Does this need more explanation? http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/europe-england-london/threads/82930 John_L I thought I would start this as a general thread for people to use to ask if people understand something that you have written or if you need more explanation of it. In my case do people know what a Valet Stand is or should I explain it? Fri, 02 Nov 2012 04:14:03 -0700 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/europe-england-london/threads/82930?page=1#forum_thread_comment_2285499 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/europe-england-london/threads/82930?page=1#forum_thread_comment_2285499 Karnuvap I am not sure what a Valet Stand is but I can make a good guess. Is it something like a Corby trouser press with coat hanger for your jacket as well and maybe a small tray for your keys too? Which doesn't answer your question (if I am right) because it puts your Valet stand in that grey area of *almost* self explanatory. Of course, if I am completely wrong, then - yes it does need a bit of explanation. Fri, 02 Nov 2012 15:03:12 -0700 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/europe-england-london/threads/82930?page=1#forum_thread_comment_2299036 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/europe-england-london/threads/82930?page=1#forum_thread_comment_2299036 CarlieD I would read "Valet Stand" as a kiosk at a hotel / upscale restaurant / etc. where a porter then parks your car while you go inside. They'll retrieve it for you, too, at the end of the night. Fri, 02 Nov 2012 15:19:03 -0700 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/europe-england-london/threads/82930?page=1#forum_thread_comment_2299115 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/europe-england-london/threads/82930?page=1#forum_thread_comment_2299115 Kaleidoscope27 This is what I would read a 'valet stand' to be as well. Fri, 02 Nov 2012 15:33:36 -0700 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/europe-england-london/threads/82930?page=1#forum_thread_comment_2299431 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/europe-england-london/threads/82930?page=1#forum_thread_comment_2299431 Squidshire I know what a valet stand is but only because there's one in American Psycho, which I read last month. I had to look it up, though I could infer its general purpose from the context. Sat, 03 Nov 2012 01:32:32 -0700 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/europe-england-london/threads/82930?page=1#forum_thread_comment_2311036 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/europe-england-london/threads/82930?page=1#forum_thread_comment_2311036 technothrillerben I'd assume a valet stand was a gentleman's gentleman taking a firm line on something. Sat, 03 Nov 2012 04:41:35 -0700 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/europe-england-london/threads/82930?page=1#forum_thread_comment_2313122 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/europe-england-london/threads/82930?page=1#forum_thread_comment_2313122 John_L Well I mean the thing like a trouser press, so I will have to add an explanation. I could use the Ikea name (^_^) Sat, 03 Nov 2012 04:44:50 -0700 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/europe-england-london/threads/82930?page=1#forum_thread_comment_2313171 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/europe-england-london/threads/82930?page=1#forum_thread_comment_2313171 Kat Guenioui Great idea for a forum topic! I have one - it may be more of a reverse dictionary kind of thing, but any help to clarify or reword is much appreciated! So the phrase is 'before either of us has time to say anything we hear the cold, harsh click of a bullet being loaded into a barrel' - I'm thinking of a double barrelled shot gun, but I don't know how to express what is happening when it makes that sound I've heard on tv! Not really much of a gun expert. Help! Thanks, Kat Sun, 04 Nov 2012 14:20:12 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/europe-england-london/threads/82930?page=1#forum_thread_comment_2356917 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/europe-england-london/threads/82930?page=1#forum_thread_comment_2356917 technothrillerben I think it would be a cartridge, not a bullet, if it's a shotgun? Sun, 04 Nov 2012 16:13:49 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/europe-england-london/threads/82930?page=1#forum_thread_comment_2359937 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/europe-england-london/threads/82930?page=1#forum_thread_comment_2359937 holly6000 Yup. Shotguns don't fire bullets, they fire pellets. In military parlance, you'd be chambering a round. Don't know if you'd use that to refer to the act of loading a shotgun though (it's a long time since I fired either type of weapon) Sun, 04 Nov 2012 23:59:13 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/europe-england-london/threads/82930?page=1#forum_thread_comment_2370031 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/europe-england-london/threads/82930?page=1#forum_thread_comment_2370031 technothrillerben I'm no expert on this either, but I think a 'round' is just the correct term for a bullet, so you wouldn't use it for a cartridge. Mon, 05 Nov 2012 01:27:09 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/europe-england-london/threads/82930?page=1#forum_thread_comment_2370789 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/europe-england-london/threads/82930?page=1#forum_thread_comment_2370789 holly6000 See, I thought that at first. But a 'round' is a round of fire (ie a single pull of the trigger in non-automatic mode), which applies to both bullets and cartridges. Wikipedia agrees with me, bastion of lies that it is: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shotgun#Ammunition Mon, 05 Nov 2012 02:21:02 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/europe-england-london/threads/82930?page=1#forum_thread_comment_2371229 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/europe-england-london/threads/82930?page=1#forum_thread_comment_2371229 technothrillerben Aha. Live a day, learn a fact, as my Uncle Jeremiah would have said, had I had an Uncle Jeremiah. Mon, 05 Nov 2012 02:30:54 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/europe-england-london/threads/82930?page=1#forum_thread_comment_2371321 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/europe-england-london/threads/82930?page=1#forum_thread_comment_2371321 Karnuvap Hi Kat, My guess is that it is the cold hard click that you are looking to stress here - With a shotgun that comes when you close it up and is quite characeristic for the weapon. So how about "before either of us has time to say anything we hear the cold, harsh snap of the shotgun being closed" ? Mon, 05 Nov 2012 03:02:23 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/europe-england-london/threads/82930?page=1#forum_thread_comment_2371609 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/europe-england-london/threads/82930?page=1#forum_thread_comment_2371609 Kat Guenioui Thank you! That sounds good - does closed sum up the movement then? Where does the expression 'locked and loaded' come from? Mon, 05 Nov 2012 05:19:46 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/europe-england-london/threads/82930?page=1#forum_thread_comment_2373121 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/europe-england-london/threads/82930?page=1#forum_thread_comment_2373121 holly6000 Nobody knows. There are a few theories here: http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/lock_and_load Mon, 05 Nov 2012 05:52:34 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/europe-england-london/threads/82930?page=1#forum_thread_comment_2373636 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/europe-england-london/threads/82930?page=1#forum_thread_comment_2373636 Kat Guenioui Thanks - got to love all things Wiki! Mon, 05 Nov 2012 11:37:42 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/europe-england-london/threads/82930?page=1#forum_thread_comment_2380621 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/europe-england-london/threads/82930?page=1#forum_thread_comment_2380621 Kat Guenioui It's all a bit technical - slightly tempted to have them hear the snap of a twig breaking under foot instead! #coward Mon, 05 Nov 2012 11:39:21 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/europe-england-london/threads/82930?page=1#forum_thread_comment_2380662 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/europe-england-london/threads/82930?page=1#forum_thread_comment_2380662 technothrillerben Technothrillerben likes this Mon, 05 Nov 2012 13:06:09 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/europe-england-london/threads/82930?page=1#forum_thread_comment_2382656 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/europe-england-london/threads/82930?page=1#forum_thread_comment_2382656 CarlieD CarlieD loves this. Tue, 06 Nov 2012 08:18:58 -0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/europe-england-london/threads/82930?page=1#forum_thread_comment_2402126 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/europe-england-london/threads/82930?page=1#forum_thread_comment_2402126