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Original poster

I don't want to ruin every book you're going to read from now, but have you noticed they all have the word

239 replies

Cify · 28/03/2018 09:06

Detritus.... in therm?

And now I've noticed it I can't stop seeing the word in everything I read.

And yet I've never heard a single friend complaining about the detritus in their kitchen.

Please tell me I'm not alone? Do you notice certain words or phrases (that people don't actually say in real life) being used over and over again in novels?

OP posts:
SatsukiKusakabe · 01/04/2018 14:13

stitches I wasn’t picking up the spelling, just how often someone is described as having a grip like it - so much that I wouldn’t think a writer would leave it in as so overused an image by now Smile

StitchesInTime · 01/04/2018 13:48

I believe that “vise” is the US spelling of “vice” ?

The book I read the DC for their bedtime story last night had lots of “waiving” in it.

As in, “The men waived their arms in excitement”. Or as in “They waived goodbye to Winifred”.

No. No, they didn’t. They waved.

I was itching to get a pen out and correct that.

SatsukiKusakabe · 01/04/2018 11:08

I just read “vise-like grip” I mean seriously. How can you read that back and not change it?

BestIsWest · 01/04/2018 09:56

Low musical voice, anyone?

whirlygirly · 01/04/2018 06:53

How has nobody mentioned anyone being in a reverie yet?

Once I see that in a book, it's game over.

namastayinbed · 01/04/2018 06:23

Once I noticed how many times characters mentioned/drank/poured coffee, The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo series was ruined for me. The crimes would have been solved much faster without all the fannying around with coffee.

DarkPeakScouter · 01/04/2018 05:57

She stoically shrugged and padded off to the sink hot salty tears coursing down her dewy cheeks after the chipped cup shattered mere moments after she curled her jewellery laden hands around the hot java sending the hot liquid coursing over her buttery leather jacket.

Dinosaurdiva · 31/03/2018 22:27

Everyone is stoic or doing something stoically.... never heard this word in the real world!

JuniLoolaPalooza · 31/03/2018 22:24

I haven't seen it for a while but heroines (or their best friends) with a cloud of/mess of/riot of curls for hair. My DD has curly hair and it looks a bloody mess most of the time.

Cars 'nosing' into traffic. It might be Lee Child who is terrible for this but it really grates page after page.

Women 'curling their hands round a chipped mug' after a shock. Chuck the fucking thing out if it's chipped. And if it's a proper hot drink you'll burn your bloody hands.

LockedOutOfMN · 31/03/2018 21:57

Weak chin = loadsamoney but will turn out to be a wrong 'un.
Better off with the gardener / Deliveroo driver who will definitely be strong jawed. His eyes will flash as he lays down his hoe / pizza box.

AlistairAppletonssexyscarf · 31/03/2018 21:51

It's a small and/or recessed chin. Often associated with inbreeding in the aristocracy, and is also found in fiction to denote someone a bit weak or cowardly.

midsomermurderess · 31/03/2018 21:00

Does anyone know what a weak chin is? It is something you'd read in older books.

LockedOutOfMN · 31/03/2018 13:26

Izzy24 GrinGrinGrin @ hot tears coursing down my cheeks

My mum's eyes would flash at us sitting on the backseat via the rear view mirror if we had a friend in the car and said something like, "come back to our house, we can all play in the pool" or "let's stop for ice-cream", etc.

ChinkChink · 31/03/2018 12:45

As I scooped up my well thumbed copy of Take a Break, Derek raised a quizzical eyebrow and whispered softly, "Why do you read this pile of shite?".

ErrolTheDragon · 31/03/2018 12:36

All this talk of flashing eyes has given me a G&S ear worm http://www.guntheranderson.com/v/data/britisht.htm - damn you! Grin

BlackAmericanoNoSugar · 31/03/2018 12:26

Anybody who thinks that flashing eyes don't exist should watch Captain Hook in Once Upon a Time. He does a great line in flashing his eyes and clenching his jaw, and it does make me swoon a little. Grin

treaclesoda · 31/03/2018 12:15

I'm on the fence about the flashing eyes. I mean, obviously they don't flash in real life, like a flashing light, but I have seen people do a split second 'thing' that I think is what authors use the 'flashing' to try to convey. Usually if someone has been caught out in a lie, and you can see it in their eyes very briefly before they compose themselves and try to excuse it.

Agree that the flashing eyes is very overused in fiction though.

LassWiADelicateAir · 31/03/2018 11:48

I haven't noticed a lot of detritus, but I have just finished a book with a lot of padding around, which was fine because the person doing the padding was a werecat

Ooh what is the book?

Great thread.

DontCallMeBaby · 30/03/2018 21:36

I’ve also noticed recently a lot of eyes literally flashing or darkening. That isn’t a thing that can happen, authors, outside of fantasy. Stop it.

Notfastjustfurious · 30/03/2018 21:28

Just remembered another -
Used to read a lot of Karin Slaughter but every female lead is the same! Damaged woman, mystery past, strong man has to save her blah blah too predictable and cliche overload.

Izzy24 · 30/03/2018 20:45

I got a bit upset this evening and realised I had hot tears coursing down my cheeks...😂

FlaviaAlbia · 30/03/2018 15:57

Halsall, AlistairAppletonssexyscarf Yes! I love Marian Keyes but she's ruined leather jackets for me as I've never found one I like as much as her description of one in Last Chance Saloon Grin

ErrolTheDragon · 30/03/2018 14:49

I went through a phase of reading books which featured the use of 'palimpsest' as a metaphor. Rather a lovely word, and can be a good metaphor, but one you want as a rare treat.

64BooLane · 30/03/2018 14:28

I’m on page 429 of these proofs now.

‘Walter’s eyes narrowed’

and then

‘Walter’s face stiffened’ (this is in response to unwelcome news)

DoAsYouWouldBeMumBy · 30/03/2018 13:20

@Izzy24 GrinGrin

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