Saturday 30 June 2012

4th of July Blog Hop

Hello and welcome :-)





Okay, so I am guessing if you've swung by my erotic romance blog you don't have too delicate a disposition and a few coarse words won't offend you. It's not like I'm just going to spout a tirade of abuse at you, not at all, I just wanted to natter about the difference between US cursing and English cursing - even that word is different, in the UK we would say swearing. As an English author quite often I sit here racking my brains when it comes to thinking up insults for my US characters to hurl at one another!!







Mr H is English through and through, born in London, and myself, as the only female with three brothers of my own and four brothers-in-law, all English, I am VERY familiar with the usual Brit expletives. For example if Mr H is doing a rare bit of DIY and hits his thumb with a hammer he is likely to shout Bollocks. Do you US guys use that term??? If he's having a moment of road rage and gets cut-up he's likely to either mutter (or yell) that someone is a  Dickhead, a Knob, a Plonker or a Wanker. (I'm making him sound like a foul mouthed, bad tempered guy, he's not, he's just an ordinary bloke and now I'm using him in this blog! Bless him!)





It isn't until I'm writing US characters (usually my hockey ones for the HOT ICE series) that I start using terms like son-of-a-bitch and mother-fucker. You just wouldn't hear them over here in the UK, and if you did it would be easy to assume someone had overdosed on US movies. 

I read a book a while ago were the word bloody was used to accentuate the dialogue of an English character. It is a common expletive over here, bloody hell being one of my very favourites when things go wrong. It gives a quick release of tension without really offending anyone - and believe me, sometimes I need that. But the word has to be placed just right otherwise it sounds off. Not sure why so I looked it up, this is what one site says... 


Bloody - One of the most useful swear words in English. Mostly used as an exclamation of surprise i.e. "bloody hell" or "bloody nora". Something may be "bloody marvellous" or "bloody awful". It is also used to emphasise almost anything, "you're bloody mad", "not bloody likely" and can also be used in the middle of other words to emphasise them. E.g. "Abso-bloody-lutely"! Americans should avoid saying "bloody" as they sound silly.






Another word I have to switch between is arse and ass. Again we say arse - an ass is a donkey - and to me the word asshole doesn't sound right 'without' the American twang. It's a similar situation to bloody I think, the English can't say asshole without sounding like, well an arsehole. And again, over here, it's use stretches into phrases like arse-over-tit, which means to fall over, arse-about-face means something is being done back to front, and arse-holed and rat-arsed which means very drunk.

Piss off is common here too as an alternative to fuck off, but I'm not sure how much you use it in the US. It gets used as Pissed up - if someone is drunk and Pissed off if you're fed up.

Anyone who has seen Notting Hill will remember the adorable bit where Hugh Grant says Whoops-a-daisy when trying to climb the railings and Julia Roberts can't stop laughing at him and he can't stop saying it. I LOVED that bit, it was so real, and it certainly is something that's said, particularly around kids or grannies.




My latest novel is SCORED a sexy soccer story about the English football team. That allowed me to flow naturally with the dialogue when it came to swearing because let's face it, these hot-headed footballer types do a lot of that when their testosterone gets flowing. I did stop short of using the word Goolies though, which means testicles 'he just kicked me in the goolies' being a favourite of young lads in the playground. Another one I refrained from using is John Thomas which is slang for cock, dick, willy, knob and todger. (Though if something is cocked-up it means it's gone wrong and is nothing to do with the male anatomy. Much like the dogs-bollocks which means something is great and nothing to do with dogs or bollocks!)




We have different expressions for having sex too - bonking, shagging, on the job, hanky-panky, slap and tickle, humping, a bit of nookie, screwing, wicked-way, rogering to name a few. Up the arse is of course known as buggering, though that word is used a lot as bugger off, or he's a bugger, meaning someone is a pest and nothing to do with anal sex.




Well on that happy note, and now that I have turned the air blue, I am going to leave you to have your say in the comment boxes. Tell me what your favourite UK and US curse words are and why, and of course any new ones for my US located stories will be greatly received :-)

I will pick a winner at random to win a copy of HIRED - the first in my Hot Ice series which is now available in print and ebook - don't forget to leave your email addy in the body of your comment.

Lily x






Blurb



Book one in the Hot Ice series.


One hundred grand to babysit bad boy Logan “Phoenix” Taylor on a paradise island—seriously, how bad could he be?

Frankly, it didn’t matter. Not when it would make my dreams of going to nursing school possible. I wasn’t even expected to talk to him, just hang out in a luxurious villa on a private beach and study. Simple, right?

But I hadn’t counted on Logan being so deliciously bad that he was oh so good. And when the temperature cranked to boiling point, he knew just how to satisfy the deepest, darkest part of my soul and give my body exactly what it needed. Amongst the sand and waves, we transported each other to an exquisite world of pleasure where only we existed, only we mattered.

But the heady mix of emotions and lust couldn’t keep things from spiraling out of control back in reality, where I had to keep the secret that I’d been hired to entertain him…even if it shattered my delicate heart. Even if it cost my destiny.


You can read an excerpt HERE and reviews are available on my website. HIRED also won the D Renee Bagby Award for Best First Chapter and Best Cover in Dec 2010. You can read the first chapter HERE :-)


And if you enjoy my sexy hockey players then look out for...




Coming Soon

and HIGH-STICKED




(Blog about cursing previously posted on When One Is Not Enough)

19 comments:

  1. It's funny, I think most of the US swear words are derived from Old English (I'd heard somewhere that "fuck" comes from foken, meaning to beat or hit against, but I can't confirm that right now). I remember around the time of the movie A LIFE LESS ORDINARY, Cameron Diaz said she had to replace "bastard" with "son of a bitch" in the script to sound authentically American. I've been known to say "bastard" plenty, though, so it doesn't sound so off to me. "Arse" is the only one that takes me totally out of a story when I read it (I guess I prefer "ass," my one jingoistic moment here!). "Shag" never appealed to me either (sounds too dry and euphemistic), but "wanker" is great. Anyway, long story short:

    USA: "motherfucker," "asshole" (I'm assuming "cock" is universal?)

    UK: "Goolies" sounds good. And I once heard some news item when I was little where Rod Stewart begged overzealous fans to stay away from his "block and tackle"--I don't know how common that is, but I always liked it.

    This was fun! Can't wait for the Hot Ice series...

    vitajex(at)aol(dot)com

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  2. For a girl I use Fuck way too much...our so my boyfriend says. But Fuck can get a lil boring so I like to mix out up a lil by saying fuckered up, or when things get messed up its a big fajumble( fuckin' jumble) or I love to clean up the f word for Fb by saying effin for f-ing (like my nieces and nephews can't figure it out) But one word I really can't figure out...alot of Americans are saying asshat....what the Fuck is it? Is it a way of showing your ass by wearing it on your head??? Really dumb...like that's the best comeback you got? Be creative and call them something cool like a cock smoker. Just saying...be creative in your cursing...don't be afraid to think outside the box...make your own words up...own that shit man!!! Lol...this was the most fun I ever had on a blog hop!!!!
    Thanks!!!
    andieleah78@gmail.com

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  3. Hahahahaha!!! Awesome post, Lily!!! Any time you need help with US 'cussing', you have my permission to give me a holler. I'd be more than happy to help you out. Seriously!!

    I agree, Americans using 'bloody' just sounds weird. When I hear that word, my mind automatically hears Ron Weasley from Harry Potter. LOL!!! "Awww, bloody hell!" As far as 'pissed', we get 'pissed off' but that's about it. My mom used to say 'It's better to get pissed off, than pissed on." I guess it depends on your fetishes. (Ewwwwwwww!)

    We Americans, as a whole, say 'fuck' way too much, in my opinion but it works in most situations. 'Son-of-a-bitch' is definitely a good one when stubbing your toe. 'Shit' is another one we Americans use a lot. 'Asshole', 'asswipe', and 'dickhead' are good ones for jerky guys. I personally like 'dick breath', as well. LOL!!! US words/phrases for sex include; 'screwed', 'gettin lucky', 'gettin laid', 'scoring', 'banged', 'gettin some', 'get it on', 'get with', 'hit that'... I know there's a ton more. LOL!! Got time?

    I sure hope I helped you some. Hee hee!!!

    Best wishes,
    Char

    CharliDenae(at)AOL(dot)com

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  4. Love the post. Being Canadian I get to sweat in my British roots and the influences from my American neighbours. We Canadians can have quite the potty mouth.

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  5. heh I bloody well loved your post!!
    earthdancedaph@yahoo.com

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  6. I already have Hired and loved it!! But I love your post and Just wanted to say that I love the use of Bloody. I don't hear it often here in the states. I don't curse much, but when I do I use "shit". Then here the OOOHHHHs! from the kiddos.
    Mel
    bournmelissa at hotmail dot com

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  7. My favorite swear word is shit. Though when my boys were little, I would use hockey puck, and son of a gun, baby as my swear words, and I have no idea where they came from, lol.

    caity_mack at yahoo dot com

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  8. This post just cracked me up! As a kid, the worst I heard around my house was Jesus, Mary and St. Joseph! Yeah, my parents were real potty mouths. Then I met my husband, who was obviously raised differently and I have to admit, I've become a convert. If you've ever seen the Christmas classic, 'A Christmas Story' you'll recall the dad, who could sting together curses into new and fascinating offerings. I think they modeled that character after my husband. When working in the garage (with the door open) he entertains the neighbors with his inventive compilations.

    As for UK curses, I've loved the term bollocks since watching Russell Crowe in A Good Year.

    I'm so glad I stopped by. Who knew cursing could be so entertaining?

    ;-) maccrowne@gmail.com

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  9. I love this post. Having 2 young children, I have basically stopped cursing. I use shit, fuck, or damn by accident once in a while, but have pretty much made up words that have no meaning to take their place.
    As for UK swearing (which my parents & grandparents used instead of the word cursing) I don't know that many. Bloody & arse I have heard a lot. Bollocks I've heard before, but is very strange to read or hear as an American. I think most UK curse words sound strange coming from an American.

    Wolphcall(at)bellsouth(dot)net

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  10. I try not to curse too much but I do say shit a lot
    great post thanks for the contest

    forettarose@yahoo.com

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  11. Great post. Awesome covers. Thanks for the giveaway.

    mythic021@gmail.com

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  12. LOL this is one of the best posts I have read in a long time. I have to admit I have quite the potty mouth. I wasn't raised that way , the worst I heard my parents say is Damn, Shit or Hell.

    I think it started for me when I started going to all those heavy metal concerts back in the 80s and 90's LOL. Fuck is one that I definitely use alot.

    Everytime I hear Bloody Hell, I think of Harry Potter and its so funny seeing my teen son try and copy it. No we Americans shouldn't say it doesn't not sound right.

    vampiremistress2010(at)gmail(dot)com

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  13. I loved this post, growing up one of my friends has moved here with her family from England and another friend's mother had so for me I use bloody, wanker and arse as well as asshat, bastard and my favorite when the kids are around is butthead LOL!
    Thanks for the giggle mawmom@gmail.com

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  14. Great post Lily. I love the way the English curse. Its more elegant than us Americans. I live in Texas so our cursing is even more colorful!

    Marika

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  15. I'm British, too, and I write for some of the same publishers as Lily, so I have the same problem. I have some awesome editors who keep me on the right track!
    We were always taught that "bloody" was worse than swearing, it was common. Common was the kiss of death, even though that was what we were. "Bloody hell" was just crude and we could never get away with using it. So of course I used it all the time. However, in the mouth of a Regency duke, it's unbelievably wrong. A century too early ("Bloody hell" dates from the first world war) and to hear a posh bloke saying something so vulgar, crude. Hard to explain, really.

    And I spent a very long time in Manchester. I'm a Manc by adoption. We swear worse than Scousers. Well, we talk faster, so we can get more in. I'm always guarding my tongue in the US, remembering to mind my language. We tend to add "fuck" as a mild, useful adjective, rather than anything really bad.

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  16. I love hearing the differences within the English language.

    Another minor one that isn't cursing/swearing related: I notice in your post, Lily, that you mention "young lads *in* the playground"...in the part of the US where I grew up, we talked about being *on* the playground, and my kids and their friends use the same phrasing.

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  17. I love 'rumpy pumpy' as an expression for sex. Personally I don't use it, but it always makes me smile. It's so descriptive. If I am displeased I'll say 'bugger!'. OH has a very short fuse when driving. Every other driver on the road is a dick-head or worse. I tell him off but he says it's a release of tension and helps him deal with minor aggravations. It increases my tension!

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  18. Thank so much for all the fantastic comments, it has been so much fun reading them. Congrats to the winner Kaylyn D - your copy of HIRED is on the way.

    Lily x

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