My fiction writers' group has been critiquing the novel manuscript of mine that some of you assisted with earlier this year: http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=210023

The group members are sharp, and I frequently take their advice. But we've bumped into an issue of word choice. Now a writer doesn't have to take the shorter word over the longer or less familiar if the latter is *exactly* right. But I'm wondering. For instance, in a recent discussion, one group member objected to a career cop using the word "firing" to describe the act of arson: "The Arson Squad got a tip that the Wolves [a teenage gang] had been behind the firing of two abandoned houses that winter and spring."

I could use "burning," of course. But I think "firing" (in the sense of "setting fire to," which wouldn't work as I've phrased the speech above) is the sort of term a cop or firefighter, or lawyer, would use. What do you think?
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__________________
* *
-- Paul W. (The Benzadmiral)
('03 Buick Park Avenue, charcoal/cream)
Formerly:
'97 C230, smoke silver/parchment; '86 420SEL, anthracite/light grey; '84 280CE (W123), dark blue/palomino

In my opinion, the word people use in those circumstances is 'torching'. I've never heard 'firing' used that way.

__________________
1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

Yeah, "torching" would be much better than "burning."

My memory throws up a snippet from "Points of Law" in a dictionary from my childhood, saying that "Arson, to be in the first degree, must occur at night, and the buildings fired must have been inhabited."
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__________________
* *
-- Paul W. (The Benzadmiral)
('03 Buick Park Avenue, charcoal/cream)
Formerly:
'97 C230, smoke silver/parchment; '86 420SEL, anthracite/light grey; '84 280CE (W123), dark blue/palomino

I hadn't heard the term 'firing' used for arson before. Since it was used in the context of the police, and if it is a term they use, then I would consider it appropriate. It also would depend on how it is used. Some writers, TV show, movies etc. used terms or phrases to add 'ambiance' if you will. Others seem to beat it to death to prove they are experts of the culture or such.
Just think back to say 'Shogun', how many people knew what a 'Shogun' was before. Do we change the term or keep it to add an element of the culture.
Tom

To my mind, the past tense of 'fire' applies to three kinds of events, hardening clay in a kiln, starting an engine (fired it up) or dismissing someone from a job. I have no idea why the past tense of fire does not seem to apply to burning something down. I tried googling 'fired' and found this:

http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/fired

which covers the legal definition of arson, but I couldn't find the past tense used in the explanation.

__________________
1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

See this headline: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=940DE4DD153DE633A25752C1A9679D94669ED7CF

And this item:
http://www.ihr.org/jhr/v02/v02p177_Wainwright.html, at the start of paragraph 7: "Van der Lubbe admitted he had fired the building."

That noted, it may be a more specialized or old-fashioned usage than I thought. "Torching" is a lot more vivid.
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__________________
* *
-- Paul W. (The Benzadmiral)
('03 Buick Park Avenue, charcoal/cream)
Formerly:
'97 C230, smoke silver/parchment; '86 420SEL, anthracite/light grey; '84 280CE (W123), dark blue/palomino

"Firing" sounds like it's from another era to me. I'd go with "Torching," too.

__________________
" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

Firing sounds *exactly* right. It's a much more interesting word that adds an authentic touch without resorting to cliche.

__________________
2002 E320 4-Matic
2008 Subaru Outback
2009 Subaru Forester

I am with you on this one.

I've worked with arson investigators and not once have I heard them use the term "firing" when referring to an arson fire.

__________________
Current Benzes

1989 300TE "Alice"
1990 300CE "Sam Spade"
1991 300CE "Beowulf" RIP (06.1991 - 10.10.2007)
1998 E320 "Orson"
2002 C320 Wagon "Molly Fox"

Res non semper sunt quae esse videntur

My Gallery

Not in this weather!

From 1897, no wonder I've never heard it.

__________________
1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

Yep.

Another era? The NYT link was to a headline dated 1897

My gosh. I didn't realize their archives went back that far!

And come to think of it, the dictionary I quoted from was quite old -- my mother said my father had given it to her before I was born. Since the cop in my story is about 45 years old, I think "firing" might well have passed its vogue before he was born.

__________________
* *
-- Paul W. (The Benzadmiral)
('03 Buick Park Avenue, charcoal/cream)
Formerly:
'97 C230, smoke silver/parchment; '86 420SEL, anthracite/light grey; '84 280CE (W123), dark blue/palomino

torching sounds better.

__________________
"It's normal for these things to empty your wallet and break your heart in the process."
2012 SLK 350
1987 420 SEL

I have read that expression used in the Eighteenth Century, but not too much as late as the Twentieth. I guess you should check the OED if you want the definitive answer.

__________________
" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

I was going to check the OED but my copy's in the office.
My theory is that "to fire' meaning 'to burn' went out of vogue once 'to fire' meaning 'to dismiss an employee' came into vogue. But I'm completely at a loss to figure out how the meaning 'to dismiss an employee' ever arose from the verb 'fire'. Anybody have any clues?

__________________
1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13