to specify unsweet if that is what you want. In TX where I used to live, you have to ask for sweet tea. I think the differences in regional vocabulary are fascinating!
ReplyDeleteI haven't heard buggy before. Now I'll know what it is. =)
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