Had You Heard of a ‘Bascart?’ by Elaine A. Powers, Author

Have you ever been reading a book and you stumbled across an unfamiliar word? When that happens to me, I have to stop and look up the word. Back in the old days, I would look it up in a dictionary, but nowadays, I just look it up on the Internet.

The word on this occasion was bascart. Upon searching, I learned that it can also be spelled baskart.

Merriam-Webster defines bascart as “a waist-high wire basket or pair of baskets on wheels into which shoppers in supermarkets gather their purchases.” In other words, a shopping cart. When I asked the writer about it, she replied that bascart is what they called grocery carts in the Northwest, in Oregon and Washington. No wonder as an Illinoisan girl, I hadn’t heard that term. The author was surprised to learn that not everyone called them bascarts.

A little later on in the story was the term “spendy.” This was another term I hadn’t heard. It’s another Northwest term for expensive. At least, I could infer the meaning of this one. Bascart had stumped me.

It is dangerous for writers to use localized terms.  It’s fine if you want to show the locale for a story, but a problem if the reader is from another part of the country and may not be familiar with the terms. If they’re like me, they’ll stop reading to research any unfamiliar term.  Not the response desired by the writer who hopes the reader is so intrigued by the story, they plough ahead heedless of the time of day, chores undone, meals uneaten and certainly not stopping to look up words.

Choosing which version of words to use is a problem I encounter frequently. I write in American English but many of my books are set in the Caribbean, where British English is used. Words are spelled differently and the terminology for common items is often different. I’ve decided to write in the language I know how to use, hoping that those who speak another version of English will still be able to understand me and enjoy my books. I’m afraid if I tried to write in British English, no one would understand!

The only exception I make is when my Bahamian consultant, Scott Johnson, provides me with authentic local dialect. I would never attempt to create a dialect on my own, and I’m grateful to Scott and the other local experts who have helped me along the way.

My advice is to use words wisely.  Don’t let your readers wander away in search of meanings.

BOOK NOTE:

Image Tabby Five finer fairy You Tube
Now on You Tube!
Tabby, the Five-Finger Fairy, who comes from the Five-Finger Tree, Tabebuia bahamensis, loves the native plants, animals and people of The Bahamas. She makes friends wherever she goes!

A Magical Chapter Book about
Tabby, the Five-Finger Fairy and Her
Adventures with Cleo, a Bahamian Boa

Reading Level: Ages 8+

52 Pages

Tabby Comes Alive in
Illustrations by Nick Thorpe

Tabby, the Five-Finger Fairy, who comes from the Five-Finger Tree, Tabebuia bahamensis, loves the native plants, animals and people of The Bahamas. She makes friends wherever she goes!

When Tabby is attacked and almost eaten by a rat, a Bahamian Boa comes to her rescue. But she has seen so much fear of  the boas, Tabby is afraid. The boa, Cleo, gently introduces herself and she and Tabby become friends.

After witnessing many attacks on Cleo, Tabby decides to help her find a new home. They go to Mama Hope’s Garden, and Mama Hope teaches her grandson, Scottie, and her neighbors about boas. They are not venomous and they are responsible for killing rats that would otherwise overrun the islands.

Along the way, Tabby helps animals they meet to realize their foolish animosity toward each other and she helps them to, instead, become friends–like she and Cleo did.

Mama Hope realizes the only safe place for Cleo is at Retreat Gardens. They take Cleo there and Mama Hope’s grandson can finally see the Tabby, the fairy.

“Science is important and needs to be studied,” Tabby tells Scottie, “but there are some things you need to believe in your heart to see.”

#adviceforwriters   #newwords

#authorelaineapowers  #lyricpowerpublishing  #tabbytale  #Bahamasboa  #tabbyandcleo

CURTIS CURLY-TAIL COMES ALIVE ON YOU TUBE!a curly tail lizard on a bahamian beach with blue sky and ocean, sand and green plants
Elaine A Powers Author Conservationalist Biologist
Click Image to Hear “Don’t Call Me Turtle!”image of woman reading book at tucson botanical gardens
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