Free Rein. Nothing to do with monarchs.
Sep. 9th, 2009 10:17 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
erastesDear authors, editors and publishers.
Free REIN.
do you know WHY it’s called that? Do ya? It’s a sports metaphor. There are thousands of these, some of which you probably won’t even recognise as one. Phrases such as “not by a long chalk” “throwing in the towel” “on the ropes” “out of left field” “stumped”
But Free Rein is one I see abused most often. I’ve seen.
Full rein
free reign
free rain
full reign
No no no no no no no. NO!!!!
It’s a riding metaphor. More accurately it’s a dressage metaphor.
this is NOT free rein
this is
To really push the analogy,it's nothing to do with "letting someone do what they like" - when you give your horse a free rein, you aren't letting him so what he likes, but you are still in control, but letting him stretch his neck while still being engaged and active. Same with whatever speed you are doing, you can give a horse a free rein while galloping, but it never means you are out of control. Yes, that's far more than you needed to know.
That is all. *flicks you with ruler*
GET IT RIGHT.
Love, Erastes The Irritable.
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Date: 2009-09-09 09:39 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-09 10:34 am (UTC)Am listening to cricket on radio. There's a guy called Shreck playing. Titter ye not.
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Date: 2009-09-09 12:44 pm (UTC)I guess it must have been the years of riding lessons and reading pony stories - because those were where I first saw the expression, in both contexts, so the meaning and the correct spelling definitely stuck.
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Date: 2009-09-09 12:53 pm (UTC)Do you know where the expression 'playing (or 'to play') fast and loose' comes from? Archery, that's where. "Fast!" (probably an abbreviation of "Hold fast!") is what you shout as a warning if you see an obstruction in front of or behind the target, such as a person or dog or something walking around where they shouldn't be, or something blowing across the field (or a target falling over, etc...) and it means "STOP SHOOTING, YOU LOT!"; and if you 'loose' (i.e. shoot) an arrow after "Fast!" has been called - then you're playing 'fast and loose'!
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Date: 2009-09-09 12:59 pm (UTC)I'm sure there's lots of archery ones. Stephen Fry would know. When he gets to S we'll have to write and tell him to do sports metaphors.
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Date: 2009-09-09 01:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-09 01:19 pm (UTC)Well, 'having another string to your bow' is one - nothing to do with violins! If you've got a spare string, then if the one you're using breaks or gets damaged, you can go on shooting; obviously, it's metamorphosed into 'being able to do something else'. 'On target' is possibly another - i.e. you've hit the target (the boss - yes, it's the round straw thing that the paper target face is fastened to!), though not necessarily scored anything.
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Date: 2009-09-09 01:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-09 01:33 pm (UTC)I expect it's possible to look up 'modern' archery and find out when the coloured targets came in...
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Date: 2009-09-09 02:54 pm (UTC)Dunno, I expect people to be literate. Or to look things up. (And no, I've never been a rider. Just an observant reader; that's all it takes.) Woe is me.
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Date: 2009-09-09 03:16 pm (UTC)I adore the way you pick up on all the things I hate myself...hot on the heels of the 'prostrate' gland debacle : )
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Date: 2009-09-09 03:31 pm (UTC)I didn't know that the equestrian meaning of the term was different...but then I don't know anything about horses.
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Date: 2009-09-09 03:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-09 03:46 pm (UTC)As it were.
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Date: 2009-09-09 03:48 pm (UTC)Perhaps we can ask Charles I?
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Date: 2009-09-09 03:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-09 05:52 pm (UTC)Another one is "clear conscious." First saw that one from an 'editor' who didn't believe in letting her writers rewrite their own work. I think babelfish might translate to 'empty mind.'
It's enough to make any conscientious writer lose (NOT LOOSE!) her temper.
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Date: 2009-09-09 05:55 pm (UTC)(runs downstairs to check something)
Maybe it's from darts? My 'regulation' dartboard has a gold center (or since it's Canadian, 'centre.')
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Date: 2009-09-09 05:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-09 06:00 pm (UTC)She didn't look bloody hard enough then, did she?
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Date: 2009-09-09 06:01 pm (UTC)*giggling*
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Date: 2009-09-09 06:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-09 06:08 pm (UTC)I feel sorry for anyone who has to read Standish outloud, I should send her some purple goggles.
There's a cafe author society here which meets every fortnight and i've often wanted to go and read but would be blushing too much
:)
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Date: 2009-09-09 06:09 pm (UTC)It's being read by a woman? I'd think for an m/m story they'd want a male reader who could do different accents... and archaic language. I'll grant you, I never heard anyone say "privities" in a conversation, but I've never used a chamberpot, either. Maybe she thinks it's a typo for "privates."
And, anyway, I'm sorry? The language has been edited, her job is to read the thing, yes?
Speaking of language, my partner just finished reading Chelsea Quinn Yarbro and started in on Transgressions, and she says you are a much better writer
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Date: 2009-09-09 06:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-09 06:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-09 07:32 pm (UTC)It's also the movement worth the most points in every dressage test :p!
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Date: 2009-09-09 07:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-09 08:10 pm (UTC)Dunno about dartboards - I think they vary...