Prose poems

[StillStunned]

I leaned about anastrophe yesterday

Emily

The AH has its own personal Yoda!

 

[EmilyMiller]

The Case of the Lucky Legs, The Case of the Caretaker's Cat, The Case of the Dangerous Dowager, The Case of the Shoplifter's Shoe, The Case of the Perjured Parrot, The Case of the Haunted Husband, The Case of the Drowning Duck, The Case of the Careless Kitten, The Case of the Crooked Candle, The Case of the Black-Eyed Blonde, The Case of the Half-Wakened Wife, The Case of the Borrowed Brunette, The Case of the Lazy Lover, and The Case of the Vagabond Virgin are a few examples of Erle Stanley Gardner's penchant for alleriterated titles. The one in bold italic is one that uses the sound not the actual letter on the second word.

Cressie Craves Cream-pies

Cressie’s Custom Climax

to be continued…

 

[EmilyMiller]

The AH has its own personal Yoda!

Yoda of course.

But it’s basically Tolkien-speak.

Long has it been ere I saw [insert made up name here]

Deep were the caverns of [as above]

High was the soaring peak of [you get the picture]

Emily

 

[MillieDynamite]

There are questions created in Gardner's use of Alleriterated Titles, who has the lucky legs and why are they lucky? WTF is so special about the Fing cat? Why is the Dowager Dangerous? and so on!

 

[StillStunned]

Cressie Craves Cream-pies

This is one of differences between US and UK English, isn't it? You people tend to stress weird parts of words and names. You say *Robin* Hood, for instance, while Brits say Robin *Hood*.

In the above, I'd stress *pies*, not *cream*, so it wouldn't be alliteration.

 

[StillStunned]

But it’s basically Tolkien-speak.

I read somewhere that JRRT would use this construction to emphasise the speech of long-lived Elves, who spoke "old-fashioned", by always putting the verb second in every sentence. I haven't gone back and checked.

 

[EmilyMiller]

I read somewhere that JRRT would use this construction to emphasise the speech of long-lived Elves, who spoke "old-fashioned", by always putting the verb second in every sentence. I haven't gone back and checked.

The Numenorians as well. And Gandalf.

 

[EmilyMiller]

This is one of differences between US and UK English, isn't it? You people tend to stress weird parts of words and names. You say *Robin* Hood, for instance, while Brits say Robin *Hood*.

In the above, I'd stress *pies*, not *cream*, so it wouldn't be alliteration.

Really? How odd!

 

[StillStunned]

Really? How odd!

It's one of those things no-one ever mentions about the two languages, but once I noticed the "Robin Hood" thing I started paying attention. It's quite perplexing.

It also means that I have to change my editing style slightly for anything intended for the US.

 

[MillieDynamite]

I have an uncle named How Odd, of the Odd side of the family. He lives in an Odd little house in the middle of an Odd old street.

Really? How odd!

 

[StillStunned]

I have an uncle named How Odd, of the Odd side of the family. He lives in an Odd little house in the middle of an Odd old street.

He'd better not live in an even-numbered house.

 

[EmilyMiller]

It's one of those things no-one ever mentions about the two languages, but once I noticed the "Robin Hood" thing I started paying attention. It's quite perplexing.

It also means that I have to change my editing style slightly for anything intended for the US.

I know a bunch of Brits - never noticed

 

[pink_silk_glove]

This is alliteration.

This is assonance, or vowel rhyme.

Same diff.

What if all of your alliterative syllables start with vowel sounds?

 

[StillStunned]

Same diff.

What if all of your alliterative syllables start with vowel sounds?

They're all wonderful techniques to make your writing enhance your story. Sounds can bring the mood to life. Using aspirated sounds for steamy dialogue, for instance.

 

[pink_silk_glove]

They're all wonderful techniques to make your writing enhance your story. Sounds can bring the mood to life. Using aspirated sounds for steamy dialogue, for instance.

In Edinburgh, we emulated the evolution of existentialism in the everyman.

Ok, that one's a little bit awkward.

I do like onomatopoeia too.

And by the way, "Ahhheiighoooouuuughhhh!" makes a terrible safe word.

 

[M_K_Babalon]

That's basically what my story Sextacy is.

 

[pink_silk_glove]

This is one of differences between US and UK English, isn't it? You people tend to stress weird parts of words and names. You say *Robin* Hood, for instance, while Brits say Robin *Hood*.

In the above, I'd stress *pies*, not *cream*, so it wouldn't be alliteration.

Sometimes when you want to go somewhere or do something you need a permit. In Canada we say PER-mit. In America they say per-MIT. And an even bigger difference, if an American says per-MIT to a Canadian, although it may sound funny, we know what he means and don't bat an eye, but if a Canadian says PER-mit to an American odds are that he will correct your pronunciation for you. "You mean per-MIT."

I was in a Subway in Seattle once and I asked for yellow peppers on my sandwich. The girl said, "You mean the pepperchinis." Notice the lack of a question mark. She was telling me the correct word and that I was wrong. Apparently that was the local word for yellow hot peppers. I said, "Yea, those yellow peppers." She said more insistently, "You mean the pepperchinis." She was serious too. I basically was not getting any peppers on my sandwich until I admitted that they were indeed called pepperchinis. Not all Americans are this way but as Canadians we notice this behavior is far more prevalent south of the border.

It's an authority thing. In most places in the world the employees aim to please the customers, but in America, especially in real low end jobs like McDonald's or Taco Bell, the employee sees the job as the chance to have some authority and power and they actually view themselves as outranking the customers, and sometimes they can be fairly rude about it. Now in nicer places, like a sit down restaurant with proper servers, you really don't get this at all, but in that real low end entry level retail and service jobs, oh yes it's there. Authority is a big deal. It's credibility and power and some folks take it seriously.

I've even seen it from a volunteer once. We went to a music festival in Seattle and it was a massive event with 18 stages running for 12 hours per day on the fairgrounds, so they had the sidewalk stanchioned off all the way down the block anticipating the long lines, so that the lineup would be on one side, and the passing pedestrians unimpeded on the other. However, we had arrived just as it opened so there was no line yet. The volunteer stopped and asked us if we were coming in to the festival and we said yes, so he very kindly told us that we were on the wrong side of the rope. We needed to be on the other side to come in. So we thanked him and my friend stepped over the rope. Before I could follow, the volunteer stops him and says, "No, you have to go all the way around to the end," like waaaay back at the end of the block. Preposterous! We're literally the only two people on the sidewalk, oh the chaos! So my friend apologizes but figures since she's already on the other side that she might as well just continue to the gate. The guy instantly blocks her way and shouts "SECURITY!! SECURITY!!" and we had to apologize profusely just to make sure that we didn't get banned or something before we even got in, and then go all the way back down to the end of the block and come back up the other side of the rope. Absolutely pointless and completely BOnKerS, wtf?!? Americans and their authority trips. (shakes head) That would just never happen in Canada.

So when Cartman on South Park says "Respect mah authoritahh!!" this is not just Cartman being a jerk, this is an actual commentary on American society. It's very real.

 

[M_K_Babalon]

Sometimes when you want to go somewhere or do something you need a permit. In Canada we say PER-mit. In America they say per-MIT. And an even bigger difference, if an American says per-MIT to a Canadian, although it may sound funny, we know what he means and don't bat an eye, but if a Canadian says PER-mit to an American odds are that he will correct your pronunciation for you. "You mean per-MIT."

I was in a Subway in Seattle once and I asked for yellow peppers on my sandwich. The girl said, "You mean the pepperchinis." Notice the lack of a question mark. She was telling me the correct word and that I was wrong. Apparently that was the local word for yellow hot peppers. I said, "Yea, those yellow peppers." She said more insistently, "You mean the pepperchinis." She was serious too. I basically was not getting any peppers on my sandwich until I admitted that they were indeed called pepperchinis. Not all Americans are this way but as Canadians we notice this behavior is far more prevalent south of the border.

It's an authority thing. In most places in the world the employees aim to please the customers, but in America, especially in real low end jobs like McDonald's or Taco Bell, the employee sees the job as the chance to have some authority and power and they actually view themselves as outranking the customers, and sometimes they can be fairly rude about it. Now in nicer places, like a sit down restaurant with proper servers, you really don't get this at all, but in that real low end entry level retail and service jobs, oh yes it's there. Authority is a big deal. It's credibility and power and some folks take it seriously.

I've even seen it from a volunteer once. We went to a music festival in Seattle and it was a massive event with 18 stages running for 12 hours per day on the fairgrounds, so they had the sidewalk stanchioned off all the way down the block anticipating the long lines, so that the lineup would be on one side, and the passing pedestrians unimpeded on the other. However, we had arrived just as it opened so there was no line yet. The volunteer stopped and asked us if we were coming in to the festival and we said yes, so he very kindly told us that we were on the wrong side of the rope. We needed to be on the other side to come in. So we thanked him and my friend stepped over the rope. Before I could follow, the volunteer stops him and says, "No, you have to go all the way around to the end," like waaaay back at the end of the block. Preposterous! We're literally the only two people on the sidewalk, oh the chaos! So my friend apologizes but figures since she's already on the other side that she might as well just continue to the gate. The guy instantly blocks her way and shouts "SECURITY!! SECURITY!!" and we had to apologize profusely just to make sure that we didn't get banned or something before we even got in, and then go all the way back down to the end of the block and come back up the other side of the rope. Absolutely pointless and completely BOnKerS, wtf?!? Americans and their authority trips. (shakes head) That would just never happen in Canada.

So when Cartman on South Park says "Respect mah authoritahh!!" this is not just Cartman being a jerk, this is an actual commentary on American society. It's very real.

I had no clue they were called pepperchinis until I worked at Pizza Hut. Regardless they're still peppers and nasty. Some people are total fuckwits when they have an ounce, or I guess gram in your case, of authority and think their omnipotent and won't get the taste slapped outta their mouth.

 

[MillieDynamite]

@pink_silk_glove, you need to visit the American South and people who are generationally from particular states and regions inside those states. Howdja, wheredja, whadja, Yestiddy, dickerin, didn’t loin nothin, Sad-day, liberry, and thisyer, are all pronunciations I've heard in Oklahoma from people who aren't ignorant.

 

[pink_silk_glove]

@pink_silk_glove, you need to visit the American South and people who are generationally from particular states and regions inside those states. Howdja, wheredja, whadja, Yestiddy, dickerin, didn’t loin nothin, Sad-day, liberry , and thisyer, are all pronunciations I've heard in Oklahoma from people who aren't ignorant.

When I was young my family drove through Tennessee, Alabama all the way to Florida. In Alabama we visited a water park. We came out of the pool and headed for the slides. We asked one of the kids working there (I was like 12 and he was like 15) "do we go up that way to ride the slides?" and he said "You cain go up thay're butcha gotta leave yer gawrgles and yer flip-flawrps down here."

Our goggles and our flip-flops if it's taking you too long to translate. His accent was just ... wow, like alien talk. Nice guy though, no authority issues. We had fun on the slides.

 

[MillieDynamite]

I'm fluent in the Great American Southern language and all its variations. LOL

When I was young my family drove through Tennessee, Alabama all the way to Florida. In Alabama we visited a water park. We came out of the pool and headed for the slides. We asked one of the kids working there (I was like 12 and he was like 15) "do we go up that way to ride the slides?" and he said "You cain go up thay're butcha gotta leave yer gawrgles and yer flip-flawrps down here."

Our goggles and our flip-flops if it's taking you too long to translate. His accent was just ... wow, like alien talk. Nice guy though, no authority issues. We had fun on the slides.

 

[MillieDynamite]

Everyone thought that Emily Procter "put on" a Southern Accent while playing Calleigh Duquesne (pronounced Do-Kane) on CSI Miami. She didn't. She's from Raleigh, North Carolina. I think her first role was a spritz girl on Friends. She had the accent in that as well. Spritz girl = a young woman who sprays samples of perfume on women.