All Things Middle Grade

MJWare

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Easy middle grade question: Would MG kids say ticked--or more realistically would they say pissed, but (self-censor) change it to ticked?
 

sissybaby

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Mike - I, personally, would censor it to ticked. But that may just be me and others would advise pissed.

I recall in the movie, ParaNorman, when the chubby kid said, "that tree just pissed at us." My son thought that was hilarious, even though he meant pssstt!
 

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I have to say I'd use ticked. But it depends on your character, and if it sounds authentic.

I have read pissed occasionally in mg, but personally, don't like it.
 

MJWare

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Rereading my post, I see that I didn't explain myself very well.

I don't want to use 'pissed,' but I wounder if 'ticked' is a good substitute? Is it something a kid might say?

I just don't want the dialog to sound unrealistic, like it was written by a middle-aged white guy who is trying to sound hip ;-)
 

Kitty Pryde

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IME a kid is more likely to say "I was so mad" or "I got so mad".
 

profen4

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IME a kid is more likely to say "I was so mad" or "I got so mad".

Yeah, I agree. I think there was a time when "ticked" would have worked, but I haven't heard a kid say that in a long time. I've heard "choked." "I'm so choked right now." But I think sometimes it's safer to go with something timeless, like "mad" rather than something that might be the word of the week.

Anecdote: My nephew was reading a book the last time I was visiting, and sort of chuckled and shook his head. I asked about it, and he said, "The kid in this book keeps saying everything is "epic" and that was so three years ago. No one says "epic" anymore."
 

Kitty Pryde

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LOL! All the kids I teach say "epic" ALLLL the time (and "fail". And "yolo"). One kid even has a song that goes "I am epic! I am epic!" for like five minutes straight. Meanwhile I had to explain to the teachers this morning what a "meme" was and why elementary school children oughtn't be googling them during school.
 

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Yeah, I agree that ticked is over. But if epic is gone, then, man, my whole world is collapsing! I mean, that's a pretty fast turnaround...
 

profen4

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I was pleased to hear that "epic" was on the way out. I distinctly remember 5 years ago when I first heard a kid say it half a dozen times in the course of a couple sentences. I believe his bike, skateboard, Wii game, and subway sandwich were all "epic."

"Yolo" is everywhere now and it's starting to grate. "Hey, let's go to the beach, 'cus, yanno, YOLO!"

I'm just shaking my head. But I have to admit that the Lonely Island music video on youtube ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5Otla5157c .... that YOLO song is freaking EPIC!
 

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I still hear epic a lot. Also, cosmic. And sick. And sweet.

For writing middle grade, I think if you intersperse some of them and don't use any to the exclusion of all others, it's fine. But cool seems to be the ongoing expression, so plenty of 'cools' are good.

It's interesting the nuances of meaning though. Sick is great, but it doesn't always work the same way as epic.

The one I totally love is epic fail. It makes me laugh every time.
 

Smish

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What does yolo mean? I haven't heard that one. None of the kids I'm around are saying that, yet.

Geez, I feel old having to ask what something means. This just confirms what one of my juvenile clients said to me the other day. "You're really cool. You know. For someone that's like thirty.":e2bummed:
 

Smish

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Well, I've heard "you only live once." :e2tongue: But do they say it like yo-lo?
 

Smish

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Very true, Mike. And I'm actually 31, so I should take it as a compliment, right? :D
 

SheilaJG

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Well, I've heard "you only live once." :e2tongue: But do they say it like yo-lo?

I don't know, my kids don't say it. I just remember hearing something about someone who was trying to copyright the phrase, and people were like, whoa, you can't do that.
 

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Ah, thanks, Sheila. Since you don't know how they say it, either, I don't feel nearly as lame. :D
 

Smish

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Oh! That sounds like a timely topic for me. Will definitely check it out. :D
 

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Yes, Yo-Lo. It's videogamer talk. You charge into battle shout-typing YOLO!

Except that now everybody's doing it, so if you do it, you look like a douchebag. Cool gamers no longer use the phrase.

But of course now dumb kids are doing it in real life. Riding their skateboard off the roof into the swimming pool, shouting Yolo! Apparently not understanding that, unlike in video games, IRL the phrase is true. Hence the Lonely Island song and its ironic reminder that Life is Dangerous.

back to Mware's question--I haven't heard a kid say "ticked" or "ticked off" in quite a while. Most of them say pissed off, without self-editing. It's like sucked. They don't get the other possible meaning/reference, so they don't know they should avoid the phrase.
 

MsJudy

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Just quoting my kid. The online world is apparently full of trolls and douchebags.