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I've been troubled by the "rule" that the best speech tag is simply said. Supposedly, the word said just disappears in the reader's mind and doesn't distract from what's being communicated.
See, I just don't understand this. If you're going to use a tag that the reader isn't going to notice - why not just not use anything at all? It would have the same result.

LabRat smile


Athos: If you'd told us what you were doing, we might have been able to plan this properly.
Aramis: Yes, sorry.
Athos: No, no, by all means, let's keep things suicidal.

The Musketeers