# Intentionally misusing words



## Terry D (Mar 14, 2014)

Have you ever intentionally misused a word in the narrative of a story? I ask because I did it in my LM entry, The Cost, a couple of months ago. The word was 'counterpane':

*The woman stepped closer to the display case as she spoke and Melanie saw her reflection in the counterpane above the baby shoes. Some defect in the glass twisted the reflection into something ugly and mean.*

I used 'counterpane' to indicate the top of a glass display case. The word sounds entirely appropriate; it's a pane of glass used as a countertop, right? But, in reality, a counterpane is a bedspread, or quilt. I was wondering what others think of the idea of using a 'right-sounding' word, even if it's not the right word. Some authors are famous for this sort of thing--Cormac McCarthy being one--but I was a bit uncomfortable with it.


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## Kyle R (Mar 14, 2014)

Nice word, Terry! I like it.

A few years ago I described the sound of a moped (from my character's point of view) as "lawnmowering" up the gravel driveway. In my head, the sound was like that of a lawnmower, so I decided to make it a nonexistent verb.

I'm not sure if that's the same concept you're speaking of, but it's the first one that sprang to mind. :encouragement:


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## Deleted member 49710 (Mar 14, 2014)

I think this is generally all right as long as you're very conscious of what you're doing; best if the alternate meaning works as well. In your example, Terry, I probably would hyphenate ("counter-pane") for clarity. Quilting terms are maybe not so well known as to pose a problem, though.

In a recent work I used "exhale" weirdly, in a context like "Her breath exhales from her mouth". To me it's pretty, but I suspect to some others it's wrong. Oh well.


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## Terry D (Mar 14, 2014)

lasm said:


> I think this is generally all right as long as you're very conscious of what you're doing; best if the alternate meaning works as well. In your example, Terry, I probably would hyphenate ("counter-pane") for clarity. Quilting terms are maybe not so well known as to pose a problem, though.
> 
> In a recent work I used "exhale" weirdly, in a context like "Her breath exhales from her mouth". To me it's pretty, but I suspect to some others it's wrong. Oh well.



The hyphenated version would be the best choice, I think. I wish I'd thought of that at the time.


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## Gamer_2k4 (Mar 14, 2014)

Terry D said:


> I was wondering what others think of the idea of using a 'right-sounding' word, even if it's not the right word. Some authors are famous for this sort of thing--Cormac McCarthy being one--but I was a bit uncomfortable with it.[/COLOR]



I would never do it intentionally.  If I found I had used a word incorrectly, I'd fix it right away.  After all, I can't be the only one who finds it infuriating when people unintentionally misuse words:

"Taken for granite"
"One felt swoop"
"I could care less"
"For all intensive purposes"

Do they sound right? Mostly.  Are they completely wrong? No question.


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## Cran (Mar 14, 2014)

Gamer_2k4 said:


> I would never do it intentionally.  If I found I had used a word incorrectly, I'd fix it right away.  After all, I can't be the only one who finds it infuriating when people unintentionally misuse words:
> 
> "Taken for granite"
> "One felt swoop"
> ...


I've occasionally employed characters who do that, talk peppered with mis-quoted sayings; others who stretch to get the pun.

_(Poul Anderson did a lot of that with his Nicholas van Rijn character)_


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## Poet of Gore (May 4, 2014)

i think it is ok if you are doing 1st person POV


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## shadowwalker (May 4, 2014)

I would do it in dialogue - never in the narrative. Made up words can work, given the proper context and a lack of existing word or phrase. But using the incorrect word in the narrative would make me (and undoubtedly a lot of other readers) think the author was either sloppy or dumb (no offense to you, Terry, but that's what I'd think reading it without explanation. But I'd also wonder where the heck the editor had disappeared to). Yes, counterpane _sounds _like the right word, but it's not. You're saying someone is seeing their reflection in a blanket. 

I wouldn't even go with counter-pane. Just call it the counter glass, or glass topped counter. Clarity, IMO, is always more important than "that's neat!".


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## Sam (May 4, 2014)

Second what Shadow said. I wouldn't do it in the body of prose, but I certainly wouldn't be pedantic enough to stop reading because of it. 'Counterpane', in the sense of a bedspread, is an archaic word that many people mightn't know. That works in your favour.


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## Greimour (May 4, 2014)

Also agree with what Shadow said... 

Additionally - my brother learned a lot of words (and their meaning) by reading the word used and then using it himself. Like:
"Actions have consequences, you must face punishment for what you've done." (for example) would be the kind of thing that taught him what consequences mean.
My other brother, then listening to him, would copy his dialogue and learn words meanings based on the context my brother used (one was five the other nine)
- I too learned words based on how they were used, written or verbal.. i didn't always have a dictionary handy...

So to me, it goes deeper than a reader thinking you've made a mistake. It could also make people who don't know better believe that the word means something other than what it does.

I dread to think what me and my brothers would have ended up thinking with that word. I doubt people would have laughed at us too much for misse on counterpane though:  "oh look, you can see my reflection in the count-pane of the table." ... i imagine not many around us would have known it's a blanket - which means we infected our stupidity into other unknowing fools. ^_^


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## ToriJ (May 4, 2014)

No. I can't say I ever _intentionally _misused a word before. Unintentionally? All the time. It usually makes for an amusing read before I correct it.

I wouldn't think anything of the technique unless it was a word I knew the definition of, then I'd take a double take before continuing.


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## shadowwalker (May 4, 2014)

Sam said:


> 'Counterpane', in the sense of a bedspread, is an archaic word that many people mightn't know. That works in your favour.



Or it could make it worse - people wouldn't be sure what was meant and so they'd look it up.


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## patskywriter (May 4, 2014)

Some of the joys of speaking black English include intentionally using the wrong words and playing around with inflections — but I'd be careful about how that would translate into the written word. But even I would probably restrict such experimentation to dialogue.


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## Morkonan (Jun 15, 2014)

Terry D said:


> ...but I was a bit uncomfortable with it.



I would be uncomfortable "inventing" common words outside of dialogue. (If you're looking for an author who truly invented words that we use, today, look no further than Shakespeare.) That's not to say that I wouldn't invent some science-fiction/fantasy words, but that's different than what you're discussing.

I would, however, "invent" or "purposefully misuse" a word in order to convey something that I couldn't otherwise convey with as much effect. That's not too uncommon.


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## Seedy M. (Aug 12, 2014)

If the purpose is definite, it can be fun. I even do it in titles, such as _Cereal Killer_ - but the poison was delivered in breakfast cereal. I used it in a line in the story, the cop wrote that he thought he had a cereal killer on his hands.
"You mean serial killer?" she asked.
"No."
It's a matter of how you use them.


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## ziodice (Sep 4, 2014)

Gamer_2k4 said:


> "I could care less"



Which is why my response to that statement is "Could you?!"


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## Poet of Gore (Sep 13, 2014)

i did this in an old story of mine, based on me.

two people were talking about euthanasia, and the narrator came in saying "i don't know what is up with those chinese kids"


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## Seedy M. (Sep 14, 2014)

Remember Gracie Allen? The whole character was about a woman who always responded to a secondary meaning of a word or a misunderstood Spoonerism.


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## DanCaetta (Nov 7, 2014)

I saw this on my phone this morning and I've been waiting to answer it all day 

IMHO

Misusing words is ONLY ok if it is done in a characters/narrators voice and is in line with their personality.  Misusing a word, just because it sounds like it should be something else, equates to those people that say "for all intensive purposes" instead of "for all intents and purposes."  Words have meaning, and we should use them.

Unless.....

The character is misusing a word for whatever reason.  I.E. Faulkner having Benjy misuse a word because of his low-intellect, or Cash misuse a word because of southern dialect.  That way the misused word is being used for a purpose, and therefore not really misused.  

Or....

you just make up a new word.  I'm all for this.  Like if your character is analyzing a tree, and therefore is getting a sense of its "treeness"  ...I'm all for that 

- - - Updated - - -



shadowwalker said:


> I would do it in dialogue - never in the narrative. Made up words can work, given the proper context and a lack of existing word or phrase. But using the incorrect word in the narrative would make me (and undoubtedly a lot of other readers) think the author was either sloppy or dumb (no offense to you, Terry, but that's what I'd think reading it without explanation. But I'd also wonder where the heck the editor had disappeared to). Yes, counterpane _sounds _like the right word, but it's not. You're saying someone is seeing their reflection in a blanket.
> 
> I wouldn't even go with counter-pane. Just call it the counter glass, or glass topped counter. Clarity, IMO, is always more important than "that's neat!".



^ this.


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## hvysmker (Nov 8, 2014)

I remember a story challenge once where we were supposed to use as many made up words as we could and still have the story understandable.  It was required to be a  certain short length.  The words couldn't be chained together as in German but had to be be completely nonsensical though not distracting from the story.

"Good candy," Jeff said, munching on a piece. "Lollifalutin delicious.  Where's it made?"
"I dunno. I think somewhere in Switzerland, in the Pickalanian alps."

Charlie


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## Riis Marshall (Nov 21, 2014)

Hello Terry

I think everybody agrees it's just fine in dialogue. In fact, used skillfully it can add depth to your character.

There is an obvious problem using it in narration, well at least I think it's obvious. That is that reviewers are likely to savage you unless they are very well tuned in to your sense of humour, and in my experience, most are not. Last night during my bedtime reading I watched John le Carré split an infinitive. He can get away with it. Those of us who haven't sold as many books as he has usually cannot without its being noted by a reviewer as another good reason not to buy - or publish - your book.

So I reckon the best advice is to give it a try and if it falls flat on its face, pick yourself up, revise it and have another go.

I once worked with a man who made up words and I'm convinced he did this without deliberation or any attempt to be funny: 'The situation was immensified,' 'That's a reasonable facsemblance,' and 'Yes, I can separate fact from reality,' are some I remember clearly.

A few years ago I published a management book. In a sentence I had used 'options' because there were more than two choices available. The publisher's copy editor returned the proofs to me for a final reading and she had changed my 'options' to 'alternatives'. I returned the proofs to her with her 'alternatives' changed back to the 'options' I wanted originally. The first printing - unfortunately the _only_ printing - of the book, as it sits on the shelf behind me, offers my reader some 'alternative options'. Ugh!

Such is life for anybody striving to seek her or his carefully crafted work in print.

All the best with your writing.

Warmest regards
Riis


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## Gavrushka (Nov 21, 2014)

I see no problems with doing as you will in your own narration. We may disagree, and what a writer does may have commercial implications, but you're a writer not a CEO, right?

Recent quote from Ursula K. Le Quin, just cos I thought it was great:



> Right now I think we need writers who know the difference between production of a commodity & the practice of an art.
> 
> Ursula K. Le Guin



Misuse/misinterpretation of words in dialogue can be a lot of fun...



> Sampata approached the far end of the table and dipped his head. “It’s a kind offer, but no serious damage was done.” He shrugged his shoulders and smiled. “Besides, I suffer from a few congenital conditions as a result of my parentage, and attempting to heal me may end up badly for you.”
> 
> “Did he say genitals?” Spart whispered to Hatharan.


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## Nemesis (Nov 21, 2014)

Mostly agree with those about, better in dialogue to show dialect or misuse by a character who doesn't know better. That said, I've read stories that were narrated that way, because it was being told as a story (in film it would be like a voice over), first one that comes to mind would be some shorts by Stephen King, as he is very good at describing events using a characters particular voice.

I would think that doing the whole piece in such a way however, would be a great deal more difficult to pull off.


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## johnl (Jan 28, 2015)

In dialog intentionally misusing words can be helpful in knowing the character speaking.
 "Melanie saw her reflection in the counterpane above the baby shoes." 
In the part of the  sentence above, it does not appear to work well.
Because it makes the writer of the sentence appear not to know how to explain there is glass on top of the case.
If the writer was writing as being Melanie, the above partial sentence would be  "I saw her reflection in the counterpane above the baby shoes." ,and  the reader could have an addition idea , or trait, for the character Melanie. So this is another way misusing words can be helpful.


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## KellInkston (Mar 23, 2015)

I tend to be cautious when it comes to the slight bending of word meanings like this. It is true that language develops and words can take on new meanings, of course (wicked, sick, bad, etc.) that's fine if that's the direction it goes, but I'll admit I'm afraid of making people think one word means something else- I'm concerned to make them seem a fool in conversations they'll have after reading the book, should some intellectual friend of theirs correct them. Regardless, I still do it with characters, as they are perfectly free to have any opinion on the matter as they choose.

Perhaps I am just a coward- I'd invite correction if you are so inclined.


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