(Whispered criticism and nasty gossip are another matter.)

The biggest difference in my stories to her was that, when I was writing it, it was usually nasty gossip.

Any particularly nasty gossip has an author or authors, after all, and any functioning gossip network builds up a memory.

Peter was instigated by the nasty gossip of his mother and other villagers.

She added, "I honestly don't see the point of all this nasty gossip dragged out years ago."

But I replayed her colleagues' nasty gossip to point out how hard it was for Mom to work in the brutal world of television.

I'm pleased that it was the nastiest old gossip in our church; I made sure she didn't miss us.

Or do you just enjoy spreading the nastier gossip about other people?

She accepted the nasty gossip as a price she must pay for being left alone.

This means there is motive for the little digs, the nasty gossip, the subtle put-downs that flavor so much of the book.