Troubling trends

I’ve been reading a certain genre of romance novel recently (RWA members can guess why.) It’s a subgenre I read a lot of, and it’s one that I enjoy. I enjoyed several of my recent reads. However, I did notice a few characteristics present in every single one of the books I just read, which I have not seen (or at least not often) in books that I read in any other genre. In one book, fine. But in every one?

* The word sluice. Most often seen when a character is taking a shower, describing the way the water drips down their bodies. Wash, rinse, pour, gush, run, stream, surge, spill… nothing will do except the sluicemeister. In every book. It’s an uncommon enough word that it jumped out at me. Now, it’s a nice word. Heck, I know I’ve used it. But in shower scene after shower scene, it was there. More sluicing per page in a romance than in any other genre, I’m thinking.

* Snaps on jeans. They *always* snap. Nary a button to be seen in the lot of them. Even if the jeans are “button fly,” they are unsnapped. Or maybe the fly is buttoned, but there’s a snap on top? I can’t figure it out. I don’t know about you, but the last time I had a snap on my jeans I was five years old. What kind of jeans are these people wearing that they need to snap and unsnap them?

* One word: “cream.” One word used many, many times. I’m not a particularly squeamish person, but wowsa.

* The heroes call the heroines “baby.” A lot. Sometimes in every line of their dialogue.
(Now, I myself took a lot of crap for the term “girl” in my book. Apparently, it’s offensive to some people that a twenty-something female would refer to herself or her girlfriends (oops, there I go again) as “girls.” I don’t find it offensive, but then again, the character would also refer to the males her age as “boys.” Fair, right? And if all else fails, I figure if the word is in the title, they’d expect it to be used.) I’m not dead prejudiced against the hero using this particular term of endearment. In fact, I don’t mind it at all. I can remember occasions in which Sailor Boy has directed it at me, and I don’t take it literally, no more than I would if he called me his little cabbage. (Apparently, that is a common French term of endearment.) But every line?

* In no instance of a heroine being stalked/surveilled/targeted/etc. by the bad guys, would she gratefully accept the hero’s offer of protection and say, “Yes, it makes perfect sense that I’d like someone around to have my back while I’m under attack, and I do not necessarily view the logical application of assistance under these circumstances as a symbol of weakness.” No, she always, always said, “I can take care of myself.” Cue disaster. Again, I’m not against the plot device, but if you really want to wow me with a woman-in-jeopardy story, give me a girl who goes out of her way to get herself protected, but still winds up in danger and kicking as by her protector’s side. Real strength is knowing when you need help and how to accept it gracefully.

I’m trying to figure out the cause of these phrasing trends. The last one is a pretty standard trope in the genre, though it’s one that bugs me. I guess, outside the last one, that it’s a matter of authors reading within their genre and feeding off one another, or the usual Collective Unconscious deciding that this will be the Year of the Sluice.

I’ve been guilty of this. I’m sure my editor and copyeditor have a grand old giggle at some of my pet phrases or fallback references. My editor has a talent for politely pointing out to me when I’m not doing myself any favors in this realm. I remember a particular bout of throat clearing over one too many Cosmo references a few months back. I still cringe about a particular shortcut phrase I took in book one that is going to haunt me throughout the series. The character deserved better than that, but it’s the description they are stuck with.

Eh, it happens.

What repeat offenders have you been noticing lately? (Please, do not name particular books.)