A stupid sounding word
- Thread starter cookiejar
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GodBlessTexas
Experienced
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I would prefer "hugged," or possibly "adhered."
gauchecritic
When there are grey skies
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If I see the word clung it creates a very specific image, like when static causes the top of the skirt to hug tightly but from there down it swings freely, clinging on.
None of the other words make that image. Maybe instead of looking for alternatives you could extend the sentence (or use parentheses) to explain just what that word means in the context.
In my last couple of stories (1st person) I've taken to talking about a word or sentence as the author rather than narrator.
From my Earth Day story:
Being the last in line I contented myself with watching Magda’s swaying skirt and her shimmying arse. Not all women have the right arse to be able to shimmy in my opinion. But Magda did.
When Magda wore jeans I was often hard put to not just stand and gaze at her arse. It was large, slightly out of proportion; I suppose it gave her what women called a pear shape. In jeans her hips came to points on either side making her arse appear even larger, especially since her thighs tapered considerably on their downward journey to knee and calf. And just a fraction below, a line drawn between those pointed hips; the seat curved dramatically inwards to the tops of the back of her thighs, making a very definite, and to me perfect, statement. “This is an arse.” I’m told this is a shape that women hate. I love it. An arse that shape is just so grabbable.
Gauche
None of the other words make that image. Maybe instead of looking for alternatives you could extend the sentence (or use parentheses) to explain just what that word means in the context.
In my last couple of stories (1st person) I've taken to talking about a word or sentence as the author rather than narrator.
From my Earth Day story:
Being the last in line I contented myself with watching Magda’s swaying skirt and her shimmying arse. Not all women have the right arse to be able to shimmy in my opinion. But Magda did.
When Magda wore jeans I was often hard put to not just stand and gaze at her arse. It was large, slightly out of proportion; I suppose it gave her what women called a pear shape. In jeans her hips came to points on either side making her arse appear even larger, especially since her thighs tapered considerably on their downward journey to knee and calf. And just a fraction below, a line drawn between those pointed hips; the seat curved dramatically inwards to the tops of the back of her thighs, making a very definite, and to me perfect, statement. “This is an arse.” I’m told this is a shape that women hate. I love it. An arse that shape is just so grabbable.
Gauche
G
Guest
Guest
Gauche, that's a very fine point, and a fine example.
Cookie,
Cling calls to mind static, peaches, or vines. Peaches would be more fitting with the erotic, in my mind. The association of a clinging vine would not be appealing, for me, unless extended to a desireable sexual position, maybe.
Perdita
Cookie,
Cling calls to mind static, peaches, or vines. Peaches would be more fitting with the erotic, in my mind. The association of a clinging vine would not be appealing, for me, unless extended to a desireable sexual position, maybe.
Perdita
PorscheLynn
Really Experienced
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gauchecritic said:
I agree that clung creates a very specific image, but I agree with cookiejar that it's an odd word. In fact, to me, it's a fairly ugly word. You see, the image I get from clung is "a bit of egg from his breakfast clung to his beard" or... well, worse images of things clinging to body hair.
Maybe I'm just weird.....I like the words Abs suggested though.
G
Guest
Guest
I too don't like the sound of 'clung'. Looked it up in the OED and found these other spellings no longer in use.
clongyd, clungd, clungen, clunged, clungeth, clungun, clong, clonge, clonged, clunged, clung'd, clunging (adj.)
Here's an example I enjoyed: 1632 LITHGOW Trav. x. (1682) 442 My hungerclung'd Belly.
I like clongyd and clungeth too.
Perdita
clongyd, clungd, clungen, clunged, clungeth, clungun, clong, clonge, clonged, clunged, clung'd, clunging (adj.)
Here's an example I enjoyed: 1632 LITHGOW Trav. x. (1682) 442 My hungerclung'd Belly.
I like clongyd and clungeth too.
Perdita
PorscheLynn
Really Experienced
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cloudy said:
It's not just you. Ever see the movie "As Good As It Gets"? A quote, regarding that phenomenon... "That can't be right: con-SCIENCE?" The poor lady had been fretting over the spelling of the word conscience for some time and it was getting to her.
dr_mabeuse
seduce the mind
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cookiejar said:
I know exactly what you mean, and there should be a name for that little mental tick. It's like the game you play as a kid where you keep on repeating your own name or a word to yourself until it sounds totally ridiculous and loses all meaning.
I find a lot of weird things coming up as I'm writing now: things I never thought twice about before now seem to paralyze me with confusion. Just the other day I wrote "Try and be quiet." and got all hung up on whether it should be that or "Try to be quiet," which didn't sound right.
Clung is a fine word and you're obsessing about it.
Now, if it had been dived/dove I might have had to think about it.
---dr.M.
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