[Ads-l] _Smile_ (was Why not cut your stick? 1813)

[Paul A Johnston]

Ah, making it a Class Ia strong verb.
________________________________
From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of Wilson Gray <hwgray at GMAIL.COM>
Sent: Thursday, November 4, 2021 2:52 PM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Subject: _Smile_ (was Why not cut your stick? 1813)

---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Poster:       Wilson Gray <hwgray at GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      _Smile_ (was Why not cut your stick? 1813)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In one of his works, Tom Sawyer Abroad, Twain wrote that Tom "smole a smile
..." When I was a pre-teen, this use of the non-word, _smole_, instead of
the expected "smiled," struck as one the funniest instances of word-play in
the English language, far superior to the use of the banal non-word,
_snuck_ in place of "sneaked."
However, in reading Stephen's cite - to paraphrase the old song, Soul Man,
"When I start reading, I just can't stop!" - I came across,
"... but on her, our sweetie Willie _smole_. (smiled.)"
Feet of clay. Oh, well.

--
- Wilson
-----
All say, "How hard it is that we have to die!"---a strange complaint to
come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
-Mark Twain

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.americandialect.org%2F&data=04%7C01%7Cpaul.johnston%40WMICH.EDU%7Cd335dfdd03b04d49ef4908d99fc46062%7C257622517aa94c72905f39bf026a8a84%7C0%7C0%7C637716488159417406%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=V5alFUk3ZeCzDLimkK5B7bHJYMW%2F%2B4S8Yo%2FwHreFRaE%3D&reserved=0

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org