Sunday, May 6, 2012

Zounds, Batman!

We did not have a television when I was young. "Go read a  book," my dad said.
I wasn't so strict with my kids. On Saturday mornings, we hung out watching cartoons. One of my favorites was the Batman series with real actors. I loved how the screen would flash with word-sounds during the ridiculous "fight" scenes. And Robin's dialogue.
Zowie. Zap. Zip. Zoom. Zilch. Zing. Zip. Zonk. Zounds. Gad Zooks.   Z-words are fun to say.

What's even more fun is that most of these words are in the dictionary!
Zounds: used to express anger, surprise, or indignation.
Zoom: making a loud low-pitched buzzing or humming sound.
Zonk: to stupefy or stun.
Zilch: something that amounts to nothing.
Zap: to strike, stun, or propel suddenly and forcefully.

Whoosh. Writers need more words that describe sounds.




3 comments:

  1. Some great Z words there, Ana! Maybe comic books and cartoons can show us how to use those kind of words. I love onomatopoeic words, but I know I don't use them enough in my writing.

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  2. Great Z words. I was more of a Superman fan, but I do remember how I enjoyed the words flashing on the screen during Batman and Robin's fights.

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  3. I love those kinds of words, and like Paula, I don't use them enough. Not a big comic book fan, much to my husband's horror. But they're great for conveying exactly the right message in as few words as possible, which helps us all!

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