tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post8524162011755138281..comments2024-03-29T05:45:39.184-06:00Comments on Blood-Red Pencil: Tackling Historical SlangDanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14471919576687777886noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-76521119448559248742019-05-14T13:36:57.393-06:002019-05-14T13:36:57.393-06:00A few years ago I discovered the Drunktionary: a f...A few years ago I discovered the Drunktionary: a fascinating list of terms for over-imbibing. E.g.: cherbimical (noted by Ben Franklin).<br />members.tripod.com/Freaky_Freya/Drunktionary/Deborahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14134452100574353669noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-80562713977631766352018-10-03T18:30:18.355-06:002018-10-03T18:30:18.355-06:00I got caught in a phrase in a timeline in one of m...I got caught in a phrase in a timeline in one of my books. It was when 911 came into use. It was a flashback, and I had to check the state and the year because it wasn't the same throughout the country. Great post and links.Polly Iyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05729656119287702191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-63827607071884459572018-10-02T08:27:10.598-06:002018-10-02T08:27:10.598-06:00Thanks for all the great links in the post, Ann. I...Thanks for all the great links in the post, Ann. I had not heard of Ngram, but I will be checking it out. I need to make sure that language I have in my historical novel spanning the years of 1923 to 1945 is accurate. You are so right about a single misused word throwing a reader right out of the story. Maryannwriteshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09479027709233807149noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-45541702143853207202018-09-27T23:09:01.332-06:002018-09-27T23:09:01.332-06:00You're welcome! :-)You're welcome! :-)Ann Parkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05422047704540904303noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-86921829708725955582018-09-26T16:00:34.240-06:002018-09-26T16:00:34.240-06:00Thnaks for response, fascinating to see how langua...Thnaks for response, fascinating to see how language evolves so quickly.Paul Marrinerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02885711464264826447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-56294785805025551302018-09-26T00:13:56.150-06:002018-09-26T00:13:56.150-06:00Hello hello! I've found the book "America...Hello hello! I've found the book "American Slang: The abridged Edition of the Dictionary of American Slang" by Robert L. Chapman/Barbara Ann Kipfer to be very handy for tracking down more modern phrases such as "F' off" (which, according to this dictionary, was used by 1929 to mean "to leave, depart... Often an irritated command." However, as a noun, to mean someone who is a "goof-off," it came into use during WWII... Interesting! Ann Parkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05422047704540904303noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-59849912901998297222018-09-26T00:08:53.181-06:002018-09-26T00:08:53.181-06:00It's those "invisible" words and phr...It's those "invisible" words and phrases that are so easy to miss. :-} Even though I try to be careful, there's usually one or two "gotchas" in each of my books. Oh well!Ann Parkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05422047704540904303noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-15724686391640766762018-09-26T00:07:44.709-06:002018-09-26T00:07:44.709-06:00Hi Diana! Ancient Greeks?? Hmmmm... Sounds pretty ...Hi Diana! Ancient Greeks?? Hmmmm... Sounds pretty unlikely to me as well! Luckily, since I write 19th century, there are all these handy references. What would one use to check something that far back? I can't even imagine...Ann Parkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05422047704540904303noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-49518865059540486542018-09-26T00:06:40.528-06:002018-09-26T00:06:40.528-06:00Hi Linda! Glad that some of these links will be us...Hi Linda! Glad that some of these links will be useful to you! The Internet Archive has lots of handy references and I *love* Ngram!Ann Parkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05422047704540904303noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-39450696821745833822018-09-25T08:56:56.734-06:002018-09-25T08:56:56.734-06:00Yep, tricky not only to make sure the word was/was...Yep, tricky not only to make sure the word was/wasn't in use but also the context. My most reecent novel is set in 1920 and I couldn't find any uses of OK or Okay in contemporary publications so decided to avoid its use. I also found that the F-word, although in use was used as a description of the act and not, as these, days slipped casually into insults to make them sound more offensive. EG, they it's unlikely they'd have said have said, 'F' off!. Paul Marrinerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02885711464264826447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-40725072628568493282018-09-25T08:30:21.848-06:002018-09-25T08:30:21.848-06:00This is one of the hardest things to deal with whe...This is one of the hardest things to deal with when writing historical fiction. I'm writing early 1800s Illinois stories these days, so I'm always looking up words in the dictionary or online. It's so easy to slip in a word that doesn't belong...although my critique group is pretty good at catching the ones that don't fit. Thanks for the list of sources, Ann. Every little bit helps.Patricia Stolteyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17192369425956406122noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-12177337627204234042018-09-25T08:17:06.216-06:002018-09-25T08:17:06.216-06:00These are great resources. One of my pet peeves is...These are great resources. One of my pet peeves is historical settings with people using modern day terms, especially the f-bomb. Pretty sure ancient Greeks weren't using it. Diana Hurwitzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18216220574149672733noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-15257022434629044182018-09-25T07:33:24.882-06:002018-09-25T07:33:24.882-06:00What a great post, Ann! While I don't write hi...What a great post, Ann! While I don't write historical fiction myself, I do edit it. From time to time, as an editor, I end up researching a variety of things for period-accurate authenticity. It has always paid off to do that checking because it's amazing what I have learned about what did and didn't exist in a given era. Love the links you included, too. This is a keeper. :-)Linda Lanehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06686488133905538811noreply@blogger.com