A few weeks ago I found myself reluctantly taking the word "courtship" out of a review. I was using it to describe two characters whose marriage begins the book, but about whose origins almost nothing is revealed -- no meet-cutes, no first dates, and so on. (This omission is not all that relevant to why I didn't like this book.)
"Courtship" is a lovely word -- sweeter than "relationship," less clumsy than "dating history," more poetic than "past." At some point in the past "courtship," I think, bore the same connotations as "dating" does now. Now if you use it you're either talking about how Grandma met Grandpa or a fundamentalist couple who only goes out accompanied by chaperones. (No offense, fundamentalists; I know you don't all do this.) Mostly I worried that if I used it my dislike of the book would be somehow tied to the fact that I am an 80-year-old crazy cat lady, and then I'd be accused of not knowing what a Tumblelog was or not daring to try Google's flashy toy of the week, etc. etc., and it just seemed easier to write around it.
Still kind of like it, though. Do you have a word you'd like to rescue from whatever function it's serving now?
4 days ago
2 comments:
i actually really like to use "sexy" to describe non-sexual things that are seductive/alluring but may not has deeper strength or relevance--like a sexy idea or a sexy choice. but it makes me feel like a lecherous college professor--so I don't use it.
On both counts, I know exactly what you mean.
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