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Discussion Groups / English Usage / January 2009Guess the pun
Maybe somebody else has thought of this before, but wouldn't it be an interesting variant on this word game to guess the adverb in a Tom Swifty or the verb in a Croak? Here are two easy examples: "It might be advisable to put some herbs in the stuffing," said Tom ____. "Maybe we could convert the stables into upmarket housing," Tom _____. James > Maybe somebody else has thought of this before, but wouldn't it be an > interesting variant on this word game to guess the adverb in a Tom [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > "It might be advisable to put some herbs in the stuffing," said Tom > ____. Sagely? > "Maybe we could convert the stables into upmarket housing," Tom _____. hoarsely? > > Maybe somebody else has thought of this before, but wouldn't it be an > > interesting variant on this word game to guess the adverb in a Tom [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > Sagely? Gotta be. > > "Maybe we could convert the stables into upmarket housing," Tom _____. > > hoarsely? Mewed? The name "Tom" is appropriate. "This term really shouldn't be applied to stables," said Tom, _____ and spitting. -- Jerry Friedman On 14 Jan 2009, jerry_friedman@yahoo.com wrote >>> Maybe somebody else has thought of this before, but wouldn't >>> it be an interesting variant on this word game to guess the [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] >> > Gotta be. I was going to suggest "ruefully".  SignatureCheers, Harvey CanEng and BrEng, indiscriminately mixed > On 14 Jan 2009, jerry_fried...@yahoo.com wrote > [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > I was going to suggest "ruefully". "It might have been advisable to use a different herb," said Tom ____.? -- Jerry Friedman On 14 Jan 2009, jerry_friedman@yahoo.com wrote >> On 14 Jan 2009, jerry_fried...@yahoo.com wrote >> [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > "It might have been advisable to use a different herb," said Tom > ____.? Yeah, that works better. SignatureCheers, Harvey CanEng and BrEng, indiscriminately mixed >> On 14 Jan 2009, jerry_fried...@yahoo.com wrote >> [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > "It might have been advisable to use a different herb," said Tom > ____.? ObFood: does anyone actually use rue for anything? I'm not sure I've ever seen it. ObStrangeNames: Dr Rosemary Rue (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosemary_Rue) SignatureLaura (emulate St. George for email) On 14 Jan 2009, LFS wrote >>> On 14 Jan 2009, jerry_fried...@yahoo.com wrote >>> [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > ObFood: does anyone actually use rue for anything? I'm not sure > I've ever seen it. I think it's a medicinal herb rather than a culinary one; we certainly used to grow it in the herb garden, but it was for decoration rather than use. SignatureCheers, Harvey CanEng and BrEng, indiscriminately mixed >>> On 14 Jan 2009, jerry_fried...@yahoo.com wrote >>> [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] >ObStrangeNames: Dr Rosemary Rue (see >http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosemary_Rue) "Wormwood and rue" always come together in my memory, rather like "parson sage grows merry in time" (mine own mondegreen). Googling "wormwood and rue" suggests they were used together as disinfectants or to drive out pests. SignatureRichard Bollard Canberra Australia To email, I'm at AMT not spAMT. >> > Maybe somebody else has thought of this before, but wouldn't it be an >> > interesting variant on this word game to guess the adverb in a Tom [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] >> >Gotta be. Yes, that one was easy. >> > "Maybe we could convert the stables into upmarket housing," Tom _____. >> >> hoarsely? > >Mewed? The name "Tom" is appropriate. Not if the verb is "mused". >"This term really shouldn't be applied to stables," said Tom, _____ >and spitting. I'll have to think about that one. Is there a word half-way between "hawking" and "augean"? James >> > Maybe somebody else has thought of this before, but wouldn't it be an >> > interesting variant on this word game to guess the adverb in a Tom [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] >"This term really shouldn't be applied to stables," said Tom, _____ >and spitting. Hawking. (But not in a wheelchair.) SignaturePeter Duncanson, UK (in alt.usage.english) jerry_friedman@yahoo.com filted: >"This term really shouldn't be applied to stables," said Tom, _____ >and spitting. Hacking....r Signature"You got Schadenfreude on my Weltanschauung!" "You got Weltanschauung in my Schadenfreude!" >> > Maybe somebody else has thought of this before, but wouldn't it be an >> > interesting variant on this word game to guess the adverb in a Tom [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > Mewed? The name "Tom" is appropriate. Mused, I think. > "This term really shouldn't be applied to stables," said Tom, _____ > and spitting. hawking >>> > Maybe somebody else has thought of this before, but wouldn't it be an >>> > interesting variant on this word game to guess the adverb in a Tom [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > >hawking Seven more missing adverbs, some of them dead easy: "Thank God we have a well-stoked fire," said Tom _____ly. "If you weren't such a bloody moron you'd know I'm in perfect health," said Tom _____ly. "When I die, you can cut out my lungs and feed them to the dog," said Tom _____ly. "Thanks to you, darling, I've lost my suffrage," said Tom _____ly. "You don't know the first thing about roofing," said Tom _____ly. "I don't mind waiting three hours to see the doctor," said Tom _____ly. "I don't never wear no condom," said Tom _____ly. James >Seven more missing adverbs, some of them dead easy: > >"Thank God we have a well-stoked fire," said Tom _____ly. hotly (warmly, coolly, coldly) >"If you weren't such a bloody moron you'd know >I'm in perfect health," said Tom _____ly. rudely >"When I die, you can cut out my lungs and feed them to the dog," >said Tom _____ly. lightly >"Thanks to you, darling, I've lost my suffrage," >said Tom _____ly. crossly >"You don't know the first thing about roofing," >said Tom _____ly. flatly >"I don't mind waiting three hours to see the doctor," >said Tom _____ly. patiently >"I don't never wear no condom," said Tom _____ly. Limply (Or another case for 'crestfallenly') SignaturePaul >> Seven more missing adverbs, some of them dead easy: >> >> "Thank God we have a well-stoked fire," said Tom _____ly. > hotly (warmly, coolly, coldly) Woodenly. --Jeff Signature"War is something absurd, useless, that nothing can justify." Louis de Cazenave of the Fifth Senegalese Rifles, one of the last two living French veterans of World War I. >Seven more missing adverbs, some of them dead easy: Four of the adverbs have been correctly guessed: rudely, delightedly, devotedly, patiently The answers suggested for the other three aren't the words I was thinking of: "Thank God we have a well-stoked fire," said Tom _____ly. "You don't know the first thing about roofing," said Tom _____ly. "I don't never wear no condom," said Tom _____ly. (Think of the way he talks here.) Meanwhile, here's one for the Oxonians: "After a term like this it will be wonderful to go down for Easter," said Tom ______ly. James >On Wed, 14 Jan 2009 17:42:32 +0000, James Hogg ><Jas.HoggOUT@SPAM.gmail.com> wrote: [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >"After a term like this it will be wonderful to go down for >Easter," said Tom ______ly. Hilariously (but were his auditors tinkling with laughter or roaring with mirth?) SignaturePaul > Four of the adverbs have been correctly guessed: > rudely, delightedly, devotedly, patiently [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > "Thank God we have a well-stoked fire," said Tom _____ly. ? If it were not for the mandatory "ly," I'd suggest "poker-faced." > "You don't know the first thing about roofing," > said Tom _____ly. ? > "I don't never wear no condom," said Tom _____ly. > (Think of the way he talks here.) Cockily. > Meanwhile, here's one for the Oxonians: > > "After a term like this it will be wonderful to go down for > Easter," said Tom ______ly. ? Perce > "I don't never wear no condom," said Tom _____ly. > (Think of the way he talks here.) negatively. pe "James Hogg" <Jas.HoggOUT@SPAM.gmail.com> wrote : > "You don't know the first thing about roofing," > said Tom _____ly. leadenly? pe >"You don't know the first thing about roofing," >said Tom _____ly. slatingly SignaturePeter Duncanson, UK (in alt.usage.english) >>"You don't know the first thing about roofing," >>said Tom _____ly. > >slatingly Bingo! Only one left unsolved now: "I don't never wear no condom," said Tom _____ly. There have been many interesting and amusing suggestions, but I wasn't thinking of limply, rashly, prolifically, sporadically, cockily, negatively, spunkily, or protectively. You will get it if I tell you that this rare adverb contains a synonym for condom with a negative prefix, and it alludes to the uncultured manner of Tom's speech. James >>>"You don't know the first thing about roofing," >>>said Tom _____ly. [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] >synonym for condom with a negative prefix, and it alludes >to the uncultured manner of Tom's speech. Maybe this adverb is not sufficiently rare, but: "Illiterately" as in "without a 'french letter'"? SignaturePeter Duncanson, UK (in alt.usage.english) >>>>"You don't know the first thing about roofing," >>>>said Tom _____ly. [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] >Maybe this adverb is not sufficiently rare, but: "Illiterately" as in "without >a 'french letter'"? You're nearly there. James >>>>>"You don't know the first thing about roofing," >>>>>said Tom _____ly. [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > >You're nearly there. Unletteredly. I had thought of this first but rejected it on the grounds that while it is a perfectly good adverbial formation it is almost non-existent according to Google. The only "respectable" instance I found of it was as a translation of the Spanish "iletradamente" along with "illiterately". http://www.websters-online-dictionary.net/translation/Spanish/iletradamente SignaturePeter Duncanson, UK (in alt.usage.english) >>>>>>"You don't know the first thing about roofing," >>>>>>said Tom _____ly. [quoted text clipped - 29 lines] >Spanish "iletradamente" along with "illiterately". >http://www.websters-online-dictionary.net/translation/Spanish/iletradamente Unletteredly can be found in the OED, albeit marked with an obelus and with no quotation since 1440. James > Unletteredly can be found in the OED, albeit marked with an > obelus and with no quotation since 1440. "I don't never wear no condom," said Tom unsafely. SignatureLes (BrE) >>>"You don't know the first thing about roofing," >>>said Tom _____ly. >> >>slatingly > > Bingo! Oh, I had been leaning toward "shakily". SignatureEvan Kirshenbaum +------------------------------------ HP Laboratories |There are two types of people - 1501 Page Mill Road, 1U, MS 1141 |those who are one of the two types Palo Alto, CA 94304 |of people, and those who are not. | Leigh Blue Caldwell kirshenbaum@hpl.hp.com (650)857-7572 http://www.kirshenbaum.net/ > Meanwhile, here's one for the Oxonians: > > "After a term like this it will be wonderful to go down for > Easter," said Tom ______ly. Why is this supposed to be especially for the Oxonians? My school used the Cambridge GCE exams and used those ancient names for the terms -- but Michaelmas was the only one I could recall at the time. Perce >> Meanwhile, here's one for the Oxonians: >> [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > the Cambridge GCE exams and used those ancient names for the terms -- > but Michaelmas was the only one I could recall at the time. Because over in the Fens they'd say "relentlessly". SignatureMike. > "I don't never wear no condom," said Tom _____ly. "spunkily" >> "I don't never wear no condom," said Tom _____ly. > > "spunkily" Protectively. >> "I don't never wear no condom," said Tom _____ly. > > "spunkily" "portentiously" > Maybe somebody else has thought of this before, but wouldn't it be an > interesting variant on this word game to guess the adverb in a Tom > Swifty or the verb in a Croak? 'I do wish you wouldn't play your hi-fi after midnight' said Tom _______ly >> Maybe somebody else has thought of this before, but wouldn't it be an >> interesting variant on this word game to guess the adverb in a Tom >> Swifty or the verb in a Croak? > >'I do wish you wouldn't play your hi-fi after midnight' said Tom _______ly I seem to be better at blanking out adverbs than filling them in. I can't think of anything suitable here. Neither can anyone else, apparently. How about giving us the first letter? James > How about giving us the first letter? > > James d >> How about giving us the first letter? >> >> James > > d ...eafenedly? Regards Steffen >> How about giving us the first letter? >> >> James > >d Still hard. I don't believe in downbeatly, but it's all I can think of. James > Still hard. I don't believe in downbeatly, but it's all I can think of. > > James Oh it's a far worse pun than that. Hint: is Tom happy? >> Still hard. I don't believe in downbeatly, but it's all I can >> think of. > Oh it's a far worse pun than that. Hint: is Tom happy? > 'I do wish you wouldn't play your hi-fi after midnight' said Tom > _______ly Disconsolately? I seem to recall that the root noun was roughly concurrent with "hi-fi". (I had written that in an earlier unsent posting, but the clue above seems to confirm my guess.) >> 'I do wish you wouldn't play your hi-fi after midnight' said Tom >> _______ly > > Disconsolately? bad-doom *tish* >>> 'I do wish you wouldn't play your hi-fi after midnight' said Tom >>> _______ly >> >> Disconsolately? > > bad-doom *tish* but it's nothing whatsoever to do with related nouns! Just an awful pun! >> Maybe somebody else has thought of this before, but wouldn't it be an >> interesting variant on this word game to guess the adverb in a Tom >> Swifty or the verb in a Croak? > > 'I do wish you wouldn't play your hi-fi after midnight' said Tom _______ly dyne-a.m.-ically? pe > dyne-a.m.-ically? > > pe ingenious, but no >> dyne-a.m.-ically? >> >> pe > >ingenious, but no darkly? SignatureTony Cooper - Orlando, Florida >> Maybe somebody else has thought of this before, but wouldn't it be an >> interesting variant on this word game to guess the adverb in a Tom >> Swifty or the verb in a Croak? > > 'I do wish you wouldn't play your hi-fi after midnight' said Tom > _______ly Despairingly Dispiritedly >>> Maybe somebody else has thought of this before, but wouldn't it >>> be an interesting variant on this word game to guess the adverb [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > Despairingly > Dispiritedly belatedly >> Maybe somebody else has thought of this before, but wouldn't it be an >> interesting variant on this word game to guess the adverb in a Tom >> Swifty or the verb in a Croak? > >'I do wish you wouldn't play your hi-fi after midnight' said Tom _______ly Soundlessly? SignatureRichard Bollard Canberra Australia To email, I'm at AMT not spAMT. >> Maybe somebody else has thought of this before, but wouldn't it be an >> interesting variant on this word game to guess the adverb in a Tom >> Swifty or the verb in a Croak? > >'I do wish you wouldn't play your hi-fi after midnight' said Tom _______ly Damply? In the sense of damping down the noise. SignatureRichard Bollard Canberra Australia To email, I'm at AMT not spAMT. >On Wed, 14 Jan 2009 08:42:49 +0000, James Hogg wrote: > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > >'I do wish you wouldn't play your hi-fi after midnight' said Tom _______ly Mournfully. SignaturePaul |
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