Literature / Confessions of Georgia Nicolson

"You are, in the nicest possible way, quite possibly clinically insane."

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 series comprises of:

• 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?

Major characters include:

• Georgia Nicolson - The protagonist and narrator. She is snarky and immature, but still likeable.
• Jas - Georgia's best friend. Prone to rambling on, fringe-flicking, and wearing enormous underwear.
• "The Ace Gang" - consists of Georgia and Jas as well as Rosie, Ellen, Jools and Mabs (joined by Honor and Sophie in the last book).
• Robbie (the "Sex God") - Georgia's boyfriend in the early books.
• Tom - Robbie's brother, also Jas's boyfriend whom she calls "Hunky".
• Masimo (the "Luuurve God" and "Italian Stallion") - An extremely good-looking Italian singer who replaces Robbie in Georgia's affections.
• Dave "The Laugh" - Boyfriend, later turned ex, 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 younger sister, not yet toilet trained.
• "Mutti" and "Vati" - Georgia's uncool parents.

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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."

• Age-Inappropriate Dress: Georgia's mother, "Mutti", dresses like a teenage prostitute.
• All Guys Want Cheerleaders: When Georgia goes to "Hamburger-a-gogo land" (America), Dave asks her to bring him back an American cheerleader.
• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• Closet Shuffle: From "On the Bright Side...", the entire Ace Gang are forced to hide from "Wet" Lindsay in a toilet cubicle, and struggle not to crack up as they hear her talking to her friends.

• 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. Who gets the hump over a their girlfriend doing the twist with a matey-mate?

• Department of Redundancy Department: Many times throughout the series. The characters aren't very bright for the most part.
  Jas: He was so upset.
  Georgia: Yeah you said.
  Jas: Really, really upset. He phoned me eighteen times in two hours.
  Georgia: Er, I KNOW.
  Jas: Eighteen times.
  Georgia: WOW. How many times did you say he called?
  Jas: Eighteen times.

• 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.
• Dr. Jerk: Georgia had one before the handsome "Dr Clooney" showed up: "I've got Dr Wallace, the incredibly fat, red, uncaring face of medicine. It's hard enough getting an aspirin out of him when you've got flu."
• 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.
• 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.
• Dude Magnet: Let's count Georgia's suitors: Dave the Laugh, Robbie "the Sex God", Massimo "The Italian Stallion", Peter Dyer "Whelk Boy", also Georgia's cousin James.
• 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).
• 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.

• 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.

• The Film of the Book: "Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging", which premiered on Creator/{{Nickelodeon.}}
• Firemen Are Hot: Georgia's mutti invites her friends over to watch the "boys" when they come to rescue Angus stuck up a tree.
  Connie: Oh you must have quite strong arms to hold those big hoses.

• 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.
  Jas: I know, and I would really miss you.

• Fun with Foreign Languages: Georgia speaks almost-fluent French, and she takes German.
• 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 similar.

• Global Ignorance: Georgia intends to go looking for Masimo when her family goes to America even though they'll be in Tennessee and he'll be in New York City.
  Georgia: I don't know where he is exactly, but how big can America be?

• Hands-Off Parenting: 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 Dance: Georgia and the Ace Gang do their disco dance routine when she is made hockey captain. In the movie she and Jas do the "big fish, little fish, cardboard box" dance after their first conversation with Tom and Robbie.
• Happy Ending: Just about everyone was glad to see Georgia finally end up with Dave.

• 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.

• In-Series Nickname: Almost everyone.
  • Whelk Boy (Peter Dyer)
  • Mark "Big Gob"
  • Jas (Jasmine)
  • Rosie (Rosemary)
  • Jools (Julia)
  • Mabs (Mabel)
  • Libby (Liberty)
  • Hawkeye (Ms. Heaton)
  • Slim (Ms. Simpson)
  • Dave "The Laugh"
  • "Wet" Lindsay and her friends: "Dismal" Sandra, "Tragic" Kate and "Slack" Alice
  • "Nauseating" P. (Pamela) Green
  • The "Bummer Twins" (Jackie and Alison)
  • "Rudi" Kamyer
  • "Billy" Shakespeare
  • "Kittykat/Sex Kitty" (Georgia)
  • Elvis (Mr. Attwood)
• Intentionally Awkward Title: Purchasing these books will almost guarantee you weird looks from the person working checkout.

• 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.

• 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.
• Limited Wardrobe: A lot of what Georgia wears consists of her denim skirt, ankle boots and/or crossover top.

• Love Triangle: Robbie-Georgia-Masimo. With Dave the Laugh on the side.

• 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.
• Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane: In the first book, the Bummer Twins hold a "seance" that seemingly falls flat. For a while afterwards, Georgia thinks she can hear noises or see things, and isn't sure whether she imagined it.

• 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.

• Mr. Fanservice: The very good-looking Aaron Johnson. Also, Sean Bourke and Tommy Bastow, the actors for Tom and Dave the Laugh.
• My Little Panzer: Libby's Pantalitzer doll, which has steel forks for hands, easily detachable parts (which a child could choke on, but are usually thrown at Georgia) and a terrifying face.
• Never My Fault: Georgia refuses to take responsibility for absolutely anything.

• 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' are all mentioned to be single sex schools.
• 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.
• Parental Abandonment: 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.
• 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.
• Pet the Dog: Despite looking down on Pamela Green (nicknamed Nauseating P. Green), Georgia actually defends her from the Bummer Twins. 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.

• The Power of Hate: Georgia and Lindsay towards each other.
  "How I hate her. It gives me energy the amount that I hate her."
• Practically Different Generations: Georgia and Libby, as there is a 12-year age difference between them (at the start of the books, Georgia is 14 years old and Libby two.)

• 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."

• 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.

• 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".

• 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.

• Shirtless Scene: The pool scene in the movie, where Robbie and Tom are both shirtless.

• 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.
• Single-Minded Twins: The Bummer Twins in the movie version (in the book, they're not twins at all, it's just Georgia's nickname for them.)

• Stacy's Mom: Connie Nicolson, of whom Dave the Laugh "quite fancies."

• Stupid Sexy Friend: Georgia often acknowledges Dave's ever-increasing attractiveness every time she sees him, even though they are "just mates".

• 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.
• Title Drop: Memorably this takes place in the final book during the balcony scene of the school production of Romeo and Juliet.
  As she stood up and opened her arms to speak, all the buttons on her tunic pinged off. And as she looked down in horror, Dave the Laugh said really loudly, “Are these my basoomas I see before me?”
• 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.
• Troubling Unchildlike Behaviour: What Georgia thinks after finding Libby wiggling her hips and singing Sex Bomb by Tom Jones.
• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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".

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