What words do you hate to hear/see misused?

[Hoselvr6164]

Compliment vs. complement.

The one that slays me almost every time is lay/laid/lie/laying/lying, etc. I usually just end up picking the one that makes the sentence flow the smoothest when read aloud.

 

[lovecraft68]

If it has not been mentioned

Site/sight

relatively new I would think (as in the last decade plus) as people write about web sites and auto correct will defer to sight it seems.

 

[CarlusMagnus]

One thing I never get over on this forum is the arrogance of amateur writers of dirty stories.

I just noticed this one.

The arrogance that Pilot mentions is easier to get over than the arrogance of professional writers.

Which, in turn, is easier to get over than the arrogance of professional editors.

 

[StrangeLife]

Budgerigar / Hydroplane

I hate it when people confuse the two. I know it's an easy mistake to make, but it grates on me anyway.

And don't even mention the people that consistently mix up Loofah and Tadpole...

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

I put posters on IGGY for using GENRE incorrectly, and most do. Used correctly GENRE is a bin for what has no category...mutts. SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW, SOMETHING BORROWED, SOMETHING BLUE.

GENDER is another one. The word started life as a verb, TO BREED COWS. Then it became an euphemism for FUCK. Then it distinguished pronouns by sex. Then a chalky perfesser got the idea to use GENDER in place of sex, ignoring the fact that sex never changes. Its a distinction without a difference, cuz clothes don't make the man. DISGUISE is the honestl word he wanted.

 

[painful_rapture]

Quite vs. quiet, I have seen this mix-up often. Bugs the heck out of me.

 

[Hosebloke]

The dreadful word cu*t , horrid

 

[lovecraft68]

The dreadful word cu*t , horrid

I agree.

There are two words I was raised to never use. N word (which would have gotten me killed where I grew up aside from it being ignorant) and the C-word.

I did use it once, but not sexually I used it as an insult from a character I pictured as being that coarse and classless.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

I agree.

There are two words I was raised to never use. N word (which would have gotten me killed where I grew up aside from it being ignorant) and the C-word.

I did use it once, but not sexually I used it as an insult from a character I pictured as being that coarse and classless.

Readers always squirm and pout when I use NIGGER-LIP for assholes who suck your smoke down to the butt in one drag. NIGGER-RICH is anuther great word.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

I agree.

There are two words I was raised to never use. N word (which would have gotten me killed where I grew up aside from it being ignorant) and the C-word.

I did use it once, but not sexually I used it as an insult from a character I pictured as being that coarse and classless.

C-word? You mean like CANADIAN?

 

[lovecraft68]

C-word? You mean like CANADIAN?

SHHHHH!

 

[SandraMustard]

To those who abhor 'cunt', would you feel as strongly about a milder form like 'cunny'? I guess I don't share that view since my generation used it as an unpleasant descriptor but not totally offensive. Since I want my novel to appeal to all generations, I am taking it under advisement.

I did a search of my 133K word novel and found I used it 7 times, all in slightly to highly derogatory context.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Jesus Christ! People!

Youre writing smut NOT Sunday School stories.

 

[StrangeLife]

To those who abhor 'cunt', would you feel as strongly about a milder form like 'cunny'?

"Cunny" reminds me too much of my old sarge from the military, so... no.

I have never used the word "cunt" in a story, but if I ever did, it would be in connection with an exceptionally offensive character or some serious "talk-dirty sex." In my mind it's the most derogative term you can use for women or their girly-bits...

 

[SandraMustard]

{bleep}! People!

Youre writing smut NOT Sunday School stories.

Maybe you do, I don't. I write stories with an erotic flavor to appeal to mature people. I don't want someone to trip over a word that slaps their conscience. I had an editor mention this word was out of place in my style so I've trimmed its use to a few chosen places.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Maybe you do, I don't. I write stories with an erotic flavor to appeal to mature people. I don't want someone to trip over a word that slaps their conscience. I had an editor mention this word was out of place in my style so I've trimmed its use to a few chosen places.

I like to mug readers, and make it hurt good.

 

[lovecraft68]

To those who abhor 'cunt', would you feel as strongly about a milder form like 'cunny'? I guess I don't share that view since my generation used it as an unpleasant descriptor but not totally offensive. Since I want my novel to appeal to all generations, I am taking it under advisement.

I did a search of my 133K word novel and found I used it 7 times, all in slightly to highly derogatory context.

Just because I don't use it does not mean I would not read a story that does use it.

That is only my feeling and a writer writes the way they feel the character would speak.

If you get into trying not to offend anyone you're doomed as a writer.

 

[Euphony]

If you get into trying not to offend anyone you're doomed as a writer.

And if youre trying to offend EVERYONE, might I suggest the following as a glorious guide.

http://www.literotica.com/s/thanks-for-the-roses

To the question proposed. Total weirdness but my only exposure to "cunny" was a girlfriend from AUS who used it and it was oddly childish in nature (to the point I quashed her usage of it as it creeped me)

Can't say that cunny is juvenile or no but when I hear it I get the willies but the opposite of "cunt" willies (which is graphic/foul/rude derogative)

Wild how one person can color a word forever for ya.

 

[MSTarot]

I hate when I see the word acyrologia misused so often.

 

[SandraMustard]

Don't worry. I never acyrolize anything.

 

[Handley_Page]

I hate the confusion with "You're" and "Your"

 

[Cruel2BKind]

I only have three straight stories, and I use Cunt a hell of a lot more than I use pussy. I HATE the word pussy. It just feels immature, like calling your vulva a hoo-hah. Also, I think I just have a phonetic dislike of the word. That u-sound just feels gutteral and gross, and the s-sound comes out as a whisper.

The straight story I'm still in the process of writing is sort of historical, so it doesn't make much sense to use clinical terms like vagina, labia, or clitoris too liberally. And the character is a kind of dominant one who is sort of sexually aggressive. It makes sense for her character to refer to her parts as a cunt. She likes to think of herself as a cunt you don't want to fuck with.

I don't want my aggressive character using such a nasty pussy-footing word like pussy. It's a weak word. A gross word.

 

[SandraMustard]

Meow