Grammar Quirks: Shannon Price on 'Livid' and 'Smirk'

Grammar Girl: What’s your favorite word and why?

Shannon Price: "Livid." I love words that sound like what they mean. The hard stop at the end makes it feel menacing, no matter how hard you try to overpower it with a cheery tone.

GG: What’s a word you dislike (either because it’s overused or misused) and why?

SP: I could do without “smirk.” It’s one of those words that immediately takes me out of a book because I feel it’s almost never needed. It has a strong home in YA (the age group I write for), and it can be used expertly, but I’ve seen it a bit too much now. That said, I’m sure if I could Control+F in my first book, I’d find a smirk to two. It’s only started to really bother me more recently.

GG: What word will you always misspell?

SP: "Presence." There is always an extra “c” somewhere, or a missing “s,” or a surprise “s.” or all of the above. I never get it right on the first try.

I love words that sound like what they mean.

GG: What word (or semblance of a word) would you like to see added to the dictionary? Why?

SP: I would love for there to be a word that captures the particular feeling of two people locking eyes as they realize the same thing at the same moment—like that jolt of elation when you and your best friend react to an inside joke that no one else understands. Even my attempt to describe it is wordy, but I think most people would get what I’m referring to. We need a word for that!

GG: Any grammar pet peeves we should know about?

SP: I am a stickler for the Oxford comma. A few years ago, I was looking for a phone case with a particular saying on it, and all the cheaper options had the phrase without the comma. I ended up spending the extra $10 because the nicer version had the comma—worth the money to not be bothered by it every time I picked up my phone.

GG: To what extent does grammar play a role in character development and voice?

SP: Oh, I love this question! Grammar can help convey a character’s mood without having to rely on facial expressions. Using short, staccato sentences in dialogue, for example, can show that a character is frustrated or upset without having to describe anything about how the character looks.

Grammar can also help convey characters’ relationships with each other. For instance, if one...

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