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darth_stitchRant in 5...4...3...2....1...
You know how annoying is the sound of nails or fork tines scratching across a board, right?
Teeth-gritting, nail-biting, full-body wincing and cringing, headdesking, madness-inducing, wrath of Evil Alien Going All Out Ballistic-producing Annoyance.
That is exactly how I feel each and every time I keep seeing the nickname "Sevvie" actively tagged on Severus Snape in a fan fic. I can live with it if a character in the fic (I can see Sirius doing this-heheh) felt like beingsuicidal annoying and called him that to drive the poor snarky bastard bananas. Fine. Comic device, I can live with that.
But for Severus (whatever his middle name is, take your pick) Snape to actively call himself "Sevvie" or to allow himself to be called "Sevvie" even by his Significant Other (insert your Snape ship of choice here) is Just. Not. Bloody. Likely.
He is NOT, I repeat, NOT a "Sevvie." He does not even remotely LOOK like a Sevvie. If he was, I keep imagining this cute widdle teddy bear with a bow tie and god help me, Severus Snape, greasy hair, big nose, sneering mouth, drama queen extraordinaire does NOT remotely resemble a cute cuddly stuffed annimal.
(even if my Harry Muse insists on using his Severus as a pillow at times....but I digress)
"Severus" is rather an intriguing name. A lovely name, even, one I might tag on my poor unsuspecting future child. If I ever do, I might call him "Sev" but I'd never humiliate the kid by hollering "SEVVIE-KINS!!!! COME HOME FOR DINNER!!!"
Sigh. Sorry. This rant was brought to you by one too many baaaaad Sevvie *cringecringecringe* Snape-fics.
Now, I'd better look for my still missing Harry Muse and get back to work on As You Wish.
You know how annoying is the sound of nails or fork tines scratching across a board, right?
Teeth-gritting, nail-biting, full-body wincing and cringing, headdesking, madness-inducing, wrath of Evil Alien Going All Out Ballistic-producing Annoyance.
That is exactly how I feel each and every time I keep seeing the nickname "Sevvie" actively tagged on Severus Snape in a fan fic. I can live with it if a character in the fic (I can see Sirius doing this-heheh) felt like being
But for Severus (whatever his middle name is, take your pick) Snape to actively call himself "Sevvie" or to allow himself to be called "Sevvie" even by his Significant Other (insert your Snape ship of choice here) is Just. Not. Bloody. Likely.
He is NOT, I repeat, NOT a "Sevvie." He does not even remotely LOOK like a Sevvie. If he was, I keep imagining this cute widdle teddy bear with a bow tie and god help me, Severus Snape, greasy hair, big nose, sneering mouth, drama queen extraordinaire does NOT remotely resemble a cute cuddly stuffed annimal.
(even if my Harry Muse insists on using his Severus as a pillow at times....but I digress)
"Severus" is rather an intriguing name. A lovely name, even, one I might tag on my poor unsuspecting future child. If I ever do, I might call him "Sev" but I'd never humiliate the kid by hollering "SEVVIE-KINS!!!! COME HOME FOR DINNER!!!"
Sigh. Sorry. This rant was brought to you by one too many baaaaad Sevvie *cringecringecringe* Snape-fics.
Now, I'd better look for my still missing Harry Muse and get back to work on As You Wish.
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no subject
Date: 2004-07-14 04:08 am (UTC)You may not know me, but I just love you for saying that.
no subject
Date: 2004-07-14 04:12 am (UTC)WORDY McWord from the Clan McWord!
Date: 2004-07-14 04:24 am (UTC)I have a three-syllable first name. Like Sev-er-us.
I went to school in the Australian Public School system. A place where, if they can POSSIBLY mangle, wrangle, chainsaw, bastardise, or otherwise shorten your name, THEY WILL.
Do you know how many shortened versions of my name I have EVER been called in my ENTIRE LIFE of *koff*umpty-ump*koff* years?
ZERO.
Zip. Nada. Zilch. Nichts. Nullus. Niente.
So. If I can get away for as many years as I have, Severus certainly can.
...This message was brought to you by the Campaign for The Beauty Of Three-Syllable Names.
Wrap your tongue around one, today.
Re: WORDY McWord from the Clan McWord!
Date: 2004-07-14 04:40 am (UTC)Hail all fortunate souls who have lovely three-syllable names and should NOT be subjected to inane nicknames. :p
no subject
Date: 2004-07-14 04:41 am (UTC)Sev, I can deal with, because of CW-verse and, well, it's easy. And it's a somewhat innocent term of enderment.
But mostly I like the name. . . the whole name.
no subject
Date: 2004-07-14 04:45 am (UTC)I think that qualifies. And I'm sure that if you called your kid 'Severus', (and believe me, I did consider it) it could border on child abuse.
no subject
Date: 2004-07-14 04:46 am (UTC)what s/he said.
no subject
Date: 2004-07-14 04:50 am (UTC)The Evil Jewish Aunt is also a Good Example of Said Comic Device. Though I'd bet you anything you shouldn't ask about the unidentifiable Jar of Something Icky, crowned with the Vulture Hat an Evil Older Female Relation might wear, that Severus keeps on one of his shelves.
Now Sev'....hee, can't help but imagine Harry using that nickname and getting away with it too. Which is why I have my own Harry calling HIS Severus that. God bless Sushi for the CW-verse. She's inspirational. :D
But mostly, yes - Severus Snape has a very apt name for himself and no three ways about it. *grin*
no subject
Date: 2004-07-14 04:52 am (UTC)Re: WORDY McWord from the Clan McWord!
Date: 2004-07-14 04:55 am (UTC)I _like_ my name.
I _like_ Severus' name. It suits him every bit as much as my name suits me.
If Severus has an ounce of self-respect he'll not put up with bastardisations of his name, any more than I would.
Quite apart from anything else, in the Potterverse, 'nomen est omen': what your name is, IS what you ARE.
Sirius the Dog Star.
Lupin the Wolf.
Severus the Severe Roman Emperor (also echoes of 'sever', cutting, like his remarks). Perfectly apt.
Shortening, bastardising your name, in a world where names have such significance (witness all the shuddering whenever Voldemort is mentioned), is surely an even graver insult than in our world (and I know how insulted I'd feel).
Re: WORDY McWord from the Clan McWord!
Date: 2004-07-14 05:03 am (UTC)*snicker*
If this speculation ever becomes CANON, I quail at the number of comic Plot Tiggers I'm going to inflict upon the world!
But yes, I agree with you about the names, considering that we have that age-old belief about the power inherent in the use of a person's name. Yes? :D
Re: WORDY McWord from the Clan McWord!
Date: 2004-07-14 05:06 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-14 10:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-14 05:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-14 05:50 pm (UTC)Severus is just right. It doesn't need to be shortened, mutilated, or otherwise changed. I will occassionally shortcut to 'Sev' when I'm typing instant messages with my friends but in my stories, he's Severus.
Besides, meaning aside and all other things considered, Severus is actually a really nice name.
Re: WORDY McWord from the Clan McWord!
Date: 2004-07-14 06:10 pm (UTC)Just out of curiosity, if you think his name is a reference to Lucius Septimus Severus, is the important parallel:
1) He was a general in the Roman army?
2) He outlawed Egyptian mystery cults and relgious prophecy?
3) He marched on Roman and behead his predecessor?
Because any option has interesting implication for the Potterverse...
no subject
Date: 2004-07-14 07:23 pm (UTC)I've seem him refered to as 'Rémy' in far too many bad fics for me to count. I 'spect they do it to be l33t and pretentious, even though 'Rémy' and Remus sound nothing alike. (reh-MEE vs REE-mus)
Insert rant about fangirl French here.
no subject
Date: 2004-07-14 07:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-14 08:50 pm (UTC)"Sevvie" is a tall, broad-shouldered, muscular hunk of sex who regularly casts smouldering glances amongst his students, especially the sparkling blonde Organza-Marie, a transfer student from some shiny American school. He bears not the slightest resemblance to Severus, who is actually in the books and who would only smoulder if he had matches and wanted to burn something. Canon!Severus might have gone by "Sev" as a young whippersnapper, if he had friends who were too busy joining the Death Eaters and thinking about tits to bother with the rest of his name, but no-one with any brains would assume the familiarity to call him that now. As for "Sevvie", only someone who was taking the piss would utter it in his presence, and only someone who wanted to find themselves strung from the ceiling by their tender extremities would dare take the piss.
Though I do mention in the first chapter of my fic that Regulus calls him "Sev-us", but since Regulus is only two when he does this, it's probably an excuse.
no subject
Date: 2004-07-14 10:19 pm (UTC)And this comes from a girl actually called Lilly *cough* who always wished her parents had given her a name which could be shortened to a nickname rather than a name everybody assumes is a nickname. I wanted a nickname - but I am not Severus. People need to get the concept of IC in their head. Just because you like Sevvie, doesn't mean "Sevvie" does.
no subject
Date: 2004-07-14 10:46 pm (UTC)Sevvie. Two v's, too close together, suggesting the soft, ineffectual w. And thus bringing to mind "Stewie" - product of a castrating Italian mother.
Re: WORDY McWord from the Clan McWord!
Date: 2004-07-14 10:52 pm (UTC)As a proud owner of a three syllable name, no one has or will ever call me by a nickname.
I am now volunteering for the Campaign for The Beauty Of Three-Syllable Names.
no subject
Date: 2004-07-15 01:08 am (UTC)Re: WORDY McWord from the Clan McWord!
Date: 2004-07-15 01:12 am (UTC)Say, if your name were Lancelot (and, boy will I be amused if I've managed to guess it correctly) then your default name had to have been 'Loz'. Or 'Lozza'.
My faith in ockerness has been deeply shaken...
no subject
Date: 2004-07-15 01:31 am (UTC)My cat's name is Severus. I do not shorten it, nor his brother's name, Salazar.
Your rant reminds me of Miles in Bujold's "Komarr". Her husband called her Kat, but Miles thought she deserved every syllable of Ekatarin.
I had one boss try to call me Mel. I called him Pete and he went back to Melissa, what I've been called all my life.
In other words, I totally agree, even a lover wouldnt' call him by that contraction.
no subject
Date: 2004-07-15 01:57 am (UTC)*snorfles* Hee. Sorry. The Sevvie-overdose is causing my mind to do Very. Strange. Things.
no subject
Date: 2004-07-15 02:03 am (UTC)Draco is most assuredly NOT a Dray - I imagine if I tried calling
But I must shamefully admit to shortening Remus to "Reems" as a Very. Bad. Joke. in an unfinished Severitus fic I tried doing. *blush* Thankfully, I will never inflict that Evil Nickname or The Equally Evil Fic upon the unsuspecting world. :p
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Date: 2004-07-15 02:04 am (UTC)Re: WORDY McWord from the Clan McWord!
Date: 2004-07-15 02:11 am (UTC)I'd vote for 4) All of the above. But only because I'm greedy. And I like the look of the plot bunnies tucked away in all three of those options.
Re: WORDY McWord from the Clan McWord!
Date: 2004-07-15 02:13 am (UTC)"Be A Cunning Linguist! Wrap your tongue around a three-syllable name today!"
*rallies the troops*
no subject
Date: 2004-07-15 02:14 am (UTC)And as much as I like cleaning up Severus (Greasy hair? Shove him under the shower with Harry and a bottle of shampoo and that'll take care of that. Mwehehehehehe) - yes, he will never be this tall, dark, hunk of sex. No. The man is not pretty. I can live with striking. I can live with dashing in a severe sort of way (bad pun intended). But Orlando Bloom-pretty? Not in a million years.
And yes, I imagine that anyone
contemplating suicideor as you more eloquently put it "taking the piss" (god, I LOVE that expression) would find themselves on a shelf as Potions ingredients, should they decide to call Severus "Sevvie" to his face.no subject
Date: 2004-07-15 02:15 am (UTC)And incidentally, MY real name is the Irish form of Ekaterin. :) Tee-hee.
no subject
Date: 2004-07-15 02:17 am (UTC)Re: WORDY McWord from the Clan McWord!
Date: 2004-07-15 02:18 am (UTC)Well, luckily, it's not Lancelot. That would've gotten Laz or Lazza I think.
I think the personality factor plays a part. I wasn't the sort who invited nicknames. One of those horribly unpopular, solitary, bookish kids. Sarcastic as hell and too damn smart for my own good, not to blow my own horn (taught myself to read at age 2, was taking 3rd grade English when I started school and everyone else in my year was learning to read).
...Very much like Severus, actually, now that I think back.
no subject
Date: 2004-07-15 03:36 am (UTC)Nothing really worthwhile to say, but I agree with you; I've never, even once, been able to see Severus Snape as a "Sevvie." (Or, really, any of the other nicknames.) It just clashes with my perception of him so hideously, and... I can't even imagine a Snape that wouldn't have some sort of terrible reaction to being called that.
no subject
Date: 2004-07-15 03:17 pm (UTC)And I'm reading the comments above and getting plot bunnies. Grrr. I have enough plot bunnies. Go away. *shoos them*
Re: WORDY McWord from the Clan McWord!
Date: 2004-07-15 03:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-17 03:20 pm (UTC)