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Tom Swifty. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
Tom Swifty, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
Tom Swifty in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
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English
Examples
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- "We just struck oil!" Tom gushed.
- "I'll have a martini," said Tom drily.
- "I'd like my money back, and then some," said Tom with interest.
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Etymology
Referring to the Tom Swift series of books, whose authors frequently avoided the word "said" in favour of other constructions, + -y.
Noun
Tom Swifty (plural Tom Swifties)
- A humorous phrase in which a supposed quotation is linked by a pun to the manner in which it is attributed.
2008, Ben Yagoda, When You Catch an Adjective, Kill It, Crown, →ISBN, page 50:Since then the Tom Swifty has trudged on, not exactly swiftly but with an impressive staying power. You can find Web sites that list as many as nine hundred of them. As the above examples suggest, Tom Swifties are virtually never funny, but they illustrate an adverb-centered sin against writing.
See also
Further reading