Colloquialisms capture expressions that have become typical within a specific language, locality, or era. And writers use them to infuse their characters with personality and authenticity. In this article, we explore the nature of colloquialism and how they make a story feel real and keeps it true to its time.

What is Colloquialism?

Colloquialism refers to informal, unfancy, everyday language. Idioms use this language style in regular conversation and other informal contexts, which employ interjections and other expressive devices. It uses non-specialist terms, an ever-changing vocabulary, and formulations with incomplete logical and syntactic ordering.

A colloquial language may include a good amount of slang, but this element is not a must. Particular in-groups restrictedly use slang even within a region or an era, but colloquialism isn't often that restricted. Colloquial usage in English can also include contractions or profanity. But it differs from jargon, which are words and expressions created within a specific profession or trade. A "bull market" is an investment banking jargon, not a colloquial phrase.

Effects of Colloquialism in Literature

Writers use colloquial expressions to make their work sound authentic. It manifests in their writing of fictional dialogue, where there is the need to recreate casual conversation that makes a narrative feel real. It also establishes and reinforces the setting of a story, making it easy for readers to recognize and remember the time and place factor of a narrative. Also, colloquialism evokes a lot about a character, his age, social group, socioeconomic background, and overall personality.

Examples of Colloquialism in Fiction

With the benefits colloquialism adds to a narrative, writers throughout the history of literature have never failed to include it in their prose and dialogue. And here are a few classic examples of colloquialism in notable works of fiction:

"Oh, oh, is it Aunt Edith?” sniffed Judy. “And it was me fine Edith that dragged her in and blew it all afore Brian and his fine lady wife, ye’re telling me? Sure it was like her. It’s a pity a liddle thing like that cudn’t av been hushed up in the fam’ly. And to punish the tinder-hearted cratur so cruel! Ye ralely ain’t wise, Long Alec. A bit av a tongue-lashing might av been all right but to kape on torturing the poor jewel for a wake and her that fond av ye all! It’s telling ye to yer face, I am Long Alec, ye don’t deserve such a daughter." — Pat of Silver Bush by Lucy Maud Montgomery. This is an example of Irish vernacular.

"Man corrupt everything, say Shug. He on your box of grits, in your head, and all over the radio. He try to make you think he everywhere. Soon as you think he everywhere, you think he God. But he ain’t. Whenever you trying to pray, and man plop himself on the other end of it, tell him to git lost, say Shug. Conjure up the flowers, wind, water, a big rock." — The Color Purple by Alice Walker. The conversation here uses the colloquialism of the American Deep South.

It’s not necessary to tell all you know. It’s not ladylike-in the second place, folks don’t like to have somebody around knowin’ more than they do. It aggravates ‘em. You’re not gonna change any of them by talkin’ right, they’ve got to want to learn themselves, and when they don’t want to learn there’s nothing you can do but keep your mouth shut or talk their language.” — To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Here Harper Lee employs U.S. vernacular typical of the era of the story.