17 votes

Let's write some Tom Swifties!

If you're not familiar with them, a "Tom Swifty" is a punny sentence that involves a quote by a person named Tom which is the setup for landing a pun in the description of the quote's delivery (often but not necessarily a single adverb).

For example:

"This water is freezing," Tom said icily.

"I'm going to hit this piƱata as hard as I can!" said Tom, bashfully.

"Nevermore," Tom said ravenously.

"I like tart fruits," said Tom with aplomb.

Really good Tom Swifties are often not immediately obvious, have a fantastic setup, or are simply really clever (mine are alright, though it's certainly possible to do far better).

You can get a more full picture and better examples from Wikipedia, but I encourage you to tread lightly there and in searches because it's way more fun to think of them and share them in threads like these than it is to pull up lists of them online. Just reading previously written ones kind of spoils the fun, IMO.

Anyway, let's see what great Tom Swities we can write!

15 comments

  1. [4]
    moocow1452
    Link

    "Holy Shit!" Tom expelled righteously.
    "I'm dumping you!" Tom exclaimed.
    "I might have done something bad," Tom insinuated.

    10 votes
    1. [3]
      kfwyre
      Link Parent
      While these are all good, your "Holy Shit" one is downright transcendent.

      While these are all good, your "Holy Shit" one is downright transcendent.

      5 votes
      1. [2]
        moocow1452
        (edited )
        Link Parent
        I thought that was a little too on the nose, and figured exclaimed was the best one, but what do I know?

        I thought that was a little too on the nose, and figured exclaimed was the best one, but what do I know?

        3 votes
        1. kfwyre
          Link Parent
          Oh, I am far from the official arbiter of good judgment on Tom Swifties. I just like them! I also really liked your "exclaimed" one which had a clever, effective subtlety common to the format. It...

          Oh, I am far from the official arbiter of good judgment on Tom Swifties. I just like them!

          I also really liked your "exclaimed" one which had a clever, effective subtlety common to the format. It was your "Holy Shit" one that was so completely unsubtle that it took me by pleasant surprise. It's also a two-for-one, and as concise as it is blunt. I think that's why it struck me so positively.

          1 vote
  2. [2]
    rogue_cricket
    (edited )
    Link
    EDIT:

    "No ice thanks," said Tom, neatly.
    "This is the second time I've bought you drinks," Tom replied.
    "I just fell right out of the chair!" Tom cried deceitfully.
    "The fire's not hot enough yet - keep pumping!" Tom bellowed.
    "I can't find my notes!" said Tom, listlessly.
    "OooOOOoooo... OOOooooOOOOo..." Tom mockingly wailed. [incredibly stupid]

    EDIT:

    "Baby deer are so cute!" Tom said fondly.
    "I can't stop eating this bread," said Tom, wryly.
    "Let me bring the water to you," Tom offered, becoming pale.

    9 votes
    1. kfwyre
      Link Parent
      These are great. The "neatly" one is nice and simple, but I love the "listlessly" and "deceitfully" ones the most.

      These are great. The "neatly" one is nice and simple, but I love the "listlessly" and "deceitfully" ones the most.

      3 votes
  3. [2]
    reifyresonance
    Link

    "These cuisses de grenouille are overcooked", Tom croaked.

    "Of all the animals, I can't believe you turned me into a cat!" Tom squeeked.

    Tom took a deep breath and opened yet another can of worms: "I don't enjoy fishing with you anymore, Mark."

    "This bath is the bomb", breathed Tom lusciously.

    "Wow, that bird was fast!" Tom exclaimed swiftly.

    6 votes
    1. kfwyre
      (edited )
      Link Parent
      As someone who literally just started using Lush soaps, I appreciate this one the most. Well done! EDIT: I feel that, in not mentioning them, I was unintentionally dismissive of your other ones....

      "This bath is the bomb", breathed Tom lusciously.

      As someone who literally just started using Lush soaps, I appreciate this one the most. Well done!

      EDIT: I feel that, in not mentioning them, I was unintentionally dismissive of your other ones. They are also excellent! The "can of worms" one in particular is a sublime twist on the formula, and even though I didn't know what "cuisses de grenouille" meant, I didn't need to look it up because your pun hinted at the meaning perfectly.

      4 votes
  4. [4]
    balooga
    Link

    "Some jokester put his tongue on the bathroom mirror, and the only one who's been in there today is you," Tom implicated.

    "Cartographers love Colorado," Tom stated squarely.

    "Nothing is going right today," Tom said sinisterly.

    4 votes
    1. [3]
      kfwyre
      Link Parent
      "Cartographers love Colorado" is an entertaining setup! That said, I think I'm missing something on your "implicated" one? I can't figure it out.

      "Cartographers love Colorado" is an entertaining setup! That said, I think I'm missing something on your "implicated" one? I can't figure it out.

      1. [2]
        balooga
        Link Parent
        The situation Tom is describing could be an imp-lick-ation. Maybe a stretch, haha.

        The situation Tom is describing could be an imp-lick-ation. Maybe a stretch, haha.

        1 vote
        1. kfwyre
          Link Parent
          OH. I see it now. I totally missed the "imp" part!

          OH. I see it now. I totally missed the "imp" part!

  5. [2]
    wundumguy
    Link
    "Please, take some more latkes!" Tom said judiciously.

    "Please, take some more latkes!" Tom said judiciously.

    2 votes
    1. kfwyre
      (edited )
      Link Parent
      This one took me a minute. Subtle!

      This one took me a minute. Subtle!

      1 vote
  6. scrambo
    Link
    "I can't hack it anymore", said Tom, morbidly. If I think of any others, I'll add em on to this.

    "I can't hack it anymore", said Tom, morbidly.

    If I think of any others, I'll add em on to this.

    1 vote