Living with the Truth Stranger than Fiction This Is Not About What You Think Milligan and Murphy Making Sense

Monday 8 September 2008

Aggie and Shuggie 8



Maggie: Da!
Shuggie: Whit's up, hen?
Maggie: Mere an luk at Sassy Mama Bear's site.
Shuggie: Ah've no time fer weans' stuff
Maggie: It's no weans’ stuff, Da.
Shuggie: Aye it is, Gingerloaks
Maggie: She's no that Mama Bear. She's cawd Pennylope.
Shuggie: Y'mean that poash burd aff Thunnerburds? The wan that aywis wore pink? Wi the butla, Whitsisname?
Maggie: Pearker.
Shuggie: That's the chappie. "Yuss, mulady."
Maggie: Naw. Snaw her. Snuhin like it. She's a wumman oanline who's dunna review aff Unca Jim's book.
Shuggie: Anither yin? Brilyunt.
Maggie: Aye.
Shuggie: Well, why did ye no say that then insteada goin oan aboot stories fer weans?
Maggie: Ah wisne!
Shuggie: Don argue wi yer faither. So whit did she huv ti say?
Maggie: It wis aw gud stuff. Ah don rememmer.
Shuggie: Well, it canne huv bin that gud af ye canne rememmer.
Maggie: It wis! Luk read it yersel, Ah've goat t’go.
Shuggie: Yer no goan oot wi that waster Duggie Scoatt are ye? Ah've warnt ye aboot him.
Maggie: Nah Da. Ah'm goan t'meet Ma oot the Bingo.
Shuggie: Go oan, mak yer ol da a cuppa tea afore ye go.
Maggie: Ah've nae time. Anywise yer big an ugly innuf t'dae it yer sel.
Shuggie: Hey, watch yer cheek, girl. Huv yer left that thing up oan the screen?
Maggie: Aye.
Shuggie: It says The Library at the End o the Universe. Whit's that when it's at hame?
Maggie: That's whit the site's cawd. Noo luk, Ah've goat t'go.
Shuggie: Fine. Tell yer ma t'fetch us in a fish suppa oan er way back. An two pickles.
Maggie: Two pickles? Raight. Bye, Da.
Shuggie: Bye, hen.


Author's note: Okay, there was no Aggie in this one. So sue me.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Your dialogue is so natural, and that's very hard to do. Nicely done.

Made me smile. Thanks, and congratulations.

Jim Murdoch said...

Thanks Netta. Living in Glasgow does make it a bit easier. I wouldn't be nearly as sure of myself trying to do a Newcastle or Birmingham accent.

Marion McCready said...

Yes, so natural. I really struggle to write poems in dialect - they often end up a bad mix between Glaswegian and the north east!

Jim Murdoch said...

I've only one poem in dialect Sorlil and it's being published in December. I'll post a blog when it is talking about it like I usually do. I've done a few stories though and they are very hard to get just right.

Unknown said...

I must say I've not been compared to penelope in the Thunderbirds ever, more Penelope Pitstop, though I named for Odyseuss' wife in mythology. Better than Sunshine which was the original name selected for me, and yes my parents were hippies.
It was a pleasure to read this book, truly a great read.

Jim Murdoch said...

Glad you liked the book Penelope and you know I never thought about Penelope Pitstop but Lady Penelope came to me in a flash and I just went with it, a real burst of inspiration you might say.

SUSAN SONNEN said...

What a great review, Jim!

I'm sending Kyle a memo that this is the book I would like to receive next from my Amazon WishList.

Ken Armstrong said...

Parker was based on Alfred Hitchcock, wasn't he? I always thought so anyway.

Jim Murdoch said...

Susan, glad to hear that but it'll probably be cheaper and quicker if he orders it direct from the FV Books site.

And, Ken, according to an interview with the BBC they modelled Parker's voice and mannerisms on a waiter at their favourite restaurant:

"He was very proud of having worked for her majesty for ten years," explained Gerry. "So we sent the actor playing Parker down to the Kings' Arms every day - and that's how he got the voice."

Melissa said...

visiting and reading your post here. thanks

Jim Murdoch said...

Thank you for visiting, Melissa, always glad to see someone new making comments.

Anonymous said...

It's taken me some time, but I think I'm finally understanding the Aggie/Shuggie conversations -- and I always look forward to another review of your book, not only to get a new opinion, but also to see how Aggie and Shuggie will frame the review/ reviewer.

Jim Murdoch said...

They're fun to write, Jennifer, but I have to say I'm surprised how popular they seem to be. The first one was just a bit of fun, a break from my usual involved blogs, but now I can see reviewers feeling slighted if they don't get their own. I just hope I can keep up the quality.

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