As writers, we love words. When I was a kid, one of my favorite things to do at my grandmother’s house was break out the dictionary and encyclopedias. In elementary school,, vocabulary quizzes were my jam. To this day, I still just like looking up new words.
However, we all have words that leave an awful taste in our mouths. Words that are either used wrong or just plain gross can ruin our reading or discussion with someone you thought you respected.
I asked several writers what were their least favorite words. Here are some answers:
Kira Jane Buxton (author of Hollow Kingdom and Feral Creatures ) - chafe or giblets.
Jonathan Maberry (author of the Joe Ledger series) - decimate.”People us it wrong all the time”
Christopher Moore (author of Noir) - “If it’s for misuse, unique”
Joanne Harris (author of Chocolat) - Gravy
S A Cosby (author of Razorblade Tears) - mucous
Ok, and mine? Literally. Like Jonathan and Christopher say, people use it incorrectly all of the time. I’m sure that I could come up with more. However, that’s at the top of the list.
Post your least favorite words in the comments.
In the meantime, go out and buy the books mentioned above.
See you next week.