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Wildly popular teenage literary series by Louise Rennison. The books are the diaries of Georgia Nicolson, who is 13 at the beginning of the series and 15-16 in the last installments. So popular in the author's native Britain that the books were released in the USA with minor adjustments and were adapted into a film that was released in 2008.
Noted for containing many "Georgia-isms" that have made their way into everyday language, such as "nunga-nungas" (breasts), "marvy" or "fabby" (anything Georgia likes) and "I'm away laughing on a fast camel" (goodbye). Reprints of the books include a glossary.
The books in the series are:[]
- Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging
- It's OK, I'm Wearing Really Big Knickers! (USA version: On The Bright Side, I'm Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God)
- Knocked Out By My Nunga-Nungas.
- Dancing In My Nuddy-Pants!
- ... And That's When It Fell Off In My Hand. (USA version: Away Laughing on a Fast Camel)
- ...Then He Ate My Boy Entrancers.
- ...Startled By His Furry Shorts!
- Luuurve Is a Many Trousered Thing...
- Stop in the Name of Pants!
- Are These My Basoomas I See Before Me?
All the books are about the everyday teenage life and problems of Georgia and her friends, known as the "Ace Gang". Major characters include:[]
- Georgia Nicolson - the snarky and immature, but likeable, heroine
- Jas - Georgia's best friend. Prone to rambling on, fringe-flicking, and wearing enormous underwear
- "The Ace Gang" - consists of Georgia and Jas plus Rosie, Ellen, Jools and Mabs (joined by Honor and Sophie in the last book)
- Robbie aka "Sex God" - Georgia's boyfriend in the early books
- Tom - Robbie's brother, Jas's boyfriend, whom she calls "Hunky"
- Masimo aka the "Luuurve God" and "Italian Stallion" - Italian singer who replaces Robbie in Georgia's affections
- Dave "The Laugh" - close friend and occasional "snogging partner" of Georgia
- "Wet" Lindsay - Georgia's enemy and rival for the affections of Robbie and Masimo
- Angus and Gordy - Georgia's crazy pet Scottish wildcats
- Libby - Georgia's very young sister, not yet toilet trained
- "Mutti" and "Vati" - Georgia's uncool parents
These books provide examples of:[]
- The Ace: Jas is a bit of a "teacher's botty-kisser" and apparently "top girl at blodge...and, uh, everything."
- Adults Are Useless: To be fair, pretty much everyone in this series is useless.
- Age-Inappropriate Dress: Georgia's mutti dresses like a teenage prostitute.
- All Women Love Shoes: Georgia takes this to the extreme when she chooses to wear shoes three sizes too small just so she can impress Masimo. She can't take them off and ends up having to get Dr. Clooney to cut them off her feet.
- Alpha Bitch: Depending on your view, either Georgia herself or "Wet" Lindsay
- Or, you know, both of them. Interestingly, the character actually named Libby does not qualify.
- It is mentioned that she is a bully at her nursery school (although usually to the little boys), so perhaps she's an example-in-training?
- Or, you know, both of them. Interestingly, the character actually named Libby does not qualify.
- Always Someone Better: Dave the Laugh is constantly overlooked by Georgia because he is not as good-looking nor a pop-star like Robbie and Masimo.
- Annoying Younger Sibling
- Asian Airhead: Ellen was The Ditz of the Ace Gang in the books where her ethnicity is not mentioned. The movie made her Asian and created Unfortunate Implications. However, she is Indian, not East Asian as the trope usually implies.
- Beta Couple: Jas and Tom, Rosie and Sven.
- Better as Friends: Georgia and Robbie. Also, Georgia thinks that she and Dave are better off as friends before Masimo breaks up with her and she finally realises Dave has been in love with her all along.
- Birds of a Feather: Georgia and Dave; Jas and Tom; Rosie and Sven
- Blah Blah Blah: What Georgia hears when Jas is rambling on about wildlife.
- Blue Eyes: Robbie the Sex God
- Book Dumb: Georgia and Rosie.
- Bratty Teenage Daughter: Georgia. All of her friends too.
- Break the Haughty: Georgia, mildly. She has more love problems than any of the other characters.
- The Bus Came Back: Robbie at the end of "Startled By His Furry Shorts".
- Butt Monkey: Nauseating P. Green.
- Can't Act Perverted Toward a Love Interest: Subverted by Dave, who still acted very rudey-dudey towards his love interest, Georgia.
- Cats Are Mean: Angus.
- Chick Magnet: Robbie and Masimo, especially, seem to have a lot of girls gawking at them. Also, Dave the Laugh has his own fan club.
- Clingy Jealous Girl: Lindsay is said to be this.
- Closet Shuffle: From "On the Bright Side..." More info on the trope page.
- Cloudcuckoolander: Most members of the cast at some point, even Georgia, though Rosie and Sven win by a mile.
- Coolest Club Ever: The Buddha Lounge, "Liquid" in the movie.
- Cosmetic Catastrophe: Ellen dithering so much that she gets mascara on her teeth. And lipstick in her eye. Georgia also has the occasional dodgy eyeliner, or stab-in-the-eye with the mascara brush.
- Crazy Jealous Guy: Masimo, a bit. Who gets the hump over a their girlfriend doing the twist with a matey-mate?
- The Danza: Georgia is played by Georgia Groome in the film.
- Deadpan Snarker: Georgia, Jas, Rosie, Lindsay...most of the girls, really.
- Death Glare: Wet Lindsay; Hawkeye; Madam Slack
- Defictionalization: A band called The Stiff Dylans was actually formed for the purposes of the movie, and had some success in the charts with singles from the film.
- Department of Redundancy Department: Many times throughout the series. The characters aren't very bright for the most part.
Jas: He was so upset. |
- Didn't See That Coming: The return of the "Sex God", Robbie.
- The Ditherer: Ellen. And how...
- Dogged Nice Guy: Dave goes about Way 2.
- Door Judo: In one book, Georgia skips school to spy on her mother at home, whom she suspects of having an affair with the builder. She is caught when they open the living room door and she falls through it, so has to pretend she was sent home sick from school.
- Dramatic Irony: What is blatantly obvious to the reader is often unfathomable to Georgia. A prime example would be her constant complaining about her mother — her clothes, her attitude, the way she acts around her friends — when it's obvious to the reader that Georgia is a carbon copy of her mum.
- Dumbass Has a Point: Even dithering Ellen has moments of insight, to her friends' confusion. A more meta example is Georgia, who says things that border on the wise (if she didn't immediately ruin the effect by doing something idiotic a paragraph later).
- Driven to Suicide: Georgia contemplates suicide because of her big nose, wondering if anyone would really care if she killed herself, and who would turn up to her funeral. She writes a suicide note to her parents, but decides not to kill herself because she can't be bothered.
- Dungeonmaster's Girlfriend: Georgia borders on this during the early books when she tries to hang out with Robbie's bandmates, usually ending in embarrassment for her.
- Easily Forgiven: Jas and Georgia have a falling out in almost every book, but they always end up making up in a few hours or less, or at longest a few days. Also, Dave and Georgia are virtually unable to not forgive the other for anything.
- Escalating War: Georgia and Lindsay, after Georgia decides to pursue Robbie whilst Lindsay is still dating him.
- Everyone Can See It: Georgia is oblivious to her and Dave being perfect for each other. Props to Dave for trying to tell her in his "What if you were really meant to be with someone" speech. Unfortunately, Georgia doesn't believe him and calls him daft.
Dave: What if you were really meant to be with someone? But you kept on messing about and having the Horn and so on and you lost them. |
- Everyone Looks Sexier If Italian: Masimo
- Fake Boobs: Lindsay
- The Film of the Book
- First Kiss: Georgia's was with Whelk Boy.
- Friendship Moment: Jas and Georgia get one at the end of "Are These My Basoomas I See Before Me?"
Georgia: I would really miss you if you weren't here, Jas. |
- Friends with Benefits: Georgia and Dave with their many "accidental" snogs.
- Funny Foreigner: Sven, Herr Kamyer
- Fun with Foreign Languages: Georgia speaks almost-fluent French, and she takes German.
- The Kochs and their spangleferkels...
- Generation Xerox: Georgia's mum is simply a grown-up Georgia. She even recalls being in exactly the same situations Georgia gets herself into. Their ultimate choice of a partner that they can have a laugh with rather than a "sex god" is also similiar.
- Global Ignorance: Georgia intends to go looking for Masimo when her family goes to America even though they won't be anywhere near him. She asks, "How big can America be?"
- Green-Eyed Monster: Georgia, Lindsay, Ellen. Robbie, although maybe not to the extent of 'monster'.
- Hands-Off Parenting; Parental Abandonment; Parental Neglect: Georgia's mutti hardly ever cooks, and lets Libby play with bread knives, and her vati doesn't seem to do anything other than polish his clown car and sit around drinking beer with Uncle Eddie.
- Happy Ending: Just about everyone was glad to see Georgia finally end up with Dave.
- Hey, It's That Guy!: You may recognise Aaron Johnson (Robbie) from "Kick-Ass" and "The Illusionist", which also stars Eleanor Tomlinson (Jas). Kimberly Nixon (Lindsay) has starred in "Cherrybomb" and "Wild Child".
- Hormone-Addled Teenager: Everyone, especially Georgia and Dave.
- Hot Mom: Connie Nicolson, arguably. Most likely because of her ginormous nungas, and "teenage prostitute-like" clothing. She certainly seems to be able to charm many men of her age, and even some younger ones (Dave the Laugh once said that he quite fancied her).
- I Can't Believe a Guy Like You Would Notice Me: Georgia thinks this about Robbie and Masimo.
- I Was Having Such a Nice Dream: Georgia daydreams about Masimo but it is ruined by Dave the Laugh appearing in her dream and acting upset.
- I'll Pretend I Didn't Hear That: Essentially what ignorez-vousing is.
- In-Series Nickname: Almost everyone.
- Whelk Boy (Peter Dyer); Mark "Big Gob"; Jas (Jasmine); Rosie (Rosemary); Jools (Julia); Mabs (Mabel); Hawkeye (Ms. Heaton); Slim (Ms. Simpson); Dave "The Laugh"; "Rudi" Kamyer; "Billy" Shakespeare; "Kittykat/Sex Kitty" (Georgia).
- It's All About Me: Most of the characters, Georgia and Jas especially.
- It Got Worse: Georgia goes out for coffee with Robbie, and they run into Wet Lindsay, and then Masimo. Also, when the Ace Gang are at the park watching the boys play footy, Robbie shows up with Lindsay, and at the same time Dave the Laugh shows up holding hands with his girlfriend Emma.
- I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: Dave to Georgia.
- Jerkass: Georgia can very well be considered this.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Georgia again. As Jerkass-ish as she can get, Georgia's Pet the Dog moments make you realize that she really is an okay kid.
- Just Friends: Georgia and Dave are apparently "just mates". Mates who end up accidentally snogging each other every so often. Although in the last two novels Dave really does try his hardest to stay in the friend zone with Georgia, because he is going out with Emma. Georgia doesn't seem to care much about cheating on Masimo or Robbie at all, because she loves snogging Dave too much.
- Karma Houdini: Wet Lindsay receives no major retribution for her constant tormenting of Georgia. The Bummer Twins spend three whole books not being caught or punished for their reign as the school bullies, and when they're finally expelled from school, it's for shoplifting.
- Last Kiss: Masimo gives Georgia one before leaving to go to London.
- Last-Minute Hookup: Georgia and Dave finally get together in the second last page of the last book.
- Late for School: Georgia, all the time - usually making Jas late as well.
- Lecherous Licking: There is one scene where Georgia's cats are in bed with her and start licking at her legs.
- Like Parent, Like Spouse: Dave has a lot in common with Georgia's dad, from his inappropriate comments, to his self-confidence, to his sense of humour.
- Likes Older Women: Dave the Laugh apparently fancies Georgia's mum.
- Love At First Sight: Georgia with Robbie and Masimo.
- Love Makes You Dumb: Georgia when she has jelloid brain.
- Love Triangle: Robbie-Georgia-Masimo. With Dave the Laugh on the side.
- Lovable Alpha Bitch: Georgia
- Market-Based Title: It's OK, I'm Wearing Really Big Knickers! was changed to On the Bright Side, I'm Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God and ... And That's When It Came Off in my Hand was changed to Away Laughing on a Fast Camel for the US publication. The title of the film was changed slightly to Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging, since "full-frontal snogging" was thought to be inappropriate for a pre-teen audience.
- Metaphorgotten: on a very regular basis
- Moment Killer: Mr. Across the Road, when Robbie walks Georgia back to her house after taking her out to coffee. He is about to snog her when Mr. Across the Road interrupts them, complaining to Georgia about Angus destroying their aquarium.
- Move Along, Nothing to See Here: Uttered verbatim by Dave in "...Startled By His Furry Shorts!"
- Mr. Fanservice: The very good-looking Aaron Johnson. Also, Sean Bourke and Tommy Bastow, the actors for Tom and Dave the Laugh.
- Never My Fault: Georgia.
- "Why does the finger of shame always point towards me?"
- Nice Guy: Robbie. Masimo, too.
- No Sense of Humour: Georgia's vati, according to her. Then again, she expects him to laugh at her insults to him, so this is arguable.
- No Sympathy: Georgia
- Not Allowed to Grow Up: Georgia's sister Libby is mentioned as 3 years old at the start of the series but does not mature with the rest of the cast; in the later books she has not yet started school, is still not toilet trained and her speech has not developed. Lampshaded as Georgia wonders why her parents don't bother to teach her sister these things.
- Not Listening to Me, Are You?: "Something VERY INTERESTING happened to me last night. I slit my throat and my head rolled off. Have you seen it anywhere?"
- Oblivious to Love: Georgia is oblivious to Dave's feelings for her, dismissing them as just him being a nice friend.
- One-Gender School: Stalag 14, Foxwood's, St. Mary's, St. John's, Moorgrange Girls'.
- Only One Name: Dave the Laugh's surname is never mentioned, despite him being one of the main male characters.
- Operation: Jealousy: Georgia using Dave the Laugh as a "red herring" to make Robbie jealous.
- Pet the Dog: despite looking down on Pamela Green (nicknamed Nauseating P. Green) Georgia actually defends her from the Bummer Twins and when they are finally expelled, it is because she and her Ace Gang told the school authorities that they were the shoplifters instead of P. Green who they had initially framed.
- Pitbull Dates Puppy: Lindsay and Robbie.
- Playing Hard to Get: Dave the Laugh advises Georgia to do this in order to get Masimo's attention.
- The Power of Hate: Georgia and Lindsay towards each other.
- "How I hate her. It gives me energy the amount that I hate her."
- Put on a Bus: Robbie. But then The Bus Came Back...
- Really Gets Around: Georgia, when compared to her friends. By the end of the series, she has been with five boys in total (Whelk Boy, Mark Big Gob, Dave the Laugh, Robbie and Masimo), whilst the other Ace Gang members have only been with one or two. Dave has also been with four girls (Georgia, Ellen, Rachel and Emma).
- Reason You Suck Speech: From the movie. Only six words long: "Clearly, Robbie prefers his girlfriends UN-FAKE." Jas' Crowning Moment of Awesome follows.
- The Rival: Lindsay
- Romantic False Lead: Dave's two ex-girlfriends, Rachel and Emma. The former being more of a false lead because Dave is still fooling around with Georgia whilst dating her, and doesn't seem to take their relationship too seriously.
- After he dumps Rachel, Dave starts dating Emma Jacobs, and this time round he really does try to be a good boyfriend to her and stay faithful. It is clear that he has strong feelings for Georgia, but all the same he does seem to like Emma quite a bit, even going as far as to go to a Sculpture Park with her and her parents.
- But in the end she still ends up being a Romantic False Lead, because it becomes obvious that although Dave likes her, his heart really belongs to Georgia.
- Maybe, but not quite Ellen because Dave and Gee's relationship was still quite new around the time that he started dating her, and Dave may not have developed such strong feelings towards Gee yet.
- Romantic Runner-Up: Robbie and Masimo, who end up being first and second runner-up to Dave.
- Running Gag: Nauseating P. Green, Melanie Griffiths' basoomas.
- Sadist Teacher
- School Play: Peter Pan, Macbeth (Mac Useless), Romeo & Juliet (Rom & Jule)
- Schoolgirl Series
- Selective Obliviousness: Georgia cannot seem to acknowledge her true feelings for Dave because she sees him as just a "matey-mate" and not a "Sex God" or "Luuurve God".
- Serenade Your Lover: Robbie does this to Georgia before leaving to go to Kiwi-a-gogo land, and after coming back.
- She Is All Grown Up: One of the few times Georgia's mutti compliments her, not counting when she is dressed up to go to gigs.
- Ship Sinking: Anyone who shipped Georgia/Robbie had their ship capsized when she chose Masimo over him. Also, the extreme minority of fans who shipped Georgia/Masimo would've had their ship sunk when he left for London at the end of ATMBISBM.
- Ship Tease: Georgia and Dave, A LOT.
- Shirtless Scene: The pool scene in the movie, where Robbie and Tom are both shirtless.
- Shout-Out: Many.
- The Show Must Go On: ...even when Georgia's false beard falls off.
- "Shut Up" Kiss: Dave gives Georgia quite a few.
- Sickeningly Sweethearts: Jas and Tom, so, so much.
- Sidekick: Jas to Georgia, especially on the trip to Hamburger-a-gogo land.
- Signature Style: Louise Rennison's writing is unlike any other.
- Single Girl Seeks Most Popular Guy: Georgia is not content with a Foxwood lad. No, she must have the lead singer of the hottest local band.
- Six-Student Clique: The Ace Gang.
- The Head/The Muscle: Georgia
- The Shy One: Ellen
- The Quirk/The Wild One: Rosie
- The Smart One: Jas
- Those Two Girls: Jools and Mabs
- The Others: Honor and Sophie
- In terms of the movie, Rosie would be The Pretty One.
- Spoiled Brat: Georgia
- Stern Teacher: Hawkeye, Madam Slack
- Stuffed Into the Fridge: Quite literally. In the movie, Libby is said to have put Angus in the fridge.
- "Libby! Stop putting Angus in the fridge!"
- Surrounded by Idiots: The only non-idiots in the series are Robbie and Masimo. Everyone else is mad.
- Talk Show: Delilah's "agony aunt" show that Georgia and Jas watch whilst on holiday in Hamburger-a-gogo land.
- Tantrum Throwing: Mostly Libby, although Georgia and even Jas do on occasion.
- Temporary Love Interest: When Dave starts to be featured more prominently in the series, we start to realise that he and Georgia may or may not be the Official Couple.
- Third Option Love Interest: Dave the Laugh throughout most of the novel when Georgia is chasing after either Robbie or Masimo, but snogging him on the side.
- Token Minority: Ellen is played by an Indian girl in the film adaptation. May be because the director (Gurinder Chadha) is Indian, and known for her films about British Asians. Originally, she was a Composite Character called "Namita", but the role was re-dubbed as Ellen after protests from fans.
- True Love Is Exceptional: Dave the Laugh is Georgia's most constant love interest, despite lacking her usual "requirements" for a boyfriend (older, "Sex God" looks, sings in a band, own transport). In the first book, she wonders why anybody would date someone just because they were funny, but this is presented as Dave's best feature from the moment he appears in the second.
- Unreliable Narrator: Georgia.
- Unresolved Sexual Tension: A lot throughout the series with Georgia and her love interests. Also, possibly the reason why she and Dave keep having "accidental" snogs.
- Unsympathetic Comedy Protagonist: Georgia. Even readers in the book's age demographic have found her a complete brat.
- Though some see her as a lovable complete brat. See above to Draco in Leather Pants.
- Unusual Euphemism: "nunga-nungas", among others.
- Verbal Backspace: "Look, I'm sure if you went back to Rachel that she'd forgive you. She is remarkably stup- er, stupendously nice."
- The Verse: Rennison's follow-up to this series is a series of new books based around Georgia's cousin, Tallulah.
- Victorious Childhood Friend - Georgia and Dave
- To be fair, Dave isn't really a childhood friend. He and Georgia met when they were around 13-14.
- What Does He See In Her?: Georgia doesn't understand why Robbie and Masimo can't seem to pick up on the fact that Lindsay is a wet weed. Also, she thinks that Tom is mad for going out with Jas.
- Wild Teen Party: Katie Steadman's infamous for them.
- Will They or Won't They?: Georgia and Dave.
- With Friends Like These...: Georgia and Jas can be pretty horrible to one another. Georgia often snarls about Jas' fringe, giant knickers and obsession with pond life. She's also been known to shove Jas and undermine her confidence. Jas does the same right back, specialising in vicious kicks and passive-aggressive silent treatment, as well as making nasty digs about Georgia's reputation and morality. The rest of the Ace Gang, though frequently so shallow they reflect themselves, have a better handle on the whole "friendship" thing.
- Wrong Guy First: Right guy second. Unfortunately, Georgia was just using him as a red-herring, so it didn't really count.
- This is not including Whelk Boy and Mark Big Gob, because they were not really proper boyfriends.
- Wrote the Book: Georgia is convinced that her cats Angus and Gordy wrote a book on "Cat Tips On How To Really Annoy Your Baldy Owners". Also, she is convinced that her vati has read and taken tips from books called "How To Be The Most Embarrassing Dad In History" and "How To Be Really Crap".
- Your Cheating Heart: Georgia and Dave both cheat on their partners with each other on many occasions.