My posh English friend was visiting town with her even posher new boyfriend, and when I invited them for lunch, I prepared myself to be on my very best behavior possible.
This was very funny Gabrielle. I particularly liked the use of 'very rude word', which makes me think the debate regarding swearing or not swearing is still very much a live one. Sometimes it is OK, but it can definitely be overdone. Sometimes, as was the case here, it was so much funnier because of the lack of swearing.
Thank you Joanna - swearing is a funny thing, isn't it? I picked up the habit as a young journalist (although I never use the word described in this story, if only out of female solidarity) and now appear to be unable to drop it, although I thoroughly dislike it - it's inelegant and leaves me nowhere to go when I'm really upset. What particularly irritates me is that I never, ever swore in front of my mother-in-law because I knew she'd hate it, and I simply cannot understand, if I can control myself for her, why I can't do the same for myself. Hey ho, life is full of mysteries.
Swearing in the past is another interesting one because some words we now consider rude they didn’t especially - but taking the lord’s name in vain was a really big deal. I’m currently depicting a character who is at a time in her life where she wants to vent more but is in the 9th century. Debated with no swearing but for the internal monologue I think some works well to show how annoyed she is. Externally probably won’t do it but she might have a moment when she does. Think it could make her a more interesting character especially given the period. Hard to know if it would have happened out loud in anger need to consult the historians again when writing that but I want to do it to add more colour …
How interesting to write conversations in the past, Joanna. I did a little bit of that in my novel The Little Women Letters, which was partly set among three young women in modern London and partly in imagined scenes from Little Women, and to be honest I found the modern stuff every bit as challenging because words and phrases have changed so much since I left in 1980 when the word "brilliant" still meant very clever! I ran all the modern parts past a young friend with an eagle eye and it was interesting for both for us, I think. But how you would deal with 9th century dialogue I would have no idea and I salute you for trying ...
Oh, Daniel, what an amazingly generous comment to find on my page! It means a great deal, especially coming from so notable a wit as yourself and has quite made my week. I'm glad this made you laugh, and only wish that I'd also been a fly on the wall throughout, because I'm sure my facial expression was something to see ...
It’s a crying shame this doesn’t have more engagement, it’s such a beautiful coup de grace at the end, I was wondering throughout ‘what’s going on here, can she not just tell us the word?’
If you haven’t read ‘The Loved One’ you absolutely must.
Well, that's a compliment, Daniel, to be mentioned in the same breath as the mighty Waugh. I'm now intrigued to re-read it and see what the connection is ... I can't have unconsciously plagiarized anything though: I know it sometimes does happen (Mr. Los Angeles and I once lifted a running joke wholesale from Tom Sawyer and thought ourselves most witty until one of us re-read the book and discovered the fabulous original) because this is exactly how the incident unfolded and I was there to witness it!
haha, no no no, definitely no plagiarising! Two things - the obvious is you being British in LA. The second is the killer line near the end that was an absolute banger and left me howling in laughter. It had a similar effect on my sister. In your story, it was the final line, that was the only difference.
I've read it twice but am almost tempted to read it a third time. I love Waugh.
This was very funny Gabrielle. I particularly liked the use of 'very rude word', which makes me think the debate regarding swearing or not swearing is still very much a live one. Sometimes it is OK, but it can definitely be overdone. Sometimes, as was the case here, it was so much funnier because of the lack of swearing.
Thank you Joanna - swearing is a funny thing, isn't it? I picked up the habit as a young journalist (although I never use the word described in this story, if only out of female solidarity) and now appear to be unable to drop it, although I thoroughly dislike it - it's inelegant and leaves me nowhere to go when I'm really upset. What particularly irritates me is that I never, ever swore in front of my mother-in-law because I knew she'd hate it, and I simply cannot understand, if I can control myself for her, why I can't do the same for myself. Hey ho, life is full of mysteries.
Swearing in the past is another interesting one because some words we now consider rude they didn’t especially - but taking the lord’s name in vain was a really big deal. I’m currently depicting a character who is at a time in her life where she wants to vent more but is in the 9th century. Debated with no swearing but for the internal monologue I think some works well to show how annoyed she is. Externally probably won’t do it but she might have a moment when she does. Think it could make her a more interesting character especially given the period. Hard to know if it would have happened out loud in anger need to consult the historians again when writing that but I want to do it to add more colour …
How interesting to write conversations in the past, Joanna. I did a little bit of that in my novel The Little Women Letters, which was partly set among three young women in modern London and partly in imagined scenes from Little Women, and to be honest I found the modern stuff every bit as challenging because words and phrases have changed so much since I left in 1980 when the word "brilliant" still meant very clever! I ran all the modern parts past a young friend with an eagle eye and it was interesting for both for us, I think. But how you would deal with 9th century dialogue I would have no idea and I salute you for trying ...
🤣🤣🤣
This is incredible! What a killer final line, it had me in stitches, this is easily one of the best things I've ever read on Substack.
Oh, Daniel, what an amazingly generous comment to find on my page! It means a great deal, especially coming from so notable a wit as yourself and has quite made my week. I'm glad this made you laugh, and only wish that I'd also been a fly on the wall throughout, because I'm sure my facial expression was something to see ...
It’s a crying shame this doesn’t have more engagement, it’s such a beautiful coup de grace at the end, I was wondering throughout ‘what’s going on here, can she not just tell us the word?’
If you haven’t read ‘The Loved One’ you absolutely must.
Well, that's a compliment, Daniel, to be mentioned in the same breath as the mighty Waugh. I'm now intrigued to re-read it and see what the connection is ... I can't have unconsciously plagiarized anything though: I know it sometimes does happen (Mr. Los Angeles and I once lifted a running joke wholesale from Tom Sawyer and thought ourselves most witty until one of us re-read the book and discovered the fabulous original) because this is exactly how the incident unfolded and I was there to witness it!
haha, no no no, definitely no plagiarising! Two things - the obvious is you being British in LA. The second is the killer line near the end that was an absolute banger and left me howling in laughter. It had a similar effect on my sister. In your story, it was the final line, that was the only difference.
I've read it twice but am almost tempted to read it a third time. I love Waugh.