Argh!

[Mouse]

Discuss.


Okay, okay, I'll give you more than that. How do you guys feel about writing the word (if you can call it that) 'argh.' I hate it, but I've just written it and it pained me to do so. It might not stay.

In my case, I've got it as a cut off to dialogue where a character's just been struck. I could do the cut off and then something along the lines of 'he cried out in pain' but it kinda doesn't feel instant enough so I'll need to think about it.

But, what are your feelings on 'argh' and the like?

 

[Boneman]

Argh! Always sound angry to me, a bit like Grr! I know down your way they tend to roll their 'r's (must be the great legs that does it...) but if you need the exclamation it's difficult because 'Ah!' sounds like 'I know'.

I tend to go for 'He gave a low cry of pain and slumped to the floor' 'His cry of pain was muted' 'The blade of the sword hit his shoulder and he cried out'. Everyone will put their own cry of pain in that last one. And maybe that's the answer: give a 'neutral' description so each reader visualises it for themselves.

Argh! Jim Lad!

 

[stormcrow]

Can't resist this! Great question!

I'd go with the sound...unless it needs the explanation.

I reckon "Aagh!" seems more real than "Argh" - but I'm not willing to experiment!

"Hhnn" when hit with a blunt/heavy object?

Good point Boneman - regional variations!?

 

[Mouse]

Boneman, yeah this is the trouble. 'Ah' in Somerset means yes! I've probably done it on here, put 'ah' for yes.

Argh is kinda piratey, I think this is why it sounds so daft when I've written it. I need more of an aah. But then that sounds 'Aah, Bisto.'

Pah.

Stormcrow, 'aagh' is quite good actually. Ta.

 

[Kissmequick]

I think I'd only use 'argh' when someone was using it on purpose (an expression of frustration etc), because that's the only time I've heard people actually say it.

If you need him cut off and registering pain, how about 'Holy fu-'

 

[stormcrow]

Cool. Another problem with "argh" is - yes - the piratey thing!

I'm Bristle-born - avoid "argh" for pain!!

 

[allmywires]

'Argh' for me. 'Ah' is a thinking thing and I would say 'Arrrr' for pirates.

 

[Mouse]

I think I'd only use 'argh' when someone was using it on purpose (an expression of frustration etc), because that's the only time I've heard people actually say it.

This is very true and I've actually just looked through some of my old posts to see if I've done the ah = yes thing (and I have ) and I've got an 'argh' in a Merlin thread. Yeah, it was because I was frustrated about the ep.

So the 'argh' has to go. 'Ah' won't work. A curse word won't work in this instance. I've used 'ow' before now, but that's for more sort of... playfulness.

I think I'll have to go for the 'he cried in pain' thing although it's not quite right.

 

[nubins]

Argh always sounds a little comedy to me.. works for light hearted stuff, but not serious genuine cries of anguish/pain.

Not sure what you are trying to fit it to.. but perhaps Ach!

Or a grunt or scream of pain?

 

[Kissmequick]

I think I'll have to go for the 'he cried in pain' thing although it's not quite right.

He screeched as though someone was twisting his bowels around a stick?

 

[nubins]

http://thesaurus.com/browse/ouch

Last entry has a few suggestions.. i suspect as useful as a chocolate teapot, but there you go. Seems there is a gap in the English language for this

 

[Mouse]

He screeched as though someone was twisting his bowels around a stick?

Ooh, nice!

Nubins, 'ach' sounds Scottish almost in my head. Ta for the link! Egad!

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Bitten off scream... Manly, that's what you need. Not piratey...

 

[Mouse]

Definitely manly over piratey, yeah!

 

[Warren_Paul]

But pirates are cool....


On a serious note, personally, I'd narrate the cry like Boneman suggested, unless the character was deliberately making the sound in dialogue out of frustration. Sound effects take away a bit of the seriousness to a scene for me.

 

[nightdreamer]

I've never used "argh" in a work of fiction, though it pops up frequently on Facebook. I have, however, used "Aaaaah!" (number of A's variable).

 

[Mouse]

I've gone for: "[FONT=&quot]I'm fine, we're just having a little chat, so it's nothing for you to—" He cried out in pain and spat out a curse. [/FONT]

 

[Montero]

a) Reading through the thread I was working up to suggesting ooft! if no-one else said it
b) For my preference I'd have why he cried out before the full stop. He cried out in pain and spat out a curse, as heffalump trod on his little toe.

 

[Mouse]

Oh, there's no full stop there in the WiP but I cut it for spoiler purposes in case there are Betas about!

 

[chrispenycate]

If it closes at the end rather than remaining open (as, for me, "Argh", "Aargh" or anything of the ilk tends to) I take it as a cry of frustration, not pain. The French write pain as "Aiee", which is closer to the scream of anguish I'm accustomed to (after driving garden fork through wellington boot that contained foot, for example).

If the experience is not sufficiently agonising to summon forth a genuine scream of anguish, it generally (with adults) leads to a sort of exhalation grunt, and with children to the standardised "I'm unhappy" wail.