Said-Bookism

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Said-Bookism, a term used in book reviews, derides the studious avoidance, in writing dialogue, of the word "said," substituting verbs such as "interjected", "huffed," "retorted" or "uttered" — and, especially, to the use of inappropriate words such as “ejaculated,” "snorted" or "giggled."

James Blish, writing under the penname William Atheling, Jr., for Redd Boggs' fanzine Sky Hook during the mid-1950s, coined the term after The Said Book, the title of a booklet for aspiring writers listing countless alternatives to the word "said."

It has since crept into mundane literary criticism.


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