Wordplays in The Dresden Files

[aletheiafelinea]

Probably all of you (many? some?) know Jim Butcher's explanation that he made Bob an actual talking head after he'd been told that making characters that are nothing but 'talking heads' (as in: sources of info for the protagonists, lacking other reasons to be in the book, not to mention personality) is bad writing.

He tells about it here:

However, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone noticing that Butcher actually keeps doing the thing. Here's a short list of other cases in The Dresden Files when an idiom has been used in the more or less literal way, at the same time still keeping its figurative meaning. Until proven otherwise, we can assume it's deliberate. And if not, it’s still fun. :)

• love hurts (if you’re a Raith)


• ice queen (in the meaning of a haughty, heartless and cold-blooded woman; technically Mab is not icy in the literal way – unless you count the scene in her garden of frozen statues – but she does rule the real ice)


• cat took one's tongue (in the meaning of going mute; subverted, it's Mab who uses Grimalkin's tongue and voice, so he's been taken from instead to take himself)


• go cold turkey (in the meaning of stopping something suddenly and entirely)


• have an itchy palm (in the meaning of wanting money; the Lasciel sigil on Harry's palm itches every time he's being reminded of the coin)


• money talks (in the meaning of giving power; the Fallen do whisper to their current or potential hosts)


• blackmail (Mavra, a Black vampire, sends Harry her ultimatum about Murphy through the mortal snail mail)


• throw cold water on (in the meaning of criticizing and/or stopping someone's eagerness; Harry sure believes in the power of icy water)


• water down (in the meaning of weakening something; it can apply also to the above mentioned, but before all, running water literally dilutes the magic and washes spells off in Dresdenversum)


• have a trick up one's sleeve (in the meaning of a secret advantage for a time of emergency; Harry's shield bracelet is a quite literal magic trick)


• doughty spirit (Lea calls so Sir Stuart)


• knowledge is power (among the Sidhe it has the similar meaning as for the humans, even if they're more serious about it, but for spirits of knowledge it’s literal)


• third time's a charm (some spells and especially summonings work when repeated thrice)


• writing is on the wall (in the meaning of ominous omen; Exodus 22:18 on the wall over a murdered small time witch)


• knight in shining armor (in the meaning of a noble-spirited savior coming in the time of need; Michael does wear plate armor at times)


• birthday suit (as in: naked; granted, Harry started his last birthday in an actual tux and it's Maeve who comes bare-ass to the party, but at the end of the day they switch outfits, especially if we count ice as equal to, er, spangling decoration)


• between the devil and the deep blue sea (in the meaning of a hard choice; in the meeting with the Denarians in the Shedd Aquarium, when unable to save Ivy, Harry breaks down the glass wall dividing the pool from the lake and subsequently the Atlantic)

I'm pretty sure there's more and going to be more.

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Comments

[kita0610.livejournal.com]

Some of these are really cool! A few others though have nothing to do with his writing, they ARE literal- like knight in shining armor- knights wear armor, Michael is literally a knight. I especially liked the ice queen one though. Nice.

[aletheiafelinea.livejournal.com]

Well, and Mab is literally a queen. That was kinda my point. :) I rather thought that maybe 'blackmail' is where I'm stretching it too much...

[gelsey.livejournal.com]

I love this. I caught some of those but definitely not all.

Word play is the best. No wonder I love this universe.

[aletheiafelinea.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure that can't be all!

Yes, and I like that he does it so casually, never in-your-face, and easy to overlook, but still there. Not only wordplays, but also tiny hints, foreshadowings and such.

[alumfelga.livejournal.com]

"You think you're funny" :D Fajna ta historia z gadającą głową.

[aletheiafelinea.livejournal.com]

!!! Dokładnie mój ulubiony moment! :)

Dla kontekstu: kanoniczny Bob wygląda tak (http://www.deviantart.com/art/Dresden-Files-Bob-The-Skull-478445397).

[alumfelga.livejournal.com]

Dzięki. Wyobraziłam sobie całą głowę, unoszącą się w powietrzu, ale czaszka o imieniu Bob jest chyba jeszcze lepsza :D

[aletheiafelinea.livejournal.com]

Nie fruwa, jakby co. XD Technicznie rzecz biorąc, Bob to są te ogniki w oczodołach, a czaszka jest ludzka i służy mu jako coś w rodzaju ślimaczej skorupki, chociaż potrafi nią poruszać. Bob to jest "spirit of knowledge" i luzem poza czaszką wygląda jak chmura świetlików. A czasem w pilnej potrzebie zmienia vessel (http://aletheiafelinea.deviantart.com/art/Bob-the-Sku-the-Lion-589321454). ;)

[alumfelga.livejournal.com]

A czasem w pilnej potrzebie zmienia vessel.
Och! <3

[aletheiafelinea.livejournal.com]

Widzę, że rozumiesz, czemu MUSIAŁAM. XD

[alumfelga.livejournal.com]

To musiał być nieziemski fragment :)

[aletheiafelinea.livejournal.com]

No, potem zeskoczył z tego cokołu i przystąpił do spuszczania łomotu zastępom wroga, więc niezmiernie żałuję, że moja wersja jest, hm, statyczna. ^^ Ale z drugiej strony mogło być gorzej - na szczęście w kanonie to jest konkretny, autentyczny budynek w Chicago i to często fotografowany, więc przynajmniej było z czym pracować.