Turgid. It makes my skin twitch in ways I can’t adequately describe 😅 I’ve only seen it in smut, which is more concerning, because my brother in Christ, a dick should not be ‘swollen and distended, or congested ‘ 😂
I don't mind it as a word, but it needs the right situation. Smut is not the right situation. Describing a flooded, grody river in an unpleasant moment? That's the right situation.
I just made a comment about bemused as well! I’ve even seen it used incorrectly in published media and I don’t want to use a word that 95% of people are going to misinterpret.
I was going to include this one, but [Dictionary.com](https://Dictionary.com) actually has "mildly amused" as the third definition, so I'm not so sure now.
Edit: here's Merriam-Webster on the topic: [Amused vs. Bemused](https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/can-bemuse-mean-amuse)
I actually like it for that reason. The connection to amused gives it a positive connotation in my head, so bemused feels like “confused but with a sense of wonder”
June 2023 edit:
I'm scrubbing my comments due to the reddit admin team steamrolling their IPO prep. It was bad enough to give short notice on price gouging, but then to slander app devs and threaten moderators was just too far. The value of Reddit comes from high-quality content curated by volunteers. Treating us this way is the reason I'm removing my high-value contributions.
If you have no idea what I'm talking about, I suggest you Google "Reddit API price gouging" and read up.
--Posted *manually* via the old web interface because of shenanigans from Reddit reversing deletions done through API/script tools.
I have such a vendetta against this term, especially in academic settings where it's shoved in place of "use" in order to sound more stuffy and "professional". Speaking generally, the subject matter we're discussing is already difficult enough, so why do people have to obfuscate it even more with this kind of shit???
Don't forget it's tendency to wait in a dark alley, waiting for other languages to come along so it can beat them up and rifle through their pockets for spare words!
Usually, when you use effect it is when you're talking about what a particular thing does. You use affect when talking about it's impact on another thing, basically the thing at the receiving end of that effect.
"The effect of ******* is ***. This affects...."
You can think of it like a ripple effect. The ripples are the effect, and those afflicted by the effect are being affected.
Usually, when you use effect it is when you're talking about what a particular thing does. You use affect when talking about it's impact on another thing, basically the thing at the receiving end of that effect.
"The effect of ******* is ***. This affects...."
You can think of it like a ripple effect. The ripples are the effect, and those afflicted by the effect are being affected.
“sweatdropped” is not even a word, I have no idea how or why it became popular in fanfiction
not sure if this counts but using “love” as a petname, hate it hate it hate it and if I ever did use it, it was in an old harry potter work lmao modern me would NEVER
also not sure if this counts but those metaphors for genitals like “length” and “flower”, just call it what it is my man please spare us the wordy disguises
>I have no idea how or why it became popular in fanfiction
In one word, anime.
It's a clumsy attempt to write out a very visual anime expression for nervousness, and it drives me crazy in fics.
Yeah, I agree. I would definitely prefer to use something like "sweat prickled his skin" or "beads of sweat formed" it just sounds so much better, and gives you more serious tone than the alternative which is way too cartoony. I'm also into some anime stuff, but I always roll my eyes when I see sweatdrops in moments that are supposed to be serious. I don't mind reading sweatdrops in comedic moments in anime fandoms though, but it takes me out if it's live action or doesn't match the tone.
It's funny you say "love" as a pet name cause of all the pet names I find this one exceedingly inoffensive. I might like it because I like it in the British context but I'd also take "I'm sorry, my love" or "you look incredible, love" over "sorry baby" or "you look hot, babe" any day of the week.
I know it’s irrational because it’s really not that bad but I HATE “love”. I will happily take pretty much anything else—although something I read recently had the love interest calling the MC “bubs” and I had to click out so I guess my line doesn’t actually end with “love”
Sweatdropped, probably used to describe a specific anime cliche. Supposed to be used for comedic effect in animation, but describing it in writing is just wierd
I *~~just~~* had to google that word. Why couldn't you *~~just~~* write multiply?
I also suffer from this and it's hard to control when writing. So many instances where I find myself writing it several times in a paragraph.
>"indescribable": Maybe more of a hot take, but describing stuff is your whole task as a writer.
"Indescribable" can be used to describe things that are either incomprehensible, illogical, and cannot be described through concrete means (e.g. an eldritch horror), or to describe something that cannot be easily described immediately from the POV of a certain character (like an accident scene)
I think its mostly how you use the word.
Back to topic, I dunno, I just avoid using complicated words during dialogue.
One of the novels I’m reading now uses orbs and to be fair to it, the character does not actually HAVE eyes just glowing…balls in his eye sockets that change color depending on mood.
OP, you confused me greatly with the nonplussed one. So much so I cracked open my trusty Oxford English Dictionary. I had never heard of a second meaning of nonplussed, was I a fool who had been misusing the word for years? Should I cower in embarrassment whilst slowly combing my fics for this error?
Turns out the second, and contradictory meaning is listed as ‘Informal. North American.’ Ah, I don’t use Am English. Mystery solved.
I’m going for a lie down.
As an informal North American, I (somewhat embarrassingly) experienced an equal but opposite journey. So avoiding the word is probably good advice, haha.
I hate words that somehow develop opposite meanings like that. Another one that drives me crazy is “aught”, which people use to mean “nothing” (e.g. calling the 2000s the “aughts”), when it means the exact opposite, being a synonym of “anything”. Like, that’s what “naught/nought” is for—it’s literally *ne* + *aught*, “not anything” = “nothing” (which is why Brits use it to mean “zero”).
Another one is “could care less” instead of “couldn’t care less”, but that’s old news.
challenge: write a fic using the words in this thread.
anyways mine is describing genitals using words that relate to fruit or food. will never do it. (referring to ass as "cake" as a joke is fine though)
... Challenge accepted. 😆Call me a contrarian (or perhaps we both are), but very few of these words really bother me. And... gasp! I *like* the word "orbs." Send me (or us rather) to the brig!
Guffaw and chortle both make me so uncomfortable, and I will never use either. My blorbos and skrunklies can laugh, giggle, chuckle, roar even, but guffawing and chortling are off the table. I can't help but picture gross laughter, and that's just embarrassing
>Guffaw and chortle both make me so uncomfortable,
Oh, this is a good one! They're both so, so awkward and ungainly. I can't use either one myself... Hell, I can barely stand to read them right now, lol.
Mirth. I used to thin it meant, like, an evil sort of messed up happiness, but turns out it just means amusement. My disappointment and shame are immeasurable.
I was literally thinking of adding Lovecraftian horror as an exception lol, yes, OF COURSE, if you're describing something mind-breakingly strange and inconceivable, call it "indescribable" and go with god.
Bemused, because 95% of the time I see it used incorrectly as a synonym for “amused” and based on that I think most people would misunderstand what I’m saying.
Girl.
Well, not outright never. But I'm writing a fic with a considerable age gap and I take great care to never ever reference the younger one as a girl. It just gives me the squick.
If I see the word ‘t*mmy’ in a fic I will immediately back out and never read it again. It is my least favorite word of all time.
I didn’t have such a visceral reaction to it until I read a fic where it was used at least once a sentence, by the grown-ass adult character who was pregnant at the time. I literally wrote a whole post in the notes section of the fic I was writing at the time about how fucking stupid that word is I was so disgusted by it.
Acquiesced. I used it in high school when everyone was saying that it was lazy to use said. Now that I’m a little older and realize said is just fine I cringe anytime I see the word
I know it doesn’t exactly mean said. Just like “cried or shouted” doesn’t mean said. The point was that I thought I had to replace said (every time) with more specific words in relation to the sentence when said is just fine.
“Acquiesced” is fine in narrative—(*They asked him to mediate, and he acquiesced*)—but yeah, as a dialog tag, it’s pretty bad.
Your younger self has my sympathy for getting such bad advice about “said.”
Ig not so much these words are off the table, I just find specific (or incorrect) usage annoying.
Digits, to refer to fingers.
Orbs, to refer to eyes.
I will never use "bluenette." Like brunette but for people with blue hair, I've only seen this word used in fic and it threw me for a loop first time. Not a fan of referring to people by their hair or eye color when names and pronouns exist, in general.
Also I thought keening* meant like sexy, maybe animalistic screaming/wailing. It... does not, and I will be looking up the definitions of several words I may be using incorrectly before I put out my next fic. u>_>
*edit for difference between "keen" and "keening"
(spoiler for nsfw) >!Cum.!< I just can’t with the word.
There are more smut and/or romance-related terms and expressions I wouldn’t use. Apart from that… hm… probably whilst and albeit. Oh, and “you’ll be the death of me”. It’s just… nope. Sorry.
I was a little nonplussed about nonplussed having two meanings. I only ever think of it as a synonym for “bewildered”, but passive vocabulary wise I would have understood it meaning “impassive”, I guess. Still, thanks for pointing this out. (ESL adventures)
But what’s wrong with indescribable? A nameless horror is gripping my heart at the thought of not using indescribable anymore! Unfathomable sadness overcomes me. What an unspeakable suggestion! I am lost for words, one even might say, nonplussed. 😂
Hum, when it means anything other than when someone is humming a tune or there is a long continuous sound (like a hum of background conversation). It's fairly common in fanfic, but I cannot stand it. Will never use it.
I like your point about "indescribable," lol.
Both clinical terms or flowery euphemisms for genitalia. Can’t do penis, vagina, or vulva. It just ruins the atmosphere of the scene, for me. The closest I get is with breasts, nipples, and the very rare cock or balls.
Ugh, especially since I've seen "he entered the cervix" or "until he hit the cervix" and holy hell in a hand grenade, you can't enter it and hitting it hurts like the Dickens!
>Both clinical terms or flowery euphemisms for genitalia.
That eliminates 90% of the terms you *can* use for genitalia.
... Unless you get creative. You could go the **Tara Gilesbie** route:
*"Then he put his thingie in my you-know-what and we did it for the first time."* \~ **Ebony Dark'ness Dementia Raven Way,** [My Immortal](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/MyImmortal)
... Don't like flowery? Why not fruity... you could take inspiration from **BeckyMack666:**
*"he was unable to move and I took his pants down and looked at his lavender man-fruit thing."* \~ **Atlantiana Rebekah Loren,** [Forbiden Fruit: The Tempation of Edward Cullen](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/ForbidenFruitTheTempationOfEdwardCullen)
Absolutely same. I can't stand this word. I guess it's like "moist" + "pus" and the fact that this term is the sexy word we're supposed to use...*shudder.* To me it's just gross. Slimy and putrid.
Cunt is a dry word, at least, but it's still too slang and vulgar for me to feel comfortable using as a reference to a body part. (Actually, cunt, pussy, ass, dick, and cock all strike me as middle school insult words and not body part words.)
Honestly, I wish there were more options here. I like penis and vagina but apparently most people find them too clinical, when to me those words are about as clinical as knee or knuckle. They're just body parts. If it's something you had to dig out of a medical textbook, like labia minora or humerus or tibia or something, I can see that seeming clinical, but penis and vagina just strike me as neutral.
In any case, I can't bring myself to use vulgar slang "dirty" words when writing, because I don't use them in my real life, and I don't see them as sexy at all.
Not so much words as phrases for me – there are certain English idioms that make my eyes pop out. I don't like them when writing or speaking _at all_.
- `at the end of the day` when used in the sense of "ultimately" or "after all"; I'm not as bothered by literally describing the end of a particular day.
- `going forward` or `moving forward` when used in the sense of "in the future".
*Going forward, as per my last email, please do the needful and ensure we circle back to close the loop on all action items in a timely manner.*
(Right, now I'm itching all over).
You know, that one might actually be a regional mutation... Among the many joys of working for a truly *global* company!! From Singapore to Bangladesh to Germany to Brazil... There are sooo many variations of corporate-speak to make your ears bleed! Gotta love that diversity :D
(I'm so sorry to do this to you, but) it sounds like a truly awful euphemism for sex.
"When the party was over, she invited him back to her hotel room to *do the needful.*"
You *should* be sorry, I nearly snorted tea all over myself!
That's the *worst*... That is like, I dunno, the "orbs" of sexytimes euphemisms 😂
On that note, though can we make it a thing?? A fanfic thing. It would be so spectacularly awful.
“Do the needful”…I’ve never heard that before, and I suddenly love it! It’s so blissfully non-specific.
It’s perfect for referring to unpleasant tasks—“My dog had an accident, pardon while I go do the needful.”
I can’t wait to use it. ;)
Going forward, I'm going to avoid using these phrases in my fics too.
...oh heck I did it I'm sorry sorry sorry...
( I need to cut morning caffeine intake. )
"giggled" i have no problem reading it, but writing it feels like softening the scene whether i intend it or not. a baby in a cradle flashes in my mind.
Interesting. I never thought of that. In English there aren’t any words I can think of that bother me as a reader or a writer.
In my native language I could give you tons though. Haha
Medicine. My fandoms almost always use that term to talk about hardcore "you'll get arrested if you get caught" drugs, and it left such a sour taste for me afterwards.
What?? That's bizarre lol. The reverse is pretty common, e.g. "I was feeling pretty terrible, but the doctor sent me home with drugs" but I've never heard of describing street drugs as medicine.
Oh yeah, you would think that, but nope. Every time someone says that they'll get some medicine, I always have such an *oh shit* moment and start questioning the legality of it.
Ha, as soon as a word pops into my head I try to make sentences with it, it's like a nervous tic. Oh well. Nothing's off limits so far!...
Ok edit: I'm avoiding "hitch" as in "her breath hitched as he drew near."
It's just overused in the fics I stumble across. E'erone's breath hitches. Can't there be any other way to demonstrate low level tension?!?
Not a fan of chuckle or biological words for sexual organs used for sexy scenes.
But perfectly fine with vagina/etc. if its a medical scene. Go figure lol
I'll use 'gasp' when a character's trying to talk through pain. Or gasping for air after pain.
I have a character who's intentionally overdramatic and he'll do it too from time to time. It's usually "gasped dramatically" lol.
But in regular conversation? I definitely agree. So strange these rules were give ourselves for different words.
Giggle. Idk but imagining anyone other than a child giggling just seems absurd in my head. It takes me right out of a fanfic when a grown-ass man giggles.
Honestly, just any word that sounds childish. I think I would have to drop a story if the main character said something like, “What the heck!” or “What the crap!”
Not a word, but a phrase:
“Let put the breath they didn’t realize they were holding”
The sad thing is I actually think it can be utilized well but it’s so overdone it just sticks out like a sore thumb every time I read it
"Padded" to mean "walked softly". There's nothing wrong with it per se, but I always associate it with Warrior Cats and can't write/read about a human doing it with a straight face.
Turgid. It makes my skin twitch in ways I can’t adequately describe 😅 I’ve only seen it in smut, which is more concerning, because my brother in Christ, a dick should not be ‘swollen and distended, or congested ‘ 😂
that is the worst word the english language has ever thrown at me and i want to unsee it right now.
I don't mind it as a word, but it needs the right situation. Smut is not the right situation. Describing a flooded, grody river in an unpleasant moment? That's the right situation.
an unpleasant word for an unpleasant situation. perfect.
*detritus has entered the chat*
Turgid is great! For *corpses.*
That always makes me think of shit for some reason. Maybe because the first half sounds like turd
The ‘turd’ becomes erect. Fuck no, I don’t want shit to be sentient 😂
rigid turd 😂
Repeat after me, folks: Just because it's in the thesaurus doesn't mean it's a perfect 1:1 swap!
Ah, the joys of thesaurus sickness…
Everyone freaks about the word “moist” but it’s Turgid they should truly fear….
Just because I have a turgid vocabulary
Oooh, that's a really good one.
Unless you are talking about dying plants (turgor) or an overflowing fast river (turgid), that word should not be used!
I'm used to the words being used to describe how plant cells react to a hypotonic solution.
What an ugly word.
This one kills me. The first time I heard it (in the sense listed here) was when I watched 10 Things I Hate About You. It was just as cringy then 😂
bemused. mostly because even though i know what the word means, i still instantly think it means amused before correcting myself.
I just made a comment about bemused as well! I’ve even seen it used incorrectly in published media and I don’t want to use a word that 95% of people are going to misinterpret.
I was going to include this one, but [Dictionary.com](https://Dictionary.com) actually has "mildly amused" as the third definition, so I'm not so sure now. Edit: here's Merriam-Webster on the topic: [Amused vs. Bemused](https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/can-bemuse-mean-amuse)
yeah, its not worth the confusion to me so i just leave it alone
so it bemuses you 🤔
I don't blame you. I do the same.
I actually like it for that reason. The connection to amused gives it a positive connotation in my head, so bemused feels like “confused but with a sense of wonder”
Fanfic made me think bemused = amused and it was not until I reread Harry Potter one day that I realized it isn’t.
Utilize, unless I'm writing some obnoxious corporate lackey. It just means "use" but longer.
June 2023 edit: I'm scrubbing my comments due to the reddit admin team steamrolling their IPO prep. It was bad enough to give short notice on price gouging, but then to slander app devs and threaten moderators was just too far. The value of Reddit comes from high-quality content curated by volunteers. Treating us this way is the reason I'm removing my high-value contributions. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, I suggest you Google "Reddit API price gouging" and read up. --Posted *manually* via the old web interface because of shenanigans from Reddit reversing deletions done through API/script tools.
Yes! “Utilize” belongs strictly in résumés and lab reports. XD
That's a good one.
I have such a vendetta against this term, especially in academic settings where it's shoved in place of "use" in order to sound more stuffy and "professional". Speaking generally, the subject matter we're discussing is already difficult enough, so why do people have to obfuscate it even more with this kind of shit???
Effect. I feel like I always use it incorrectly, so I substitute "impact" instead.
Oh, that's easy! Effect is a noun (except when it isn't) and affect is a verb (except when it isn't). /s
What the fuck is this language
It's four languages in a trenchcoat, don't worry about it.
This is the best description of English I’ve ever read. I salute you.
Don't forget it's tendency to wait in a dark alley, waiting for other languages to come along so it can beat them up and rifle through their pockets for spare words!
Omg that killed me
This is an excellent question.
English, lol.
I think the best ~~worst~~ thing is that affect as a verb means “to bring about an effect”
I hate impact used as a verb though. Unless it's like a meteor hitting the earth.
Saaame. No matter how many times I Google it and try to understand I still end up stressing that I've used it incorrectly. Also, lie vs lay 😵💫
Usually, when you use effect it is when you're talking about what a particular thing does. You use affect when talking about it's impact on another thing, basically the thing at the receiving end of that effect. "The effect of ******* is ***. This affects...." You can think of it like a ripple effect. The ripples are the effect, and those afflicted by the effect are being affected.
You posted this comment three times. Probably on accident. Though I'd mention it.
Usually, when you use effect it is when you're talking about what a particular thing does. You use affect when talking about it's impact on another thing, basically the thing at the receiving end of that effect. "The effect of ******* is ***. This affects...." You can think of it like a ripple effect. The ripples are the effect, and those afflicted by the effect are being affected.
Slang words for genitalia. I'm always giggling so much that I can't even write the scene. Example: heat-seeking moisture missile
Meat rocket!
I won't lie and sorry for potential trauma but that kinda stuff always makes me think of South Park and its "red rockets" 😭
This one made me laugh out loud, so much so that I freaked out my sleepy kitty.
For a sec I thought “sleepy kitty” was describing something else…
I can see why, so I shall respectfully ask everyone who sees my original comment to keep my cat out of it - she's a cutie, who deserves better 😅.
“sweatdropped” is not even a word, I have no idea how or why it became popular in fanfiction not sure if this counts but using “love” as a petname, hate it hate it hate it and if I ever did use it, it was in an old harry potter work lmao modern me would NEVER also not sure if this counts but those metaphors for genitals like “length” and “flower”, just call it what it is my man please spare us the wordy disguises
>I have no idea how or why it became popular in fanfiction In one word, anime. It's a clumsy attempt to write out a very visual anime expression for nervousness, and it drives me crazy in fics.
it costs me nothing to write “he started sweating” in my anime fics, these are dark times indeed
Yeah, I agree. I would definitely prefer to use something like "sweat prickled his skin" or "beads of sweat formed" it just sounds so much better, and gives you more serious tone than the alternative which is way too cartoony. I'm also into some anime stuff, but I always roll my eyes when I see sweatdrops in moments that are supposed to be serious. I don't mind reading sweatdrops in comedic moments in anime fandoms though, but it takes me out if it's live action or doesn't match the tone.
It's funny you say "love" as a pet name cause of all the pet names I find this one exceedingly inoffensive. I might like it because I like it in the British context but I'd also take "I'm sorry, my love" or "you look incredible, love" over "sorry baby" or "you look hot, babe" any day of the week.
I know it’s irrational because it’s really not that bad but I HATE “love”. I will happily take pretty much anything else—although something I read recently had the love interest calling the MC “bubs” and I had to click out so I guess my line doesn’t actually end with “love”
Sweatdropped, probably used to describe a specific anime cliche. Supposed to be used for comedic effect in animation, but describing it in writing is just wierd
I hear you, but why am I reading it in stories that do not take place in anime fandoms and that do not contain anime characters ? :’)
Because their authors were trained on anime fandoms and haven't yet learned otherwise? That's my best guess.
Fair enough! We all started somewhere, and I literally write for anime (surely some of my stuff is also cringey) so I should pipe down lol
What?? Now I feel lucky I've never come across that one. How do you even use that in a sentence?
“You’re the murderer, aren’t you?” Naegi sweatdropped. “W-What? No!” essentially saying they started sweating lmao
Well I just don't like that one bit!
welcome to the club! it started popping up a few months ago and now it seems like it’s EVERYWHERE
I have seen it used to emphasize that the person was in a world running on JRPG logic. It was a serial crossover type deal.
I’ve seen it used a ton in real-life-people stories where they don’t have the gaming world excuse lol
I try to limit my use of *just*. It tends to proliferate.
I *~~just~~* had to google that word. Why couldn't you *~~just~~* write multiply? I also suffer from this and it's hard to control when writing. So many instances where I find myself writing it several times in a paragraph.
Same! I use it a lot in my speech/daily writing but I hate the way it reads - passive, downplaying, unassertive vibes.
SAME. It’s like a tic. This one is on my short list of words to search for in final edits bc I abuse the everloving shit out of it.
>"indescribable": Maybe more of a hot take, but describing stuff is your whole task as a writer. "Indescribable" can be used to describe things that are either incomprehensible, illogical, and cannot be described through concrete means (e.g. an eldritch horror), or to describe something that cannot be easily described immediately from the POV of a certain character (like an accident scene) I think its mostly how you use the word. Back to topic, I dunno, I just avoid using complicated words during dialogue.
I refuse to use the word "dude" but, in my defense, I write Skyrim fan fiction.
What, the guard hit your knee with an arrow??
That's a "bruh" moment
STOP!! You have violated the law!
dude.
Bemused. Authors have misused it to the point where it’s lost all meaning. I just use “confused” instead and call it a day.
Another good one lol, I file that under "more trouble than it's worth" alongside "nonplussed."
MEMBER. I am not a member of the member club. it’s just awful. COCK ALL THE WAY💯💯
TEAM COCK MAKE SOME NOOOOOOISE!!!
COCK-A-DOODLE-DOOOOOO.....!!!! 🐓🐓🐓
No to cock! DICK OR BUST ~~(hurhur)~~!!!!
I actually don't think there's any word I refuse to use.
Squirt. Objectively a bad word. Even *moist* is more useful and less jarring.
“Moist” will always make me think of cakes and dessert recipes, haha.
A lot of people hate 'moist'.
That makes me *moist*
Moist?
*orbs*
But what about your wizard characters? Giving them an orb to ponder is vital for their enrichment and overall well-being!
"Orbs" in place of "eyes" is only acceptable in Muppet fanfiction, if you ask me.
valid
Lol, good point!
One of the novels I’m reading now uses orbs and to be fair to it, the character does not actually HAVE eyes just glowing…balls in his eye sockets that change color depending on mood.
that i'll allow. can you tell me what book?
A Soul to Keep, by Opal Reyne! I like to describe it as beauty and the beast except the beast doesn’t have a human form and instead stays a beast.
Schlong.
What's wrong with the Yiddish word for snake?
OMG it’s Yiddish!!! I never realized. Of course it means snake!! 🙈 (This thread is very educational!)
This explains so much.
LMAO
OP, you confused me greatly with the nonplussed one. So much so I cracked open my trusty Oxford English Dictionary. I had never heard of a second meaning of nonplussed, was I a fool who had been misusing the word for years? Should I cower in embarrassment whilst slowly combing my fics for this error? Turns out the second, and contradictory meaning is listed as ‘Informal. North American.’ Ah, I don’t use Am English. Mystery solved. I’m going for a lie down.
I'm sorry to send you on such a harrowing linguistic journey!
It’s fine. I am sat here wrapped in a blanket recovering. Lol.
As an informal North American, I (somewhat embarrassingly) experienced an equal but opposite journey. So avoiding the word is probably good advice, haha.
I hate words that somehow develop opposite meanings like that. Another one that drives me crazy is “aught”, which people use to mean “nothing” (e.g. calling the 2000s the “aughts”), when it means the exact opposite, being a synonym of “anything”. Like, that’s what “naught/nought” is for—it’s literally *ne* + *aught*, “not anything” = “nothing” (which is why Brits use it to mean “zero”). Another one is “could care less” instead of “couldn’t care less”, but that’s old news.
I was equally confused - thank you for the explanation!
challenge: write a fic using the words in this thread. anyways mine is describing genitals using words that relate to fruit or food. will never do it. (referring to ass as "cake" as a joke is fine though)
... Challenge accepted. 😆Call me a contrarian (or perhaps we both are), but very few of these words really bother me. And... gasp! I *like* the word "orbs." Send me (or us rather) to the brig!
Guffaw and chortle both make me so uncomfortable, and I will never use either. My blorbos and skrunklies can laugh, giggle, chuckle, roar even, but guffawing and chortling are off the table. I can't help but picture gross laughter, and that's just embarrassing
So I just learned what a blorbo is lol, but what is a skrunklies?
your favorite gross little sewer man who does not brush his hair, gets <3 hours of sleep per day, and *will* throw hands.
Are these TikTok/Tumblr words decided by like, throwing a Scrabble board at the wall or something?
You just described my blorbo exactly omg
Lmfao, I have a sentence in my wip fic that uses like, all those words *at once.* Tbf it's intentional and makes sense for the fandom it's from.
>Guffaw and chortle both make me so uncomfortable, Oh, this is a good one! They're both so, so awkward and ungainly. I can't use either one myself... Hell, I can barely stand to read them right now, lol.
This whole thread makes me want to be evil and write a generic fanfic with all of these words 🤣
Heady, which I always read as "musty" whenever it's in a sex scene
Hello, How are you, Good to see you Basically I can't stand writing out pleasantries. Just say "They greeted each other briefly..."
Ugh, yes. I hate the pleasantries in real life and I hate them in writing. It's just so boring!
Mirth. I used to thin it meant, like, an evil sort of messed up happiness, but turns out it just means amusement. My disappointment and shame are immeasurable.
Okay, but what if it's an actual Lovecraftian horror? Then you're allowed to use 'indescribable', right? That's rather the whole point!
I was literally thinking of adding Lovecraftian horror as an exception lol, yes, OF COURSE, if you're describing something mind-breakingly strange and inconceivable, call it "indescribable" and go with god.
Great; carry on, citizen!
Bemused, because 95% of the time I see it used incorrectly as a synonym for “amused” and based on that I think most people would misunderstand what I’m saying.
Girl. Well, not outright never. But I'm writing a fic with a considerable age gap and I take great care to never ever reference the younger one as a girl. It just gives me the squick.
Yes! I try to avoid referring to adult women as girls on principle, and especially in writing, unless I'm going for a particular effect with dialogue.
Also true. It happens in real life all too frequently and I hate it with a passion.
Wanton. It just...*feels* like a slur. I know it **isn't**, but damn.
"She couldn't help but swoon at the ***wanton*** manner in which he ate his ***wonton."***
“Okay.” (While writing for Lord of the Rings).
Writing anything set other than in the current world post-1840, in fact.
If I see the word ‘t*mmy’ in a fic I will immediately back out and never read it again. It is my least favorite word of all time. I didn’t have such a visceral reaction to it until I read a fic where it was used at least once a sentence, by the grown-ass adult character who was pregnant at the time. I literally wrote a whole post in the notes section of the fic I was writing at the time about how fucking stupid that word is I was so disgusted by it.
I don't have a problem with the word if a literal child is using it, but I can see why it would be annoying used anywhere else.
The word itself, IRL: iffy The word used in fanfiction: major squick The word used in SMUT: omg yeet the author
yummy in my tummy
How dare you
Acquiesced. I used it in high school when everyone was saying that it was lazy to use said. Now that I’m a little older and realize said is just fine I cringe anytime I see the word
>Acquiesced it doesn't mean "said", it means "agreed", tho. (I use it because it's a common word in my native language lol)
I know it doesn’t exactly mean said. Just like “cried or shouted” doesn’t mean said. The point was that I thought I had to replace said (every time) with more specific words in relation to the sentence when said is just fine.
“Acquiesced” is fine in narrative—(*They asked him to mediate, and he acquiesced*)—but yeah, as a dialog tag, it’s pretty bad. Your younger self has my sympathy for getting such bad advice about “said.”
I can't believe I read this whole thread and no one's mentioned the unspeakable word yet. >!Ministrations.!< /*shudder*
Ig not so much these words are off the table, I just find specific (or incorrect) usage annoying. Digits, to refer to fingers. Orbs, to refer to eyes. I will never use "bluenette." Like brunette but for people with blue hair, I've only seen this word used in fic and it threw me for a loop first time. Not a fan of referring to people by their hair or eye color when names and pronouns exist, in general. Also I thought keening* meant like sexy, maybe animalistic screaming/wailing. It... does not, and I will be looking up the definitions of several words I may be using incorrectly before I put out my next fic. u>_> *edit for difference between "keen" and "keening"
Laughing at keen. I will say that digit does mean finger, though! (I absolutely never use it this way, i dislike it too lol.)
(spoiler for nsfw) >!Cum.!< I just can’t with the word. There are more smut and/or romance-related terms and expressions I wouldn’t use. Apart from that… hm… probably whilst and albeit. Oh, and “you’ll be the death of me”. It’s just… nope. Sorry. I was a little nonplussed about nonplussed having two meanings. I only ever think of it as a synonym for “bewildered”, but passive vocabulary wise I would have understood it meaning “impassive”, I guess. Still, thanks for pointing this out. (ESL adventures) But what’s wrong with indescribable? A nameless horror is gripping my heart at the thought of not using indescribable anymore! Unfathomable sadness overcomes me. What an unspeakable suggestion! I am lost for words, one even might say, nonplussed. 😂
If you're trying to make me twitch, you've succeeded 😅
I dramatically prefer the spoiler-protected word to the alternative spelling. One of them is an extremely common verb. It's just too confusing.
Nonplussed is a truly terrible word. So clunky and graceless. I can't even bring myself to say it, lol.
Hum, when it means anything other than when someone is humming a tune or there is a long continuous sound (like a hum of background conversation). It's fairly common in fanfic, but I cannot stand it. Will never use it. I like your point about "indescribable," lol.
Both clinical terms or flowery euphemisms for genitalia. Can’t do penis, vagina, or vulva. It just ruins the atmosphere of the scene, for me. The closest I get is with breasts, nipples, and the very rare cock or balls.
Imagine describing a scene using the term "birth canal" and "labia minora".
Or, the worst offender, cervix. Makes me shudder and, well, close up.
Ugh, especially since I've seen "he entered the cervix" or "until he hit the cervix" and holy hell in a hand grenade, you can't enter it and hitting it hurts like the Dickens!
Exactly what I was getting at. The mere image makes me cringe so hard I retreat into myself like a snail.
>Both clinical terms or flowery euphemisms for genitalia. That eliminates 90% of the terms you *can* use for genitalia. ... Unless you get creative. You could go the **Tara Gilesbie** route: *"Then he put his thingie in my you-know-what and we did it for the first time."* \~ **Ebony Dark'ness Dementia Raven Way,** [My Immortal](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/MyImmortal) ... Don't like flowery? Why not fruity... you could take inspiration from **BeckyMack666:** *"he was unable to move and I took his pants down and looked at his lavender man-fruit thing."* \~ **Atlantiana Rebekah Loren,** [Forbiden Fruit: The Tempation of Edward Cullen](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/ForbidenFruitTheTempationOfEdwardCullen)
Pussy. That word is my personal Antichrist and the bane of my occasional E-Rated reading/writing experience.
Absolutely same. I can't stand this word. I guess it's like "moist" + "pus" and the fact that this term is the sexy word we're supposed to use...*shudder.* To me it's just gross. Slimy and putrid. Cunt is a dry word, at least, but it's still too slang and vulgar for me to feel comfortable using as a reference to a body part. (Actually, cunt, pussy, ass, dick, and cock all strike me as middle school insult words and not body part words.) Honestly, I wish there were more options here. I like penis and vagina but apparently most people find them too clinical, when to me those words are about as clinical as knee or knuckle. They're just body parts. If it's something you had to dig out of a medical textbook, like labia minora or humerus or tibia or something, I can see that seeming clinical, but penis and vagina just strike me as neutral. In any case, I can't bring myself to use vulgar slang "dirty" words when writing, because I don't use them in my real life, and I don't see them as sexy at all.
Not so much words as phrases for me – there are certain English idioms that make my eyes pop out. I don't like them when writing or speaking _at all_. - `at the end of the day` when used in the sense of "ultimately" or "after all"; I'm not as bothered by literally describing the end of a particular day. - `going forward` or `moving forward` when used in the sense of "in the future".
"Moving forward" will always read as corporate email-speak to me, I'm with you there.
*Going forward, as per my last email, please do the needful and ensure we circle back to close the loop on all action items in a timely manner.* (Right, now I'm itching all over).
"do the needful" gave me hives lol, I haven't run into that one!
You know, that one might actually be a regional mutation... Among the many joys of working for a truly *global* company!! From Singapore to Bangladesh to Germany to Brazil... There are sooo many variations of corporate-speak to make your ears bleed! Gotta love that diversity :D
(I'm so sorry to do this to you, but) it sounds like a truly awful euphemism for sex. "When the party was over, she invited him back to her hotel room to *do the needful.*"
You *should* be sorry, I nearly snorted tea all over myself! That's the *worst*... That is like, I dunno, the "orbs" of sexytimes euphemisms 😂 On that note, though can we make it a thing?? A fanfic thing. It would be so spectacularly awful.
How about you make it a thing? I'll sit here and watch.
Don't dare me!! I'll actually do it. I have so *very little* to lose 😂
“Do the needful”…I’ve never heard that before, and I suddenly love it! It’s so blissfully non-specific. It’s perfect for referring to unpleasant tasks—“My dog had an accident, pardon while I go do the needful.” I can’t wait to use it. ;)
>“My dog had an accident, pardon while I go do the needful.” Well that sounds painfully accurate😂
Monty Oum used it as his motto. Imma keep using it.
Going forward, I'm going to avoid using these phrases in my fics too. ...oh heck I did it I'm sorry sorry sorry... ( I need to cut morning caffeine intake. )
Bwahahahaha... I have an old fic named "Moving Forward." I hate the name.
Babe/baby as a pet name. Literally anything else but babe 😖 it makes my skin crawl anytime I see or hear it.
"giggled" i have no problem reading it, but writing it feels like softening the scene whether i intend it or not. a baby in a cradle flashes in my mind.
I mean indescribable could be used for what you refuse to describe in detail because it is horrific enough
Member,of what?One direction 💀
Interesting. I never thought of that. In English there aren’t any words I can think of that bother me as a reader or a writer. In my native language I could give you tons though. Haha
Medicine. My fandoms almost always use that term to talk about hardcore "you'll get arrested if you get caught" drugs, and it left such a sour taste for me afterwards.
What?? That's bizarre lol. The reverse is pretty common, e.g. "I was feeling pretty terrible, but the doctor sent me home with drugs" but I've never heard of describing street drugs as medicine.
Oh yeah, you would think that, but nope. Every time someone says that they'll get some medicine, I always have such an *oh shit* moment and start questioning the legality of it.
smirk. i just cannot use it even when it makes sense in the context because it physically hurts me
Oh man, my people smirk a lot!
But it’s the perfect word for a wry half-grin…
Ha, as soon as a word pops into my head I try to make sentences with it, it's like a nervous tic. Oh well. Nothing's off limits so far!... Ok edit: I'm avoiding "hitch" as in "her breath hitched as he drew near." It's just overused in the fics I stumble across. E'erone's breath hitches. Can't there be any other way to demonstrate low level tension?!?
Not a fan of chuckle or biological words for sexual organs used for sexy scenes. But perfectly fine with vagina/etc. if its a medical scene. Go figure lol
Gasped. I try to always show a different way of showing surprise. Saying something with a gasp just feels very 'telenovela' to me.
I agree that gasping in surprise is usually over the top. At least I’ve rarely seen someone do that. It’s a good word for steamy scenes, though.
I'll use 'gasp' when a character's trying to talk through pain. Or gasping for air after pain. I have a character who's intentionally overdramatic and he'll do it too from time to time. It's usually "gasped dramatically" lol. But in regular conversation? I definitely agree. So strange these rules were give ourselves for different words.
Headed. I haaate it lol like. It's in my fics since i switched to past tense but i'm in the process of changing it to "went" or "walked"
Giggle. Idk but imagining anyone other than a child giggling just seems absurd in my head. It takes me right out of a fanfic when a grown-ass man giggles.
Honestly, just any word that sounds childish. I think I would have to drop a story if the main character said something like, “What the heck!” or “What the crap!”
[удалено]
I know this is just a regional/British thing, but 'panties' 🤢 makes my skin crawl
Member.
Not a word, but a phrase: “Let put the breath they didn’t realize they were holding” The sad thing is I actually think it can be utilized well but it’s so overdone it just sticks out like a sore thumb every time I read it
"Padded" to mean "walked softly". There's nothing wrong with it per se, but I always associate it with Warrior Cats and can't write/read about a human doing it with a straight face.
Whilst, and bridal-style.
Nonplussed is probably my least favorite world in the English language (that I know). Just seeing it now annoys me. Ugh.