#MondayMorningMailbag Q: Why do you use the word “toboggan” in your books when you talk about winter hats? Don’t you mean “toque”?
A: Oh, #toboggan. You are the bane of my existence as an author. The Bane! Of My! EXISTENCE!!!
Sorry, I just had to get that out. 1/ #writing

I probably get asked this more than any other question about my books. I can’t even tell you how many emails/comments I’ve gotten about “toboggan” over the years. Seriously, I’ve gotten a LOT of emails/comments about it. 2/ #writing #books #toboggan

Never, in a million years, did I think that “toboggan” would attract so much attention, but it’s just one of those weird, random, unexpected things that all authors deal with when it comes to their books. Sigh. 3/ #writing #books #toboggan #amwriting #writerslife

In the southern United States where I live and where many of my books are set, “toboggan” is the word for a winter hat – NOT a sled. A sled is just a sled in the South. “Toque” is a northern United States/Canadian word for a winter hat. 4/ #writing #books #toboggan #amwriting

But since my characters are not from the northern U.S./Canada, they would NEVER, EVER use the word “toque”. I, personally, would never use the word “toque” either, again because I live in the South. To me, a sled is a sled, and a toboggan is a winter hat. 5/ #writing #books

Basically, it’s just a difference in regional word choices & there are tons of different words that mean the same thing. For example, years ago, someone told me that people in Wisconsin refer to “water fountains” as “bubblers”. I think that’s an awesome regional word choice. 6/

I sometimes get annoyed at the #Christmas rom-coms where they talk about “tobogganing”, especially if the movie is (supposedly) set in the southern U.S. I will even sometimes yell at the TV: “No! You are going SLEDDING! You are wearing a TOBOGGAN on your head!” 7/ #writing #books

Did I mention that “toboggan” is the bane of my existence as an author? LOL.
So that’s why I use “toboggan” in my books. Thank you for coming to my #TEDtalk about "toboggan" versus "toque".
What are some different regional words that you have noticed over the years? 8/8 #books