# George R.R. Martin's querky English **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 8, 2011, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-r-r-martins-querky-english/588248 "2011-07-08T00:14:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2013, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-r-r-martins-querky-english/588248/41 "2013-06-01T12:38:54Z")
> [@Bengis](#): > > …Lets not forget the marriage between Gioffre Borgia and Sancha (of Aragon) Which went a little better than Joffrey and Sansa’s, for a while, anyway. (But, yeah, when I was reading about the Borgias a while ago and spotted reference to Gioffre marrying Sancha, my first reaction was ‘oh, clever reference, Mr Martin.’) ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2013, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-r-r-martins-querky-english/588248/42 "2013-06-01T12:44:00Z")
> [@Bengis](#): > > …Lets not forget the marriage between Gioffre Borgia and Sancha (of Aragon) You just blew my mind. ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2013, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-r-r-martins-querky-english/588248/43 "2013-06-01T13:07:12Z")
For some odd reason, I happen to know that ‘ser’ is Polish for cheese. So yes, I did kinda stumble over it a few times… Otherwise, I like the use of language as indicating a world kinda like ours, but not quite. ---
**Author:** ![Shakester](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shakester/32/437_2.png) [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2013, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-r-r-martins-querky-english/588248/44 "2013-06-01T13:22:26Z")
I mentioned in another thread that GRRM’s use of the name **Joffery** seems to be nothing more than a joke at the expense of people who phonetically mispronounce the name _Geoffrey_ (which is, of course, correctly pronounced _Jeffrey_). ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Shine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr_shine/32/464_2.png) [@Mr\_Shine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Shine)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2013, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-r-r-martins-querky-english/588248/45 "2013-06-01T13:35:57Z")
“Your Grace” when addressing a king never sat well with me. Again, it’s not Europe so they don’t need to use European conventions, but this one never ceased to bug me for some reason. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2013, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-r-r-martins-querky-english/588248/46 "2013-06-01T13:45:55Z")
I know, it still seems like an insult – you’re no better than a duke! ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2013, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-r-r-martins-querky-english/588248/47 "2013-06-01T15:15:23Z")
Are any of his spellings odder than “querky” for “quirky”? ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2013, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-r-r-martins-querky-english/588248/48 "2013-06-01T15:29:28Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > He’s seven. It’s mentioned in the first paragraph of chapter one in Game of Thrones: “It was the ninth year of the summer and the seventh of Bran’s life.” Robert’s party shows up in Winterfell only a few pages later. Technically that would make him 6 (how old were you in your first year of life? Not 1 yet). Though if the convo with Jaime says 7, I’ll just assume that Railroad misunderstands the terminology, like 99% of the people who use it. > [@With\_Rye](#): > > I like books that do this. The language is just slightly off to let you know that you’re not in Kansas anymore but isn’t so strange that it becomes a big deal. Yup, I feel that way too. It gives you some grounding but doesn’t let you get too comfortable. > [@Mr\_Shine](#): > > “Your Grace” when addressing a king never sat well with me. Again, it’s not Europe so they don’t need to use European conventions, but this one never ceased to bug me for some reason. I believe Henry VIII was addressed as “Your Grace,” for what it’s worth. ---
**Author:** ![Septima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Septima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Septima)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2013, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-r-r-martins-querky-english/588248/49 "2013-06-01T15:30:50Z")
I’m pretty sure “Ser” is phonetic spelling for the french “sieur” which is what people would have actually used during the War of the Roses (GRRM’s strongest real-life historical inspiration). I’ve also seen it elsewhere. I’m sure he is trying to evoke that romantic, medieval ballad aesthetic. It works on me: "“Ser” is romantic and medieval, while “Sir” makes me think of Elton John. The reader of the audiobook version of “A Distant Mirror” which can be found on Audible demonstrates this rather well. It’s “Ser/Sieur” for the french knights and Lords, and “Sir” for the english, with a very distinct and evocative difference in pronunciation ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2013, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-r-r-martins-querky-english/588248/50 "2013-06-01T18:51:12Z")
On the occasion of Jack Vance’s death, Neil Gaiman put a link to [The Moon Moth](http://www.unexploredworlds.com/RealPulp/htm/rpulp145.htm) in his Tumblr. GRRM also mentioned the story in his tribute to Vance. (A previous tribute: co-editing [Songs of the Dying Earth](http://www.amazon.com/Songs-Dying-Earth-George-Martin/dp/B0096DSP0E)–stories inspired by Vance… ) I remembered reading “The Moon Moth” in _Galaxy_, so long ago. So I read it again. To discover that, on that very weird world, gentlemen are addressed as “Ser.” Another tribute? (GRRM is no Tolkien. A continent the size of Westeros should have multiple languages. He left the details of Dothraki & Valyrian to the TV show. I’ve learned to accept that & not mind the names. Except for Jaime–he doesn’t _look_ Mexican & pronounces it wrong!) ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2013, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-r-r-martins-querky-english/588248/51 "2013-06-01T21:14:31Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > Are any of his spellings odder than “querky” for “quirky”? (whoosh? You can see from the OP that **Sampiro** knows how “quirky” is conventionally spelled. Spelt. Whatevs.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-r-r-martins-querky-english/588248.md?page=2)