Annoying Phrases

[Dark]

Maybe it's just me, but when I come across characters in stories being referred to as "the male," it seriously irks me. I've never read a hetero (romance or not) that refers to the character(s) as "the male" or "the female," so why is this so prevalent in M/M stories? I find it weird.

 

Here's another example: awhile back on another site, I read a story where the author referred to all the characters by the color of their hair. I may not have remembered what their names were, but I certainly knew what color hair they had! LOL. By the time I got to the end, I thought that if I read "the honey-haired youth" one more time I was going to hurt someone. Or, like all those silly Naruto fan-fics where the one guy is called "the Raven" all the time. I'm going to whip out my surfer-dude impression here: "Like, seriously, dude?"

 

So, what types of phrases bother you?

 

I ask you to share your pet peeves not to put anyone down (I'm sure I'm guilty of a few myself) but so that we can take a look at how ridiculous some of these things really are and take a minute or two to just laugh about it.

[Cyhort]

I hate when characters (and people) say "I could care less" when they mean "I couldn't care less". I could care less means you do currently care. I also HATE when characters feel the need to say the name of the person they're talking to in almost every sentence. "What do you think of that, Joe?" "Well, Alex, I think it's kinda stupid." "I agree, Joe. It is pretty dumb." It gets really annoying. People know who they're talking to. They shouldn't need to constantly say their name. Give your readers some credit that they can follow a conversation without needing to be constantly reminded who's saying what to who. Oh, and it kinda bothers me when people who the phrase "the older man" to describe someone who's only 4 or 5 years older than the other character. When I read "older" I automatically picture a guy in his late 40's and it kinda screws with my mental picture when it's being used to describe a guy much younger who just happens to be a few years older than someone else. That's more of a personal thing than a legit complaint though.

[rustle]

It doesn't exactly "bother" me, but whenever I read the phrase "throbbing manhood" I find something else to read, instead.

[Nephylim]

When I read "older" I automatically picture a guy in his late 40's .

 

Are you asking for a slap?????

 

It doesn't exactly "bother" me, but whenever I read the phrase "throbbing manhood" I find something else to read, instead.

 

I think I might have used it once or twice but once or twice in all those words isn't that bad, right?

 

For me...

 

I HATE the word gonna... how lazy is that? What's wrong with going to. When slang is appropriate then fair play... in dialogue etc but other than that.....

[Andrew Q Gordon]

It doesn't exactly "bother" me, but whenever I read the phrase "throbbing manhood" I find something else to read, instead.

 

 

Rustle, I totally agree with you. That one and a few other stock sex phrases that seemed to get tossed in. But then again, as Nephy points out, if in the course of a story and author whose work I like has that tossed in I suppose I'd give it a pass unless it and others like it are all over the story.

 

As for phrases I hate, hmmm, there are always some that pop up but not irksome enough for me to remember them. But if I cringe reading something, that would make the list.

[AnytaSunday]

It doesn't exactly "bother" me, but whenever I read the phrase "throbbing manhood" I find something else to read, instead.

 

LOL! Yeah, I really dislike it when there's a metaphor for cock every second sentence. His steel rod, or his rocket was about to explode--I mean, really. That's in hetero stuff too, along with heaving bosom, etc--bleck. Edited August 19, 2011 by AnytaSunday

[Nephylim]

OMG.... Heaving bosoms... say no more

[Anya]

Lmfao....heaving bosoms XD

 

I once read a book where the character called his love interest "pretty baby" all the freaking time. He never ONCE used the other characters name! It was always just...pretty baby. Every second sentence. I almost punched someone >_>

 

I hate it when authors overuse terms of endearment

Edited August 19, 2011 by Anya

[Cyhort]

Are you asking for a slap?????

 

 

Eep! Sorry!

 

*hides*

[Dark]

And orbs -- why have eyes when you can have orbs? LMAO. They always seem to be blue, too.

[Andrew Q Gordon]

Are you asking for a slap?????

 

 

 

Stands behind Nephy for a turn to slap the youngin.

 

 

Actually I laughed at this until I saw Nephy's response. but yeah I am SO Old at 47 - er.... on second thought,

 

**pushes Nephy aside and calls first dibs**

 

[comicfan]

Older as in late 40s? I want in on the slaps for that one. Even when I was 18 "older guy" usually meant senior citizen. Lord, I should find myself a cane and a wheelchair now. Forget the slap, I want him over my knee.

 

 

As for phrases "pretty little woman", "sweet boy", and "succulent breast". Now I have yet to meet anyone who says that in real life referring to pretty .... Seems to be a stock phrase and comes with her being married. The "sweet boy" I don't know who is eating him but lord if they are he has to be made of candy. I have just read two romance novels (sometimes my friends have weirder taste in books than I do) where if the damn female lead didn't have heaving breasts they were succulent breasts. Sorry, the only time I want to hear of a breast being succulent is if I am making a chicken breast. Find another word. That is just disturbing.

[Cyhort]

*tip toes back into topic*

 

I'm sure all of you are aging very well.

 

*goes back into hiding*

[rustle]

*tip toes back into topic*

 

I'm sure all of you are aging very well.

 

*goes back into hiding*

 

 

Nephy, Andy, if I may...?

 

 

I'm a poorly aging curmudgeon with a toothache, a 3-month-old migraine, and more than a fair touch of rheumatism, ready to take it out on somebody, and you just wandered into the crosshairs, BOY. And don't think tiptoeing will do you a bit of good, 'cause I can track a night breeze by the dark of the moon.

(jk) Thank you, Dan, for helping me get that out of my system. I hadn't had a good snarl in months. We now return to the original intent of this thread...

Edited August 20, 2011 by rustle

[Dark]

**laughs at all the old people** jk

 

how about the phrase "leaves/leaving nothing to the imagination" ? I think this is one of those phrases that has just been over-used. It's like a cliche and makes me roll my eyes whenever I see it now.

[intune]

I hate it when people people use the word just. There's something about prefacing a thought that makes me think the author is speaking rather than the characters. I also don't like reading other noncommittal prefacing statements: perhaps, maybe, a little, a lot, possible, sometime, very, I think, etc. example: Maybe what I said just now was a little not nice. It's possible that a lot of people perhaps might think differently.

[JohnN53]

"that is called"

I hear this phrase more in real life than read it but occasionally I find it in a story.

 

A young salesmen in my stereo store would say to a customer, "This cassette deck has a feature that is called Dolby Noise Reduction." That piece of pure verbal garnish was like fingernails on a chalkboard to me. I had one salesman that used it all the time. I'd take him aside and say, "That cassette deck has Dolby Noise Reduction." It never sunk in.

 

And intune, when I get done writing a story, I go back and eliminate almost every "just", "soon" and "next" I can find. Why did I put those in there in the first place? Maybe it's the equivalent of a writer going, "uhhhh..."

Edited August 24, 2011 by JohnN53

[Zolia Lily]

* nice * - quite honestly, couldn't you find a better word?? 'nice' makes my teeth hurt.

[littlebuddy]

I hate when people insert the word "actually" and "literally" into their sentences. Inserting "actually" sounds like whatever they're saying is shocking, when usually they're just stating a fact. And liberal use of the word "literally" makes you sound like you need a dictionary.

 

I *actually* really like that.

 

and

 

I literally can't stand that guy.

 

lb.

[Cyhort]

Another one that annoys me is when a writer calls the prostate the "sweet spot". It just grates on me and it's pretty much only female authors that do it. I don't think I've ever seen a book or story written by a guy where any of the characters called it the sweet spot. It just comes off to me as a female trying really hard to sound like a gay guy and failing miserably.

[Skyline]

"For all intensive purposes"

[rustle]

Listen to the people around you. Hear one word or phrase that everyone uses too often? Yeah, that's the one.

[Dark]

Another one that annoys me is when a writer calls the prostate the "sweet spot". It just grates on me and it's pretty much only female authors that do it. I don't think I've ever seen a book or story written by a guy where any of the characters called it the sweet spot. It just comes off to me as a female trying really hard to sound like a gay guy and failing miserably.

 

How about (and I just read these): "special spot" or, "hot spot"

 

My mom raises dogs, and I'll never associate "hot spot" as anything other than a big, nasty sore. I could not believe my eyes when I saw that written as something supposedly sexy. Yuck! :wacko:

[Nephylim]

"For all intensive purposes"

 

HAHA that made me laugh. My daughter used say that. She picked it up off my mother who used it all the time...except, of course she used to say it right. To all intents and purposes.

 

Double HAHA... when my son first said it; it was... To all in tents and porpoises.

[Cyhort]

How about (and I just read these): "special spot" or, "hot spot"

 

My mom raises dogs, and I'll never associate "hot spot" as anything other than a big, nasty sore. I could not believe my eyes when I saw that written as something supposedly sexy. Yuck! :wacko:

 

*shudders*

 

I've never heard either of those but they're horrible. I hope I never run into hot spot though because I'm never gonna be able to see it without thinking about doggie sores now.....