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Blakes 7 Tom Swifties
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The Tom Swiftie is a play on words - a punning relationship
between the way an adverb describes a speaker and at the same time refers
to the meaning of the speaker's statement, as in "I know who turned off the
lights," Tom hinted darkly. In actual use, "Tom Swiftie" has a somewhat
broader meaning, and includes the form christened "croakers" in which a verb
supplies the pun (e.g. "I'm dying", he croaked).
Tom Swift was an adventure series begun in 1910 and continued to 1935. The series avoided the unadorned use of the word "said". Tom asserted, asseverated, averred, chuckled, declared, ejaculated, expostulated, grinned, groaned, quipped, or smiled. In particular, sentences of the form: "---", Tom said ---ly. were used ad nauseam. Someone satirized the mannerism by using puns, and the Tom Swiftie was born. |
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Tom Swifty Dialogues
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Tom Swifty Monologues
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| "I'll have these ropes off in just
a second," Vila said loosely. "I can fix up something you won't escape," Avon said, stringing Vila along. "Mmnnghh!!" Vila said, tongue-tied. "I went to see 'The Taming of the Shrew'," Blake said playfully. "All the scenes?" Avon actually said. "Even the ones the Fed censors normally remove," Blake said descriptively. "I am not going body-surfing," Avon wavered. "Why not? I love the tickle of the foam," Dayna bubbled. "Because I'd drown," Avon said with a sinking feeling. "I'll light a few candles," Meegat said wickedly. "Let's turn on the power, and throw out the candles," Avon tapered off. "It seems a pity to waste so much good paraffin, "Gan waxed prolific. "I found the switch," Vila said in delight. "This ship is a scow," Jenna barged in. "And there isn't enough money in the treasure room," Avon agreed. "Still, it's better than a piggy bank," Vila put in his two cent's worth. "I'm just big-boned," Egrorian said fatuously. I'm wiry, really, " Pindar said thinly. "Blake and I are just good friends," Avon said gaily. "I need to see the hard facts," Blake debriefed Avon. "I wonder what happens when I stick this in there," Avon probed. "Oh, yes, all the way in," Blake said carefully. "I'm not ready," Avon said, as an anti-climax. Blake came out with, "But I am!" "A few more tubes of super-glue and Liberator will be good as new," Blake amended. "You got it all over the weapon-rack!"Avon stuck to his guns. "Mine still works!" Cally shot back. "I 'aven't got a gun," Vila said 'armlessly. "Let's go directly through the asteroid belt," Jenna said straight-forwardly. "No, I think we should take the ship through in reverse," Blake said sternly. "I do not get my back up when you rub me the wrong way," Avon purred. "Only when someone else gets to the cream first," Jenna said, cattily. "Or when some fan author has turned me into a cat," Avon inferred. "Have they ever made you father kittens?" Vila asked literally. "I'd rip them into bloody bits if they tried,"Avon said categorically. "The natives on Sarran all rode these animals," Dayna said hoarsely. "Fine, now tell me how to make it stop!" Vila said woefully. "I got another trooper!" Dayna said accurately. "Oops, I missed," Vila said aimlessly. |
"I just love my new
dress," Servalan said silkily. "I can fly anything," Tarrant said loftily. "I'm still in the dark," Hal said blindly. "There's room for two more in the crew," Blake said benignly. "I'm crazy about the Auron," Avon said maniacally. "Yes, I'm a telepath," Cally said thoughtfully. "I'm tall and I have curly hair, but don't think I'm just a replacement for the bloke who wound up under a wall," Tarrant began. "If I'd been just a bit faster, I would have escaped the collapsing wall," Gan said, pressed for time. "They're all rebels!", informed Dev Tarrant. "Can't you find something else to throw off the shuttle?" Vila asked lightly. "I'll get Blake for this," Travis said disarmingly, with an eye to revenge. "Please, can I rub your feet, Servalan?" Jarriere said soulfully. "I don't usually trip over my own feet in minefields," Avon said clumsily. "Do I have to wear the hat with bells?" Vila said foolishly. "This is much better than Adrenaline and Soma," Vila whined. "I'm glad you rescued me from Chenga in time," Vila said whole-heartedly. "The lower grades must be kept in their places," Servalan said repressively. "If you promise not to tell the System, we'll sign over our rights to the Liberator," the Altas exclaimed. "Dorian took the clips- our guns won't fire!" Avon said blankly. "I'm always getting hit over the head," Avon said, bashfully. "I'll be glad when we're away from Albian's polar region,"Del Grant said coldly. "Oh, look, a chair made from a real tree," Vila said woodenly. "I don't know anything about those Bizarro rumours involving me and waterfowl," Blake said, ducking the question. "Avon's lover was dishonest to him," Cally analyzed. "Can't we play an old-fashioned card game?" Vila said wistfully. "Why does the teleport always set me down in a puddle?" Vila responded. "10,000 Vems. No, 20,000!" Servalan said morbidly. "I can't help going around in circles," Slave said elliptically. "Don't you just love old music?" Sarkoff intoned. "I'll see you get another trial," Blake's lawyer retorted. "I think the fan who wrote this site is winding me up," Avon said crankily. "I hated working in the monopasium mine," Vila said indignantly. "Really, that rubble did nothing good for my figure," Gan said, flattered. "Fifty-two episodes can fill a year," Blake said, weakly. "I'll fix that robot," Avon said off the top of his head. |