“Tom Swifties” are named after the famous science-fiction series for young readers. The author used a LOT of adverbs to explain the actions of our improbably successful hero. Purist collectors (like me) insist that only an adverb can follow the verb.
We’ll start gently:
- “In fact sometimes I feel like a tree myself,” said Tom woodenly.
- “I’ve had this flu now for seven days”, said Tom weakly.
- “You don’t have the pH high enough,” said Tom acidly.
- “Our marriage must be dissolved”, she said acidly.
- “I’ve eaten all the canned pineapple,” said Tom dolefully.
- “Hamlet’s overeaten again,” Tom said disdainfully.
- “I’ve eaten all the hay,” Tom said balefully.
Now here are some from Sandy Svatos, Oakville, Ontario:
- “There isn’t any wind,” said Tom disgustedly.
- “I’m going to send the code message again,” said Tom remorsefully.
- “I’ve grown only one kind of herb in my garden,” said Tom ruefully.
- “One of my flowers seems to be missing,” said Tom lackadaisically.
OK, brace yourself for some serious ones:
- “I’m trying to get some air circulating under the roof,” said Tom fanatically.
- “Bingo!” said Tom benignly.
- “Dere goes da drone,” said Tom disbelievingly.
- “I have no respect for the writer of this letter,” Tom said dismissively.
- “In fact I have some theories about relatives,” said Tom generally.
- “It’s an amphibious sheep,” Tom said wolfishly.
- “It’s Jack the Ripper,” Tom said horrendously.
- “Kitty loves pastrami,” said Tom delicately.
- “Macintosh is the best computer,” said Tom applaudingly.
- “My arm!”, said Captain Hook offhandedly.
- “My terminal broke,” said Tom, disconsolately.
- “Ouch! When I get stung, I want revenge!” said Tom begrudgingly.
- “Rover is a shiftless pup,” said Tom dogmatically.
- “That young insect is a male,” said Tom buoyantly.
- “The lion has its head caught in the skylight,” said Tom uproariously.
You’ll have to be alert to stay with these winners from a 2009 competition in the New York Times:
- “I manufacture table tops,” said Tom counterproductively.
- “This sea-spray will ruin all the metal-work,” said Tom mistrustfully.
- “Matzoh balls and gefilte fish for me”, said Tom judiciously. [DMR, Fresh Meadows, NY]
- “We believe the young woman has been kidnapped”, said the police chief mistakenly.[Jiggy]
- “The prisoners will be released in the order that they were apprehended,” said Tom consequentially.[Mike D]
- “I dropped my toothpaste,” Tom said, crestfallen.[Tony]
- I hide my whiskey upstairs, said Tom, dramatically.[Carol Roedearol Roede]
- “Alright, I’ll give you back the pick-up I borrowed”, said Tom, truculently [Phil]
- “I like a subtle play on words”, said Tom pungently [Phil]
- “I’m giving up the fiddle for forty days” he said violently.[Steve]
- “Who brought the leaky camping gear?” Tom asked intensively.[Richard Martinson]
- “Today’s special is the tilapia,” the waiter said selfishly.[Greg]
- “That ballpoint pen of yours ceased working, General,” said Tom ubiquitously.[Jim Blashfield]
Last Reviewed: 6 years