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

[Cify]

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?

Tendril

The women have loose tendrils of hair - sounds snakey

Someone always pads somewhere, usually downstairs to make a cup of tea or sometimes to the bathroom. I don't think I've ever padded anywhere, my cat does though.

Nanny you are so right! The crap thriller I read yesterday had padding downstairs (in a dressing gown) in it.

I use detritus when describing to my dh what I found in the annual gutter clearing activity. Usually accompanied with “foul”.

'Gotten' that word drives me nuts!

If you’re reading Terry Pratchett Detritus is the name of a recurring character.

Oh yes, the 'padding' is greatly overused. Is that a word anyone ever speaks in real life?

I haven't noticed detritus. But reading the same words and phrases in a book is a massive bugbear for me.

Fifty shades of grey was the worst. I know it wasn't exactly a literacy work of art but every other page was 'ghost of a smile.' and 'Restore my equilibrium.' Amongst many others.

What I hate is when they are talking about tea or coffee and at some point they always say "the hot liquid". Urrrrggghhh!

"She put down her latte, and at that moment the dog jumped up and knocked it over. She shrieked as the HOT LIQUID spread across the table."

"He handed her a steaming cup of tea, and she began to relax as se swallowed the HOT LIQUID"

If I ever write a novel my main priority will be to make sure i don't put "hot liquid" in it.

Yes you must always "pad" when wearing a dressing gown. Typically you will be having an evening in in your loungewear and "padding" about not expecting anyone, when your love interest / a detective inspector / a killer clown suddenly shows up.

Chagrin! If you've ever read any of the Twilight books its used on every other bloody page.

I hate ‘padded’ too. It makes me think the book is going to be rubbish.

You can tell when fanfic about British characters is written by Americans as they 'smirk' every other page. I know it's American for a general grin not just an unpleasant one, but the amount of it still grates. Jack Reacher manages to confine himself to one or two smirks per book so everyone else can too.

Easing into traffic, just read a Val McDermid and it's on every other page!

at CaptainCardamon and the three natural literary conclusions to padding in lounge wear.

You do know that the title of your first (Sunday Times best selling) novel now has to be ‘Hot Liquid’ don’t you?

But never mention the phrase in the book.

It’s allegorical.

Eyes flashing with anger. How the fuck do eyes flash??

I love it when a character's facial expression is a 'mixture' of emotions.
'His face was a mixture of utter relief and seething rage' or other such bollocks.

:o I have now cursed you all. You will never read a novel again without the "HOT LIQUID" jumping out at you every three pages.

Oh and the other facial expression one is "A smile played across his lips." What does that even mean?.

I'm going to keep seeing all of these now...

Another one that annoyed me (I think it was in The Breakdown) "she shrugged on her dressing gown". Who shrugs on a dressing gown? What's wrong with just putting it on?

There seems to be a lot of slipping going on. People are always slipping into dressing gowns, slipping down corridors and stairs, and even slipping into slippers.

So many books appear to be in need of a big yellow "Slipping Hazard!" sign.

I see your hot liquid, and raise you cold drinks “sweating”.

Also people are always shuddering.

A lot of sighing goes on in literature.

There’s a lot of cleaving going on in the books I’ve read of late. I don’t mind the occasional cleaving to, or even cleaving from, but I sense cleave(age?) creep is occuring.