Amy Andrews Top Ten "ick" Words
This post originally appeared on I'm A Book Shark http://www.imabookshark.com/2012/10/b...
Yes, ick words. We all have them. You know the ones that make you shudder when you read them. They’re different for all of us and its no reflection on the author – they’re just words that, for some reason, usually unknown, set your ick-o-meter twitching. For example, I love the word “chuckle”. I think it’s a wonderfully descriptive word for a particular kind of laughter. It says warm and deep and rich and I use it a lot. But I have writer friends who hate it. Who wouldn’t even use it if it was the last word left in the English language. Again, they can’t articulate why its icks them out – it just does.
And I get that. I truly do.
So, here are my current top ten ick words. I say current because I think it’s also pertinent to establish a caveat and that is that ick words can change over time. Words that icked me out years ago, don’t necessarily do so today. And vice versa. Ick is a state of mind! I’d also like to add that no doubt I’ve probably used most of my ick words at some stage in my career and that someone will diligently search through 30+ books looking for them and then write to me about it. All I can say to that is, please refer to the caveat. It also may come as no surprise that most of my ick words come out when characters are getting it on so if you’re a little squeamish or I don’t know, eating breakfast, you may want to keep clicking.
10) Womanhood. Seriously, what is that?
9) Manhood. Yeh, you probably guessed that already, right? Can we please, for the love of God, just call it a penis already??
8) Member. Again, what the hell? If you’re talking about being part of a club well and good. If you’re prefixing it with male – ick!
7) Rod. I understand that for many years, as writers, we’ve had to find euphemisms because no-one would print the word penis. But, seriously, rod? Ouch!
6) Cock. Okay, I realise I may be beginning to sound like a prude. But trust me, I’m not. I’m not really sure why this one hits my ick-o-metre, it just does. I actually don’t mind reading it, nor am I put off when people say it, I just can’t bring myself to use it in my own writing. And I don’t know why. Maybe it’s just that I’m a penis/dick/erection kind of girl. These are words I can use, no problems. But that C word….
5) Button. Whether it’s referring to nipples or the clitoris, it really icks me out. If it’s sewn on a shirt or it’s a big, round, plastic, knobby thing that can be pushed to make a machine go ping, I’m good.
4) Cleft. This kind of sounds too crevice-like for me. Too dark and deep and dangerous. A place that should, I don’t know, kind of be avoided.
3) Moist. Ugh! It’s kind of the thing you expect to find in clefts, don’t you think? It conjures up dark and dank and things like yeast infections. But maybe that’s just the nurse in me.
2) Giggle. Yes, giggle. Hah! See they’re not all about sex. Giggle drives me nuts because too often they have women giggling in books and I just want to slap them. Little girls giggle - grown women do not. Now, to be fair, the occasional woman does giggle – I’ve known 2 myself - and I think the word can be used very effectively if you want to give an annoying character trait to someone. But use it wisely I say, because the minute a woman is giggling I’m wondering when she’s going to break her ankle and then the book is kind of ruined.
No doubt this is how some people feel about chuckle….
1) Panties. This is my current number one ick word. And it’s a hard one because as I read mostly romance novels it’s a word that gets used a lot. Writers love it, they love it like I love chuckle – so I get it, I do. But for me, it’s a word that a paedophile would say and that really gets my ick-o-meter twitching. The only time I’ve ever hit the roof professionally was when a copy editor changed knickers to panties in one of my earlier books. I think there’s now a red flag on my file in the London office somewhere. Possibly also at Scotland Yard. Maybe Interpol.
So, there you have it. What about you out there. What are your ick words? And I’ll tell you if I’ve ever used them….
Yes, ick words. We all have them. You know the ones that make you shudder when you read them. They’re different for all of us and its no reflection on the author – they’re just words that, for some reason, usually unknown, set your ick-o-meter twitching. For example, I love the word “chuckle”. I think it’s a wonderfully descriptive word for a particular kind of laughter. It says warm and deep and rich and I use it a lot. But I have writer friends who hate it. Who wouldn’t even use it if it was the last word left in the English language. Again, they can’t articulate why its icks them out – it just does.
And I get that. I truly do.
So, here are my current top ten ick words. I say current because I think it’s also pertinent to establish a caveat and that is that ick words can change over time. Words that icked me out years ago, don’t necessarily do so today. And vice versa. Ick is a state of mind! I’d also like to add that no doubt I’ve probably used most of my ick words at some stage in my career and that someone will diligently search through 30+ books looking for them and then write to me about it. All I can say to that is, please refer to the caveat. It also may come as no surprise that most of my ick words come out when characters are getting it on so if you’re a little squeamish or I don’t know, eating breakfast, you may want to keep clicking.
10) Womanhood. Seriously, what is that?
9) Manhood. Yeh, you probably guessed that already, right? Can we please, for the love of God, just call it a penis already??
8) Member. Again, what the hell? If you’re talking about being part of a club well and good. If you’re prefixing it with male – ick!
7) Rod. I understand that for many years, as writers, we’ve had to find euphemisms because no-one would print the word penis. But, seriously, rod? Ouch!
6) Cock. Okay, I realise I may be beginning to sound like a prude. But trust me, I’m not. I’m not really sure why this one hits my ick-o-metre, it just does. I actually don’t mind reading it, nor am I put off when people say it, I just can’t bring myself to use it in my own writing. And I don’t know why. Maybe it’s just that I’m a penis/dick/erection kind of girl. These are words I can use, no problems. But that C word….
5) Button. Whether it’s referring to nipples or the clitoris, it really icks me out. If it’s sewn on a shirt or it’s a big, round, plastic, knobby thing that can be pushed to make a machine go ping, I’m good.
4) Cleft. This kind of sounds too crevice-like for me. Too dark and deep and dangerous. A place that should, I don’t know, kind of be avoided.
3) Moist. Ugh! It’s kind of the thing you expect to find in clefts, don’t you think? It conjures up dark and dank and things like yeast infections. But maybe that’s just the nurse in me.
2) Giggle. Yes, giggle. Hah! See they’re not all about sex. Giggle drives me nuts because too often they have women giggling in books and I just want to slap them. Little girls giggle - grown women do not. Now, to be fair, the occasional woman does giggle – I’ve known 2 myself - and I think the word can be used very effectively if you want to give an annoying character trait to someone. But use it wisely I say, because the minute a woman is giggling I’m wondering when she’s going to break her ankle and then the book is kind of ruined.
No doubt this is how some people feel about chuckle….
1) Panties. This is my current number one ick word. And it’s a hard one because as I read mostly romance novels it’s a word that gets used a lot. Writers love it, they love it like I love chuckle – so I get it, I do. But for me, it’s a word that a paedophile would say and that really gets my ick-o-meter twitching. The only time I’ve ever hit the roof professionally was when a copy editor changed knickers to panties in one of my earlier books. I think there’s now a red flag on my file in the London office somewhere. Possibly also at Scotland Yard. Maybe Interpol.
So, there you have it. What about you out there. What are your ick words? And I’ll tell you if I’ve ever used them….
date
newest »
newest »
Haha! I use some of those, ;)Especially cock. I never use it in real life, but my heroes tend to use that word, while the heroine uses penis. That way, their thoughts and words are different. Does that make sense?
Roxanne wrote: "I'm with you, Amy. But there's one that tops the list for me: smirk. A hero that smirks? "Holy crap, Fitty-Boy," I mutter with a smirk. "I want to slap the freakin' smirk off your smirky face. With..."Lol, so funny Roxanne :-)
Must admit to using smirk. Not often but.... Occasionally....
Diane wrote: "Haha! I use some of those, ;)Especially cock. I never use it in real life, but my heroes tend to use that word, while the heroine uses penis. That way, their thoughts and words are different. Doe..."
Pretty sure I've used some of them too at one point :-) I think using cock in male POV makes perfect sense. I think they say that word more often. In fact I think a lot of men might be surprised to know that cock is not its anatomical name :-)
It's funny how some words just rub people the wrong way, isn't it? Or you hear a word in a certain context (or too many times in succession) and suddenly you can't stand it. My three daughters played a fun game called "Panty-head" when they were little. They also referred to their father's underwear as panties. For awhile, they even had *him* doing it. (He's well acquainted with his feminine side.)
Now? No one in our house can say the word without cringing. It just sounds stupid. Like a name you'd call someone on the playground. Yo! Panty-Head. Get a thesaurus.
Roxanne wrote: "It's funny how some words just rub people the wrong way, isn't it? Or you hear a word in a certain context (or too many times in succession) and suddenly you can't stand it. My three daughters pl..."
You're right, Roxanne. Some words grate more over time.
As for panties, my husband doesn't really care what I call them as long as he can get into them :-)
BAHhahahaha! Husbands, they're such simple creatures.
Roxanne wrote: "BAHhahahaha! Husbands, they're such simple creatures.":-)
Am totally with you on panties. Hate, hate, hate panties. What's wrong with knickers? I once had 'flip-flops' changed to 'flats'. Not ick, but I did wonder WHY??? ick-wise I have a particular loathing for 'lave'. Makes me think of slurping, which used in conjunction with nipples or other body parts (as lave usually is) is not a good image!
Lucy wrote: "Am totally with you on panties. Hate, hate, hate panties. What's wrong with knickers? I once had 'flip-flops' changed to 'flats'. Not ick, but I did wonder WHY??? ick-wise I have a particular loath..."Lol Lucy. I'm afraid I'm guilty of lave now and then but shall never think of it quite the same way :-)
I use Knickers and underwear usually instead if the dreaded P word.
Especially if the TSTL heroine is giggling because her smirking knight-in-used-tin-foil is trying to nudge his member-of-the manhood-club around her panties to the moist cleft of her womanhood. All that's missing is the burning desire that should clue them in to the need for antibiotics.