tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post8471002522140948530..comments2024-03-29T02:43:11.575-04:00Comments on Jungle Red Writers: Hopelessly Out of Date!Jungle Red Writershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16646429819267618412noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-47904275990554549842016-07-07T02:17:34.551-04:002016-07-07T02:17:34.551-04:00I love throwing in "Southernisms" from m...I love throwing in "Southernisms" from my mother and grandmother. However, the ultimate compliment in our house is "you are the wooliest of baa lambs." I spent much of my formative years reading P. G. Wodehouse. I did tell my husband the other day that he was "the ginchiest," which dates me completely.Kathleen Hickeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17674946111842361949noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-75996025808240186492016-07-06T22:36:00.590-04:002016-07-06T22:36:00.590-04:00Rhys,
There was a children's tv show called F...Rhys,<br /><br />There was a children's tv show called Full House. I remember the toddler would say "No way, Jose" and my then little cousins would quote her.<br /><br />I love all of the comments above about slang.<br /><br />I learn a lot from use of slang from different time periods. it is part of the fun in reading historical novels.<br /><br />DianaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-89942254278677312312016-07-06T05:59:25.474-04:002016-07-06T05:59:25.474-04:00Since I was my sister-in-law's roommate, a ver...Since I was my sister-in-law's roommate, a very long time ago, she's been trying to get me to swear in French. I refuse.<br /><br />I think my entire vocabulary is out of date.<br /><br />When a child my father insisted I not use slang. I tried not to, but when I turned 18 he was less careful with his own speech. I had a lot of self control to let go of, and it's still spilling out.<br /><br />For checking time-referenced word usage when writing, I depend on the OED.Maureen Harringtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03499876353651763590noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-75966499979050313612016-07-05T20:25:16.553-04:002016-07-05T20:25:16.553-04:00Seems to me it would be a hundred times easier to ...Seems to me it would be a hundred times easier to write slang of the past, and get it roughly correct, than to write slang of the present moment, which could be totes dated by the time it gets published. <br /><br />Because even if you make the egregious mistake of putting 1930s words in 1920s mouths, for example, I suspect you'd mostly get away with it.<br /><br />Inadvertantly putting current or recent terms into historical writing (aparently pre-1950, as of this moment, so I squeak by as NOT historical myself) is of course another pitfall to watch for. The worst I ever read was in a circa 1870s western where someone used the term "talking heads".Susan Dhttps://dalyght.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-59144605952514987762016-07-05T18:42:42.926-04:002016-07-05T18:42:42.926-04:00And yeah, dab. Autocorrect error. Also pitiful.And yeah, dab. Autocorrect error. Also pitiful.Hank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420701704169428286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-80608369629875967722016-07-05T18:39:58.118-04:002016-07-05T18:39:58.118-04:00So funny Susan--we were all pitiful. XxxSo funny Susan--we were all pitiful. XxxHank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420701704169428286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-15335492326207160252016-07-05T16:24:17.404-04:002016-07-05T16:24:17.404-04:00Coralee, thank you! As one who holds a long-dusty ...Coralee, thank you! As one who holds a long-dusty PhD in linguistics earned before the time of online databases, I never thought to look in that direction. But I will forthwith.Edith Maxwellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01388006370860482509noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-90010773734799441852016-07-05T14:17:26.382-04:002016-07-05T14:17:26.382-04:00Hank, I would pay money to see you dab.Hank, I would pay money to see you dab.Susan Elia MacNealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00349842866995778987noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-70606141020931156462016-07-05T13:28:11.189-04:002016-07-05T13:28:11.189-04:00My dad used ice box for refrigerator and tin foil ...My dad used ice box for refrigerator and tin foil for aluminum foil until his entire life! I'm writing a book set in Rome, where the characters are (supposedly) speaking Italian. When I want to drop in some English idiom, I look it up on WordReference.com to see if there's something similar in Italian, and if not, I don't use it. That's why I can tell you definitively that there is an analogous phrase for both "in a nutshell" and "needle in a haystack." Not one for clusterf--- though. Quite a loss to the Italian language.www.vweisfeld.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01535876534433744767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-16899350526123706172016-07-05T12:57:41.122-04:002016-07-05T12:57:41.122-04:00So much of the current stuff comes about as shorte...So much of the current stuff comes about as shortenings in text messages. Why type all those extra letters? I disagree, the shortenings just sound silly to me. But at a certain age kids strive for new terms and expressions so they can be admired, in, cool, hip, etc. For me, most of the time it doesn't work as language, but they know what it means to them and they don't care what the rest of us think. Since I was in high school in the Sixties, I gravitate toward those expressions, upmost of which is cool, so I'll always use that.Rick Robinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07978136287154214297noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-87531331670003152072016-07-05T12:56:27.020-04:002016-07-05T12:56:27.020-04:00Hi Former librarian here. The only way I can thin...Hi Former librarian here. The only way I can think to get vernacular from 19th, and earlier centuries is to 1. Read the popular mags of the era.. i.e the penny dreadfuls in the 18th century. As you go back further, read the plays of that era that were set in the same era.. ergo people talking to each other. otherwise there are data banks of how people spoke in a given era.. comes under the study of linguistics. <br />I hope this might be useful for y'all. Coralee Hickshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06691335135691119400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-35829381861086337232016-07-05T12:45:44.630-04:002016-07-05T12:45:44.630-04:00And I know I am truly old, because when I try to h...And I know I am truly old, because when I try to high five someone, I always miss.Hank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420701704169428286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-89289372519541387602016-07-05T12:45:11.254-04:002016-07-05T12:45:11.254-04:00So all of us adults decided to dap Elijah (age 13)... So all of us adults decided to dap Elijah (age 13) at the Fourth of July parade. He covered his eyes and said I can't watch this I can't watch this just stop!!Hank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420701704169428286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-90587831012635499822016-07-05T12:35:48.399-04:002016-07-05T12:35:48.399-04:00I am always intrigued and amazed by the amount of ...I am always intrigued and amazed by the amount of research and knowledge put into books set in the past concerning language. Knowing that an author is vigilant about the slang and other language used at a particular period is a great comfort to me in reading the book, adding to my enjoyment of it. <br /><br />I'm sure that my fifteen-year-old granddaughter must think me terribly out-of-date, but she knows that I'm a little weird, so she seems to accept me as I am. I really should use her more as a resource to at least be in the know about teen slang today. Susan, I had no clue about totes, except as an umbrella. Hank, Eli sounds like he's got a handle on how to cut to the chase. Julia, I, too, love the old phrases (coughs here and points out "cut to the chase"), and I use them just because I think they're deserving of preserving. I do occasionally explain a phrase to my granddaughters, ages 15 and 6, but I think the phrases make language a more colorful, fun experience. And, as a huge fan of British books and authors, I delight in "old bean" and "old girl." Rhys, I'm also a fan of your husband, so I find his adherence to his language style just another endearing aspect of his character. I think he is simply the cat's pajamas. Kathy Reelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17004247271452356577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-65173822884650629812016-07-05T12:20:34.008-04:002016-07-05T12:20:34.008-04:00I love the picture! As for slang we don't have...I love the picture! As for slang we don't have any youngsters in the house. My granddaughter lives in Ohio so we see her about twice a year. I don't know what language she speaks with her pals. She uses English with me. British slang from the 20s and 30s cracks me up. It is so charming and so unlikely. Old fruit? I can see Bertie Wooster saying that but not anyone else. I like to use our southern expressions. That dog won't hunt. Try it and see if it flies. Better than a poke in the eye. There are many others but it's too hot to think. As for slang, cool will always be in. Pat Dnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-45319806642986851812016-07-05T12:09:29.715-04:002016-07-05T12:09:29.715-04:00Same question, Anonymous! I have been perusing new...Same question, Anonymous! I have been perusing newspapers (on microfilm) from 1888, and they sometimes have corny little stories written like a hick was speaking them - but I don't know if that's a caricature or the way some people spoke.Edith Maxwellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01388006370860482509noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-38649592433426912772016-07-05T11:36:07.262-04:002016-07-05T11:36:07.262-04:00I love saying "He doesn't know beans from...I love saying "He doesn't know beans from applebutter". The reaction I get is "Huh?"<br /><br />My question is: how can you research what the slang was current in, say, 1886?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-52000413492814187522016-07-05T10:48:18.923-04:002016-07-05T10:48:18.923-04:00My bad is a particular dislike of mine. Whatever i...My bad is a particular dislike of mine. Whatever is John's bete noir, as I have been known to say it sometimes. And I certainly have said awesome, but never totes adorbs. I promise that will never cross my lips. On the whole I can deal with slang but not with bad grammar. Lay instead of lie, which on even hears on TV these days.<br /><br />And Karen, whatever slang you use will be charming too!Rhysnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-3948851363604611502016-07-05T10:23:31.212-04:002016-07-05T10:23:31.212-04:00Ha, Mary, you should use my tactic: I like to conf...Ha, Mary, you should use my tactic: I like to confuse everyone and just use slang terms from every era I've ever heard. I've been known to say that something is "the bee's knees", by golly. <br /><br />After all, if it was a good way to describe something once, a verbal shorthand at that time, why should it change, right? <br /><br />Rhys, John is so charming we would all forgive him. <br /><br />Eli sounds like a card, Hank. (See what I did there?)<br /><br />Karen in Ohiohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18002794561817071780noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-80066154263767343332016-07-05T10:18:05.665-04:002016-07-05T10:18:05.665-04:00Even with two teens, by the time I figure out what...Even with two teens, by the time I figure out what the slang means, it's out of date. And while The Boy will tolerate his "eccentric" mother, The Girl ABSOLUTELY WILL NOT. "Nobody says that any more, Mom. Stop, Just...stop."<br /><br />According to her, cool is still acceptable as is awesome. She does use "sketchy," but not "legit." "Totes" to her is OUT as is "whatev."<br /><br />The one thing The Boy insists on (they both do, actually) is proper grammar. The Boy was yelling at the commentators for the Pirates last night. "If one of them DOESN'T go! Not if one of them don't go!"Liz Millironhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04919409969263609919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-5322709695377528712016-07-05T09:52:21.329-04:002016-07-05T09:52:21.329-04:00Nope, no dude.
But yesterday my grandson Eli rea...Nope, no dude. <br /><br />But yesterday my grandson Eli read the Declaration of Independence out loud to us…and afterward, he said--wouldn't it have been easier to say: "Yo, King. We out." ?Hank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420701704169428286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-65965521912557436992016-07-05T09:24:52.586-04:002016-07-05T09:24:52.586-04:00Edith, Noel and I also refuse to be called "d...Edith, Noel and I also refuse to be called "dude"! Oh, and the one time kiddo tried "dawg" — as Buffy would say, "a world of no."Susan Elia MacNealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00349842866995778987noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-53435550177138332472016-07-05T08:52:46.290-04:002016-07-05T08:52:46.290-04:00Wow, way cool. That should tell you all you need ...Wow, way cool. That should tell you all you need to know. A few days ago "groovy" fell out of my mouth. Even I stared at myself. Susan, talk about a foreign language! I had no idea about 99.9% of the terms you used. Yikes. I try not to use slang too often. A lesson I learned from my Dad who used the slang of his childhood until his death at age 92. There were times I had no idea what he was talking about. I resolved not to get stuck in a verbal time warp. Sometimes, I even succeed. <br /><br />Totally (that 80s word) agree about swearing. Especially on television. Don't like hearing it, completely unnecessary, and it shows a lack of creative vocabulary. Kaithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07758348842858993203noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-49999101760952407592016-07-05T08:24:14.761-04:002016-07-05T08:24:14.761-04:00Edith, I'm with you on being called 'Dude....Edith, I'm with you on being called 'Dude." And 'pimpin' makes me cringe. But come on, man, can 'cool' ever really go out of style?! My dad would sometimes describe something (rarely someone) as "worthless as tits on a boar hog!" This puzzled me as a little kid, who heard it as "worthless as tits on a bored hog!" Say wha', dude?? Oh and that annoys me, too--dropping off the ends of words. Still can't figure out how 'bae' means 'baby.'<br /><br />And, Rhys, still chuckling over the photo--perfect!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-57214061455880501922016-07-05T05:57:40.543-04:002016-07-05T05:57:40.543-04:00I recently began a new job after years of working ...I recently began a new job after years of working from home, and I realized that I have become "eccentric" in my style of dress. Rather than "professional" or "fashionable" clothing, I look for outfits that make me smile. So yes, I was that woman on the elevator with the yellow sweater, orange tank top, and orange/yellow/purple infinity scarf. Verbally, I date myself by not doing the slang talk. When I feel tempted I imagine myself as Betty White without her charisma...and decide to embrace my proper southern wording.Ramblings from the Edgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00113455670645000804noreply@blogger.com