The difference between lightning and lightning bug

[wayfaringwordhack]

When the astute Mr. Mark Twain said that he was talking about finding le mot juste, in general, about not plying nouns and verbs with modifiers to get meaning across. But as I was thinking about the just-right word today, it was more in the context of character.

Since I'm writing a tight third-person, POV, my POV character must dictate word choice. This goes for narrative as well as dialogue, descriptions and expressions alike.

Right now, I'm writing from the point-of-view of Mirco, a slave. Mirco was born in a mining town in a deserted, barren area. He's never had anything come easy to him; he's never had softness in his life. His sum total of experience is very limited, as is his education. So clichés like "easy as pie" aren't going to mean anything to him. Insults like "bastard" lose their sting when almost everyone around him is a bastard, too. The concepts of damnation and hell don't necessarily apply to his culture.

And it is in the area of insults and curses that I'm having a hard time getting creative from Mirco's POV. I'm using words from my culture and upbringing as placeholders, but it makes me cringe every time I do it. I feel good about his voice overall, so it's particularly frustrating that I can't quite curse like him yet. And not curse as in cuss words, but mild insults, the equivalent of "jerk," frex.

I've thought of what he wants, what he envies, what he hates, and what he knows and tried to use those things to create some meaningful ways of classifying others and his world. Sometimes I like what I come up with; other times, meh, not so much. Googling "archaic insults" took me to a relevant entry on Swordplay and the Shakespearean Insult Generator, and a quick gander at the sites helped me come up with a few on the spot. A friend of mine has a book of expressions that have fallen out of favor over the years that she uses for inspiration; I wonder if it could be the same one that is quoted on the Swordplay site...

What tricks do you use to get away from standard insults and pat ways of describing and making comparisons? 

("Highwayman" is on iTunes as I type this and Willie just sang the perfect "many a maiden lost her baubles to my trade." That's what I'm talking about, Willie; excellent word play.)  

Comments

[jongibbs.livejournal.com]

Insults are hard to think of in the moment. I tend to type '[Insert good insult here]' and move on, otherwise I sit there for ages, trying to think of something.

Later, sometimes weeks later, my sub-conscience usually comes up with one or two good ideas.

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

*nods* That's my theory behind using the placeholders. I mainly wrote this post because sometimes, if I feel like someone is listening to my rambling, the answer I'm looking for occurs to me. I look a bit like a blathering idiot, but the pay-off is worth it.

[jongibbs.livejournal.com]

Sorry, you're wrong. I just rechecked your post, no sign of rambling (or blathering for that matter) :)

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

*lol*

I have been known to be wrong...on the occasional occasion.

[rabiagale.livejournal.com]

Mmm, that's a good question. I guess I would start with thinking of things that are shameful in his culture, and working from there. If he lives in a desert, is wasting water shameful? If you are miner, what would be the most heinous thing you could do that would endanger the lives of others? What things are dirty, unclean, or forbidden in his culture? What animals, acts, bodily functions? Are there places that are cursed or forbidden or sources of terror (not hell, but maybe the deep dark places of the earth)?

HTH. Let us know what you do come up with. I'm curious now :D

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

Good ideas there. I have a couple of them covered, but I'll have to give the rest more thought. The problem is that there isn't a lot around the mines, no animals whatsoever, no plants. No real town, just the overseers barracks and the pitlords' houses. Because there is no effort made at polite society, the guards do what they want with the slaves, men and women alike.

There is some feeling of community amongst the slaves, but Mirco is an outsider, of his choice and because of the way his father (Lord of the mine) singles him out. So what is a pertinent insult for the rest of them may not apply to him. Not to say that he won't pick up and use terms from the others.

So far, I have:

Lickwhip - someone who kisses up to the guards, who abases them, a slave with no dignity

Gutsuck - someone willing to do sexual favors for the guards for a chance at food.

Flap - someone who talks too much. Also has gross sexual connotations.

Squeak - an overseer

pinch - a thief

By the Salt - equiv. of "My God!" or "holy crap." The Great Salt is lake of caustic water. To "take a swim" is multipurpose, either a death sentence, suicide, or a way of telling someone to get lost (like take a hike) .

Then there are the easily understandable ones like maggot bait, fat man's tits (insulting in a place where everyone is starving. Anyone with the least amount of corpulence is envied and therefore reviled. It's used like shit or damn), "cursed" and "blazes" and "piss-awful"...

[frigg.livejournal.com]

Rabia more or less said it. :)

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

And you have nothing to add? After you've read Mirco chapters? May, i'm ashamed of you. :P

[kmkibble75.livejournal.com]

For some reason, the word whipslinger comes to mind for him.

To be honest, I haven't given such a thing much thought... my characters, I believe, usually just call each other asses. That's kind of a catch-all for all cultures.

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

Thanks. That's a good one. :D

That's funny, but I never think of "ass." More "bastard."