Amazon discontinued the ability to create images using their SiteStripe feature and in their infinite wisdom broke all previously created images on 12/31/23. Many blogs used this feature, including this one. Expect my archives to be a hot mess of broken book cover images until I can slowly comb through 20 years of archives to make corrections.

Monday, August 14, 2006

The Grand Daddy Of All Bad Words

This has likely been covered in the Romance-Novel-Related Blogosphere already, but I was smacked in the face with it over the weekend when I was reading a cozy mystery of all things.

The word "hungrily" has got to go.

You know, "His mouth covered hers hungrily in a passionate kiss." Yada, yada, yada.

It. Has. Got. To. Go.

Why? Well frankly it just sounds stupid. It sounds like the guy (or the girl) is devouring their kissing partner's face. Like they're a recovering anorexic and they've just rediscovered chocolate cake. Like that rugby team that crash landed in the Andes and took to chowing down on femurs.

It's just an icky word to describe a kiss. I'm sorry, it just is. And if my title of Queen Librarian Of The Universe actually held any power (well in my own mind it does!) I would banish the use of "hungrily" to describe anything remotely sexual ever again.

And since I'm not the only one with irrational pet peeves - let us open the forum. What word(s) would you banish from the writer's thesaurus forever?

3 comments:

Nicole said...

Can't think of any right now.

Though I look forward to what you think of Enchanted. I've read a bit of it already and it's....interesting. I'm not even sure I'd call some of the stories erotica. :-)

Amie Stuart said...

Anythign that sounds or looks bizarre with -LY attached.

I'm ashamed to say I wrote the word "orgasmicly" *hanging head* and it stops me every time I read it. I've got to find a suitable replacement.

Wendy said...

Nicole:
Sad to say I'm not thinking much of Enchanted - expect a future blog post on the subject....