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#41

The Danger Zone / Guys, what would you do? Ladie...

Last post by SepiaAndDust - Nov 08, 2024, 02:16 PM

I'm a guy, and the place I live can get pretty snowy. I lived alone in an apartment at the time, the Beloved and I hadn't yet moved in together.

Anyway, there was a snowstorm. I came dragging in around 7 one morning, and the parking lot was covered in snow. A few cars had been in and out, turning the snow into ice.

A woman, a few years younger than me, was walking out to her car. I'd seen her before, maybe said hi, but I didn't even know her name. Then she slipped and fell down hard. I may be confabulating, but I remember my feet feeling the thud when she hit.

My first instinct was to rush to help her up. But I didn't think that would be appropriate, so I just stood there (about 5 feet away) until she collected herself, and I asked if she was okay. She said she was.

So what's the right thing to do there? If she'd been another guy, I would have offered a hand up. But a strange guy approaching a woman who's already on the ground... intentions aside, that seemed a little skeevy to me.

(I got a lot of good answers last time I posted this. I wonder if things have changed in the past few years.)

#42

Nuts & Bolts / Re: Said is dead

Last post by SepiaAndDust - Nov 08, 2024, 02:08 PM

My recommendation is to avoid all dialogue tags except when necessary. Use beats, instead.

John ran through the house, outrunning his brothers and skidding in his socks around every corner. "I love waxing day!"

Everybody was shouting, demanding answers, but Betty was the one who approached with a heart-shaped box of toffee. "Take one, honey."

For what tag to use when a tag is necessary, I usually go with said unless some other word is the right word. Sometimes whispered, often asked or replied, and occasionally even bellowed.

Ejaculated is somewhat lower on the list.

#43

Nuts & Bolts / Said is dead

Last post by SepiaAndDust - Nov 08, 2024, 02:06 PM

Were you taught to not use the word said as a dialogue tag? Do you routinely dig through a thesaurus to find unusual replacements for said? Have you ever considered using he ejaculated instead?

Is said dead?

#44

Announcements / Re: New Sprint Tool: SprintMas...

Last post by SepiaAndDust - Nov 07, 2024, 09:46 PM

Testing it out, my first prompts were Lust - An Adhesive - Something rigid.
They're getting kinky!

#45

Announcements / Re: New Sprint Tool: SprintMas...

Last post by SepiaAndDust - Nov 07, 2024, 08:38 PM

Prompts are now live on the sprint tool.
Still have a few tweaks to make, especially on the phone version, but it's working quite well.

(Seems to start lagging at about a hundred thousand words. So try not to type more than 100K in an hour, 'K.)

#46

Coffee Klatch / Re: Daylight Saving Time: yay ...

Last post by SepiaAndDust - Nov 07, 2024, 02:36 PM

It may be helpful in some parts of the world, I'll grant that. But people are duuuuhhhh for a week after the clocks spring forward. I think it's been linked to a significant increase in fatal car accidents, too.

#47

Coffee Klatch / Re: Daylight Saving Time: yay ...

Last post by Ithendra - Nov 07, 2024, 02:11 AM

Most of the time I'm for it. If it's laundry day I don't have to worry about getting my washing in off the line before dinner, because it's still light out until at least seven in the evening. I can pop out to the supermarket around the corner if I've forgotten something, or if I want ice cream and there's none in the freezer, and feel completely safe.

The only time I hate it is when I go interstate to visit family for Christmas. My parents live in Queensland (in Australia), and I live in New South Wales - my state observes DST, but theirs doesn't. And I hate flying, so I get the train up from Sydney to Brisbane. The Sydney>Brisbane train gets into Brisbane at an unholy hour of the morning - 4:53am when DST isn't in effect in NSW, and 3:53am when it is. Getting off the train at nearly four o'clock in the morning sucks.

#48

Coffee Klatch / "Warm me up"--a coffee-related...

Last post by SepiaAndDust - Nov 04, 2024, 04:35 PM

You're in a restaurant, diner, or cafe, and somebody nearby is drinking a cup of coffee. You hear them say to the waitstaff, "Warm me up." What does that mean to you?

Noting your age and location would be helpful.

#49

Nuts & Bolts / Re: Usage Wars: cast or casted...

Last post by SepiaAndDust - Nov 04, 2024, 04:33 PM

On further study, casted has been gaining in popularity for the past couple of decades. Such usage may be higher now than it's ever been before.

#50

Nuts & Bolts / Usage Wars: cast or casted?

Last post by SepiaAndDust - Nov 04, 2024, 04:32 PM

7,000,000 votes were cast?

7,000,000 votes were casted?

I'm seeing casted a lot more in the news, and I'm starting to wonder if I've missed a trend. How do y'all say it? (General age and location would be appreciated.)


I say cast. US Midwest, old as dirt.