Past English
Jun. 17th, 2012 05:38 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
nancylebovHere's is a podcast about a huge database of dialogue from google books, and checking the dialogue in Mad Men and Downton Abbey for authenticity. For example "wartime" didn't come into use until WW2, possibly because WW1 was perceived as anomaly, but when another big war happened, "wartime" became a sort of thing that could have a name.
An article about the same, with a big chart of 'need to' vs. 'ought to'.
I can only hope that the time and usage database or its equivalent becomes publicly available-- it would be a tremendous resource for writers and nitpickers.
Details in historical fiction, and the importance of finding the telling detail rather than any old detail. More discussion of details.
I'm willing to accept Rivendell-- they can make magic waybread and rope. We don't have nearly enough information to know what their economy requires. One of these years, I will reread LOTR, and I hope to be able to ignore that the Shire seems to have more advanced tech than anyone, including the Dwarves.
Authenticity and Chinese Cookbooks-- just a little reminder that people make up a lot more than they realize. Authenticity is yet another of those shifting cultural values.
An article about the same, with a big chart of 'need to' vs. 'ought to'.
I can only hope that the time and usage database or its equivalent becomes publicly available-- it would be a tremendous resource for writers and nitpickers.
Details in historical fiction, and the importance of finding the telling detail rather than any old detail. More discussion of details.
I'm willing to accept Rivendell-- they can make magic waybread and rope. We don't have nearly enough information to know what their economy requires. One of these years, I will reread LOTR, and I hope to be able to ignore that the Shire seems to have more advanced tech than anyone, including the Dwarves.
Authenticity and Chinese Cookbooks-- just a little reminder that people make up a lot more than they realize. Authenticity is yet another of those shifting cultural values.
