Today's Pet Peeve: The Giggle

It's Monday, and I'm peeved. No big surprise there. It's noon and I've only had one cup of coffee. But I'm on a writing roll, so that's my excuse.

My rant today is about the giggle. I just can't read it in another book unless the subject doing the giggling is a child. Women rarely giggle. The word conjures to mind high-pitched laughter, a girlish shriek, or vapid amusement. So if a woman is giggling, I'm picturing an immature, pretty young thing big on boobs and short on brains. Yeah, I know, a stereotype, but what can I say? I'm ranting.

I read a book the other day about two grown men. And they giggled. Grown men, one alpha, the other a sexual dynamo. In between domination scenes and trust issues, they giggled. WTF? Totally threw me out of the moment and out of the story. Had I not been holding my ereader, I might have thrown the blasted book against the wall. Sure, there were other things wrong with that particular story, but really. When's the last time anyone heard a grown man giggle?

There are so many other words to express laughter. Laugh, chuckle, titter, chortle, guffaw, snigger, snicker, howl, crack up, etc, etc. So I'm making a plea to all those writers out there wanting to add some amusement to their books.

To all of you. PLEASE. No more giggling unless your character is a child wanting childish things. NOT an erotic romance between grown folks in lust or in love. Ack.

My Monday rant, for what it's worth.