I was in—as usual—the grocery store on Saturday afternoon. As soon as I walked in the door, I was greeted with a big smile by a couple of men at a table. I did a mental groan—they wanted me to do something. Sure enough, it was time to update that plastic discount card the grocery store assigns us.
I was at the deli counter getting some ham and trying to put the little loyalty card on my keychain. One of the deli workers said, “So you got your card updated?”
And I said. “Mm-hmm. Last time I came in I just pretended I didn’t see them.” Then I’m sure I looked really cross because I don’t say things like that, I think things like that. Some evil sprite possessed me and made me say something rude.
The counter guy just laughed. “Yeah, you were probably ignoring me. Because I’ve been working that table until tonight.”
Which made me even more cross at myself.
It also made me think that frequently we’re our own worst enemies.
Writing cozy mysteries, I really like to do things on a small scale. Because of the nature of the books, I’m not doing any Hollywoodesque car crashes, explosions, or chase scenes.
I don’t have cataclysmic events in my books—no natural disasters, terrorism, or ghastly epidemics. Although I really enjoy reading books like these, they just don’t fit my genre.
A horrific day in my books? Someone’s slip of the tongue results in their murder. They knew too much.
Think of all the uses faux pas can have. Because we’ve all said things that came out wrong or that people took the wrong way.
A slip of the tongue could result in someone really getting furious with an in-law or other family member. Maybe it represented the last straw for the person—the one that made them decide to end a relationship.
Faux pas can end friendships. Maybe a friend blabbed about the protagonist’s secret. Maybe the slip is viewed as a betrayal by another character.
A slip of the tongue could result in someone getting fired. Maybe someone leaked something that their office wanted to keep strictly confidential.
Military men and women who accidentally disclose too much information involving location during a war, you’re actually endangering lives.
Think of all the politicians who end up saying, “I misspoke.” So many have said thoughtless things, or uttered racially insensitive statements when “misspeaking.”
There are so many different ways to plot around someone sticking their foot in their mouth. And the reader? They won’t think the results are unbelievable at all. Because we all make our little faux pas.
Elizabeth – I’ve made so many verbal faux pas that I can’t even remember them all, so I empathize. But you’re right – those slips of the tongue can add to a plot. Sometimes, they give the murderer away, when the sleuth asks something and the murderer makes that one slip. As you say, they can get people killed, too. They’re really interesting plot devices, and I use them, myself.
I’m really bad about slips of the tongue. I try to shut my mouth most of the time, and I’ve found the best way to keep a secret is not to tell anybody, not even with a “swear this is between us?”. I was so proud of myself when a Master’s student of mine told me she was pregnant, and I managed to keep it secret until she made it public. Yay for me! Of course, that was a rare exception.
Plus you got another award from me :) Sorry, can’t help passing them along to you.
Another excellent post, Elizabeth! I’m going to spend a little time today and write down all the faux pas moments I’ve experienced. Er, well, it may take more than a little time. :)
Your post makes me think on how in a small town, you need to be careful who you say things to about another. Be very sure you know who they are related to! :)
I know someone who I think “accidently” slips things because she likes to gossip.
Great post.
I make so many verbal faux paxes, I don’t even want to think about. Haven’g got myself or anyone killed because of it though – at least not yet.
That’s one of the things I enjoy most about books. When the character does something I do all the time. It helps to draw me in that much more.
And your grocery store experience, definitely sounds like something I would and have done. :)
This happens to me more than I care to admit! I’m always sticking my foot in my mouth!
Oh and my characters- they seem to thrive off this catastrophic misstep!
I’ve always called it my ‘outside’ voice and my ‘inside voice’. It’s when the inside voice says something out loud that trouble can ensue. Has it happened to me? More often than I care to admit!
I nearly always speak too quickly. It’s a bad fault. In my head, out my mouth. I rarely have my characters do it because I know how guilty I am of it. Maybe I should let them share some of that guilt load.
Slips of the tongue can be so enlightening. Elizabeth, I so enjoy coming over here to visit.
Karen
So very true! I used the faux pas deliberately (in the ms I’ve got marinating on my laptop) to cause the MC to have a huge hissy-fit. Lots of fun!
I love it (in a book) when something so small leads to big events – especially when nobody realizes it until the solution.
The one thing I’m getting tired of, though, is when the mystery is solved because the killer makes a slip of the tongue. Especially if it happens earlier and the detective doesn’t comment until they’ve miraculously solved the crime.
Not that a slip of the tongue can never be a clue, or overlooked, but it’s much better if it is either noticed and acted on, or misinterpreted rather than overlooked.
The worst thing about faux pas is that as soon as they slip out you want to snatch them back. If only you could. This is a great thing to have a character do. You drop a clue or create an inciting incident, and get to show your character’s reaction.
Helen
Straight From Hel
How true. I hate those “I can’t believe I just said that” moments. Verbal slip-ups are something everyone can identify with so it can be one of the most believable actions by our characters to move the plot along.
Great post! Verbal faux pas are a mandatory requirement for being human. I think it’s a federal offense to be faux pas free. :-)
As a professional, experienced slip of the tonguer with a perrenial case of foot in mouth disease, I can certainly concur with this post.
Marvin D Wilson
I like these slips. They’re so human. In real life they tend to be of the “if you can’t say something nice…” variety. But I’ve got characters ‘protecting’ others who slip, and characters trying to be sneaky who slip…
Say… it would be fun to play with a character pretending to slip who was actually manipulating, wouldn’t it?
A slip of the tongue – great idea for conflict.
I worked in retail for a few years, and if it matters at all, that guy behind the counter probably honestly understood your ‘slip of the tongue.’ We sell and smile because we’re paid to do it; that doesn’t mean we don’t applaud every person that looks us in the eye and says, ‘I’m not interested.’
Just part of the job. :)
Corra
from the desk of a writer
Very funny post! It’s already happened in my wip, plus, it’s the 1940’s and they have a partyline. Oh, ya.
Margot–I love feeling clever and catching the killer out in a slip!
Lorel–Thanks so much! I really appreciate it.
I’m with you…the best way to keep a secret is to not be told the secret to begin with! Otherwise, I might forget something was even supposed to be a secret!
Rayna–I always have snoopy people in my books who know too much and get knocked off. :) Good thing it doesn’t happen in real life!
Stacy–I try to forget them…unsuccessfully! Funny how my memory is so rotten, but I can remember times I embarrassed myself so well…
Teresa–That’s the blessing and the curse of a small town–everyone knows everyone! And, if you write cozy mysteries, the gossip gives the sleuth clues and red herrings–very Miss Marple!
Helen–Oh, if we could just get the words back!
Mason–That’s why I think it’s a useful device…it’s so believable!
Jane–I don’t know if it’s because we’re trying to multi-task and aren’t paying close enough attention to what we’re saying? At any rate, it makes life difficult. And I think readers can relate to it, for sure.
Tamika–Me too! It’s funny that the worse we make life for them, the better the book gets!
Elspeth–My inside voice has become a loudmouth lately, too!
Carol–Yes, we should make our characters suffer. It always makes for good reading! :)
Karen–Thanks! I like visiting your blog, too!
Jemi–Oohh…one of those mean people who pretend they’re sticking their foot in their mouth, but are really just sticking the knife in on purpose. I BET your mc had a hissy!
The Daring Novelist–I do like clues dropped in conversation, but it HAS to be fair. It’s just no fun for the reader if she can’t follow along with the sleuth and figure out the puzzle. I think it works best when, as you mentioned, there is attention drawn to the statement and then there’s a distraction that happens soon after.
Shannon–I wonder if there are people who DON’T faux pas? If there are, I don’t think I’d want to know them… :)
Marvin–I suffer from Foot in Mouth disease, too. Wonder if there’s a cure?
To clarify what I said earlier – I do like slips of the tongue as clues, and I’m not really commenting on whether they are fair or not.
What I really hate is the old cliche of when the killer is caught JUST because they let some detail slip that only the killer could know. That may be good enough for a short story or a “solve-it” type puzzle, but that’s just too trivial to carry the whole solution to a book.
Now, when the murderer or a witness makes a slip that puts the detective on the path to the truth, that’s interesting.
IMHO, any clue that is really important has to be acknowledged and noticed, even if it is misinterpreted at the time. (And that is not just playing fair, that’s good storytelling – because your most eager reader will probably notice it, so you need to keep that reader’s interest going by making your detective at least as smart as the reader.)
Oh, and the well places blurt is indeed delicious. I just got to write one of those in my WIP.
Hart–Trying to be sneaky would be a lot of fun, I think. I like to write character shortcomings. :) And…ooh!–a character who manipulates someone else by dropping info “accidentally” would be really interesting to try.
Corra–That makes me feel better. :) I think of these people in the store as my friends because I go shopping so much (since I never can remember all the things on my list.) He seemed genuinely amused at me…probably because I turned red.
Mary–Oh, that would be CLASSIC! On a partyline…great idea!
My characters don’t so much as slip as just blurt!
Alex–Oh, I love novels with a well-placed blurt. :)
This post reminded me of an “ex” friend that in a flurry of temper wrote me a terrible e-mail and I haven’t had anything to do with her since. People don’t just have to worry about their big mouths anymore, they have to be careful what they text, e-mail, put on facebook and all those techno devices we employ these days.
I tend to say what I’m thinking always. I have studied body language and psychology over the last few years and I find people say (non-verbally) what they’re thinking anyway. Although, I do find I am cautious around certain people. Some just don’t want honesty.
Perhaps I will be a murder victim so day.
ann
What I love about your representation of danger in cozy mysteries is that they are true to life. On a daily basis, I don’t generally find myself embroiled in trying to stop an asassination plot on my way to the grocery store. Hollywood-level drama is of little use in my puny life. However, subtleties rule here. Small slips of the tongue can create such beautiful rifts and bitter feuds, and could imaginably cause a real accident or murder. That’s what I love about cozy mysteries – they are just barely believable; I can almost see Miss Marple step around my street corner a-hemming into her handkerchief and solving the problem.