(no subject)

[donnaimmaculata]

I don't like epithets, as I'm sure I already mentioned a couple of times. But yesterday I came across one that made me laugh (and hit the back button, too, but laugh first of all): "his godfather's best friend". Apart from the fact that it was Harry's father and not Remus who was his godfather's best friend - how much more complicated can you get? His head of house's barmy superior? The red-haired headboy's younger brother? His aunt's meaty husband's dog-breeding sister?

I understand that one can use any of those epithets when actually talking about the interactions between the people mentioned in them, but not if they are used because the author wants to avoid using the name. Have no fear of names! Names aren't evil.

Comments

[atalantapendrag.livejournal.com]

"The other man" grates if overused. "The other" makes me want to claw my eyes out.

[donnaimmaculata.livejournal.com]

"The other man" has been used by so many authors (I'm no exception) that the phrase has begun to stand out. It is impossible now for me to ignore it and this is when it seriously disrupts the flow of the story.