Sunday, 18 September 2011

Wickedness


There’s a new book out that’s really wicked. *sigh* [That’s the sound of someone who’s feeling old.] I’d like to know how the word ‘wicked’ first came to mean cool and, while I’m on the subject, where did the term ‘cool’ come from? Everyone’s using it these days, except for me. Apparently it embarrasses my kids.

“You’re too old to say ‘cool’, Mum!” Charming! In my day it was ‘swinging’, ‘groovy’ or even ‘hip’. You knew where you were with terms like that. I wonder if it’s better to be cool than hot and how can wicked be both good and bad? What word do you use to describe something that’s really good?

...which brings me back to the book. I’ve mentioned before about our writing critique group. We’re all children’s authors and we meet twice a month, once to crit each other’s work and once to have lunch and discuss novels written by other children’s authors. [ok, ok, so it’s mostly to have lunch!!] One of our group, Deborah White, was recently signed up to a two book deal with Templar. The first book is now out. It’s called Wickedness and, like I say, it’s wicked. It’s about two flame-haired girls, both fourteen, both living in London, but four hundred years apart. It’s a full-on adventure story that includes history, fantasy and romance... something for everyone!

Seeing Deborah’s book emerge into the real world is a bit like watching a friend’s baby grow. We saw it develop and mature. We know both flame-haired girls as if they were our nieces. I can’t wait for you all to read it so we can discuss the story. It’s cool... sorry, I mean wicked.



Wickedness by Deborah White ISBN 9781848775312 It’s out in paperback at £6.99 [but if you scoot over to Amazon now you can pick up a copy for £3.91 – how do they do that?]

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There are only 12 days until our virtual 
Macmillan's World's Biggest Coffee Morning
From Friday 30th September to Sunday 2nd October we’ll be having cakes, drinks and fun right here on this blog and there’ll be lots of awards to be won... but most importantly, we’ll be asking for donations to Macmillan Cancer Support at JustGiving in memory of our Mum who died five months ago from cancer. We miss her very much. 

[This event has been registered with the Macmillan Cancer Support Charity and every penny of your donation goes to the Macmillan charity. Thank you.]

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28 comments:

  1. I must be ancient. I don't use anything but good when I mean good.
    Maybe when I was much younger I would like to have been described as wicked. If it meant I was "hot." ;o)

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  2. I think you're very cool, Rosalind. And no doubt a bit hot.... and I bet you're seen as wicked as well. So where does that leave us? What are we to make of you?

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  3. I have an annoying habit of calling everything good AWESOME!! << exclamation points are not optional, by the way.

    And your friend's book sounds awesome! Very cool that she got to call it Wickedness. :)

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  4. I actually like the use of 'wicked' but I feel stupid using it, the same kind of feeling as when I try to squeeze into a miniskirt I last wore 20 years ago.
    Some words my kids use that I'm not sure I yet full understand
    'poned' as in 'you've been poned'
    'blud' as in, well, I have no idea, I think it might mean brother/friend? not sure.

    and, when I ask them what it means, they shrug me off as I wouldn't possibly understand

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  5. Your writing group sounds perfect, Rosalind. That's wonderful to have both critical feedback sessions and social meet ups. I love the sound of that.

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  6. When I was a teenager the word was 'Skill'.

    Now I really overuse the word 'excellent' in conversation. It's worse because I know I do it!

    The book sounds excellent, by the way!!!

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  7. The book sounds wicked cool! (couldn't resist) Thanks for the tip! :)

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  8. Hey it's 'cool' I can comment again now - I hope

    In Hebrew there's an even odder cool phrase. Anything wonderful is " a waste of time" ?? very confusing to the likes of oldies like me who actually use the phrase to mean....well you know..... a real waste of time

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  9. I'm afraid I still use some of the words of my youth, like "cool" and "neat." But at least I no longer pepper my conversation with "Gross!" or say, "That's enough to gag a maggot" like I did years ago. As you say, some of today's word usage is baffling, though. Like, when someone calls something "bad", but actually means it's "good." Huh? Why not just call it good??? And I must admit, I didn't feel complimented the first time a young person called me "phat," either.

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  10. Excellent writing group. Simply excellent. I do use "cool" and "super". Egad! That's just showing my age. *sigh*

    The book sounds awesomely cool. I'll have to buy it. Thanks. :-)

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  11. Thanks for dropping in on me. I use 'cool' all the time, which dates me 'cause none of the young people say that anymore. :)

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  12. 'Cool' is my word of choice. 'Wicked' just sounds wrong!

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  13. Haha. l love the way kids speak these days, I rarely understand them but still... I don't mind wicked but I think COOL has stood the test of time. :-)

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  14. I love that cover. Just gorgeous.

    Swinging, groovy and hip - oh yes. If you weren't any of those, you were 'square'. :)

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  15. Wickedness sounds like a terrific read! I'll have to get my wicked little hands on a copy. And in my house, something described as "sick" is also something really good - talk about backwards!!!

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  16. Your writing critique group sounds wonderful! Beautiful book cover! And try as you might, you're still a hipster! Julie

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  17. Ooh, it sounds fantastic, and that cover is perfect! Totally groovy, man. (Did I do that right?) :)

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  18. Hi GigglesandGuns, join the club. It’s good, isn’t it!

    Hi Christine, cool and wicked? Not sure about that!! But thanks for thinking that I might be 

    Hi L.G. I have to admit Wickedness is rather an awesome book.

    Hi Claire, my kids have grown out of that stage but I well remember the way they can give a withering look and destroy your confidence with a mere shrug. Kids eh!

    Hi Rebecca, we do know how lucky we are to have each other. Everyone should have a group like ours.

    Hi Annalisa, I’ve never heard the word ‘skill’ used in that way but have to admit that wickedness is excellent.

    Hi Jemi, you’re welcome ;-)

    Hi Ann, welcome back to the world of blogging. Don’t you hate it when computers stop doing things for no apparent reason? Fascinating about the Hebrew version. I wonder what other versions exist around the world.

    Hi Susan, ‘gag a maggot’! That’s so gross!

    Hi Robyn, ‘cool’ and ‘super’ seem fine… but ‘egad’!?!

    Hi J.L. I didn’t know that cool wasn’t cool anymore. Yay! This means I’m finally allowed to use it!

    Hi Sarah, I agree but it doesn’t sound as wrong as some other suggestions above like ‘skill’.

    Hi Talei, It’s always the same I suppose. The younger generation develops a language that excludes adults.

    Hi Shirley, the cover is even more impressive in real life. It’s metallic!

    Hi Susanna, that’s so sick. How can sick not be sick. *sigh*

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  19. No one has mentioned "phat" yet so I have thrown that into the pot..think that is a compliment! Won't be long before our children are out worded by their children who will have a whole new set of words to identify their age group...

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  20. For a while, too, "bad" meant "good" and "good" still meant "good." So confusing.

    I'll just say this book sounds great.
    xoRobyn

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  21. Your wicked story got me thinking of other good/bad words. I could only come up with "gnarly".

    Yeah for the book release. How exciting.

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  22. I use 'fantastic' to describe something that's really good. I'm quite a simple man!

    Duncan In Kuantan

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  23. Rosalind - I love the sounds of your critique group and the way you meet. Fun and inspirational at the same time. The book sounds like a good read, I'll have to check it out. I generally just use the word good when I mean good, but I love hearing others use, 'awesome', 'wicked' and 'cool'.

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  24. Hi sis, Still trying to get into your blog. It would be so "wicked" and so "cool" if this comes up on your page.
    Fingers crossed here goes..................

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  25. I'd love a writing group like that. I have a blog award for you today Rosalind: http://catherinemjohnson.wordpress.com/2011/09/20/blog-award-and-book-giveaway-results/

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  26. Deborah's book sounds right up my alley! It's a good thing it's available on Kindle so I can get it. :o)

    Thanks, Rosalind!

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  27. Love the cover...I guess we all date ourselves by what we say...not much we can do about it:).
    ----

    Join me at the Rule of Three Writers' Blogfest!

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  28. I thought that hip was something that gets replaced when you get older?

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