Words of Our Times

Find my books here

Quarantine, pandemic, social distancing, shelter in place – not all new words, but phrases that have become part of our lives because of the COVID-19 and which will long be associated with 2020.

Throughout the centuries, there have always been phrases that have earmarked a generation. I say “For Pete’s sake” all the time and every time I do, my grandkids ask, “Who’s Pete?” This particular phrase comes from the expression for Christ’s sake. Some people, for religious reasons, don’t want to use the word Christ in a negative way, and, instead, use Pete as an alternative. It originated around 1900. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, "for Pete's sake" expresses frustration or annoyance and prompted similar sayings such as "for the love of Pete" in 1906.

Very often, the expressions or sayings don’t make sense literally. I can remember my aunt saying “it’s the cat’s pajamas”. That always made me laugh because of course, cats don’t wear pajamas. That phrase became popular in the U.S. in the 1920s, along with “bee’s knees” and “the cat’s whiskers.” In the 1920s, the word cat was used as a term to describe the unconventional flappers from the jazz era. This was combined with the word pajamas (a relatively new fashion in the 1920s) to form a phrase used to describe something that is the best at what it does, thus making it highly sought and desirable.

I never really thought about pajamas being a fairly modern word as versus nightgown, or nightrail. I do recall once an editor telling me that “shirtwaist” wasn’t the appropriate term for a blouse in the time period I was writing. I’m not sure every reader would catch individual words but as an author I want to be as authentic as possible.

When I was researching “An Interlude”, I wanted a few words that would have been appropriate and used during the roaring twenties. I loved finding “my main squeeze” to indicate a loved one; “hard boiled” to indicate a mean or ruthless man, and the still usable “don’t take any wooden nickels.”

Words and phrases help the reader understand the time period of the novel. For example, when writing historical, an author must be very careful to use phrases that were part of a particular century. You don’t “turn on a light” back in the Middle Ages when candles were used. Simple words also indicate time and place. Does your villain steal an SUV, jalopy, roadster, barouche or wagon? Does “Alexis” turn on the lights when you enter a room, or does your butler? (Although I suppose that is not mutually exclusive.)

All of this is just part of the fascinating research I like to do before I start writing. Having a vocabulary that creates a sense of time for my stories is just as important as knowing what color their hair and eyes are. For a chuckle and to recall some fun phrases from your childhood, visit https://www.bustle.com/articles/25318-88-hilarious-slang-terms-from-the-20th-century-to-sprinkle-through-your-writing-like-youre-putting.

I invite you to explore Books We Love and see how I and other authors use words and phrases in our stories. And in this new time of needing to maintain our personal space and boundaries, know that Books We Love is trying to help by offering a FREE download book every day of the pandemic. Check their website at http://www.bookswelove.com/. They’re also having an April contest, which actually deals with the blog, so check it out.

Barbara Baldwin

http://www.authorsden.com/barbarajbaldwin

http://www.bookswelove.com/romance-authors/baldwin-barbara/

Escaping the stress and keeping your sanity - by Vijaya Schartz

AKIRA's Choice, my last sci-fi romance release, set on a space station with a telepathic cat and a Samurai heroine - Find it HERE at your favorite online store.

Stuck at home? Listening to the news with growing anxiety? Dealing with confinement and social distancing, while worrying about your income or losing your 401K, can push our stress to intolerable levels. Here are a few of my stress relieving secrets to do at home. If it helps me keep my sanity, it might work for you as well.

It's me, front right, with the white shirt. You can do this at home.

Tai-Chi – an exercise you can do alone, at home. It doesn’t require any space and it doesn’t matter if you do it well or not, as long as you keep moving in a slow and constant flow. There are a number of free videos on U-tube. Just follow along as best you can. Apply yourself and you’ll get better as you go. It’s a practice that can help you deal with stress all year long and has a side effect of improving your general health. I practice Tai-Chi Essentials, which is derived from the 37 form, and developed exclusively for health purposes. (Harvard Medical school guide to Tai-Chi) 

Cat videos – When stressed, I find myself watching more and more cute cat videos on Facebook. Join a group like “I love cats” or a group with puppies if you are a dog person, and indulge in soft furry cuteness to free your mind of stressful thoughts and concerns. A good laugh, a chuckle, a few awwwws and your spirit can soar again. 

On TV – Last weekend, Animal Planet held a “Too Cute” marathon, featuring kittens and puppies and ducklings, and other furbabies. It was a big success, and they will probably do it again soon. Another advantage, it will also keep the kids, or grandkids also stuck at home, occupied and happy. 

Watching romantic movies and Christmas movies – Just like romance novels, romantic movies and Christmas movies are the perfect escape. You know in advance all will be okay at the end, so you feel safe sharing the obstacles the characters have to surmount to find their happily ever after. From your DVR, or Netflix or your favorite movie source. Some channels, like Hallmark and Hallmark Mysteries have also started to replay Christmas movies. I love them. 

Sit coms – my favorites are The Big Bang, Two and a half men, The Golden Girls. I always watch an episode or two late at night, before going to bed. It clears my mind for a good night sleep. 

I also like to cuddle with my cat, solve Crossword puzzles, and cook special meals for myself. I live alone, so I cook a batch then freeze individual portions to eat later. 

But the best relaxation device is a good novel or a favorite series. I prefer popular fiction, action, adventure, romance, mystery, fantasy, science fiction. Any story that can get you out of your worries and into a new, exciting world will buy you many hours of pure escape. 

The Curse of the Lost Isle - Celtic Legends series, is available in ebook and paperback HERE

I hope this helps you cope with these stressing times. If you want to check out my other books, visit my website or my page on amazon, B&N or your favorite online bookstore. Here are my latest releases (all are standalone stories with different sets of characters. The series indicates that they are set in the same universe). 

Happy Reading.
Vijaya Schartz, author
Strong Heroines, Brave Heroes
http://www.vijayaschartz.com
amazon - B&N - Smashwords - Kobo - FB

ANGEL FIERCE
Azura Chronicles, Book 2
award-winning sci-fi romance

Something’s rotten on the angel planet. When Avenging Angels turn up dead, Urielle, their Legion Commander, suspects the handsome intruder brought unspeakable evil to Azura.

Maksou never met a woman he couldn’t seduce. He came to the forbidden planet to rescue his friends and get rich in the process, but the jungle crawls with lethal life forms… including a gorgeous warrior angel, who saves his life but keeps him prisoner and challenges his irresistible charm.

Urielle, sworn to protect Azura at all costs, has no use for a maverick who ignores the rules and endangers the planet… no matter how attractive. Especially when the Galactic Trade Alliance (GTA) wages a secret war to get their greedy hands on the priceless crystal at Azura’s core.

"This is a TERRIFIC story with angels, people doing questionable things for the right or good reasons and women who are more than strong. They are leaders and can kick butt as well as the men. It even brings in AI's and gives them (at least one) a chance to redeem their programming. Action packed from start to finish, it will keep you on the edge of your seat. What's next for the people of this planet?LOVED IT!" 5 stars on amazon