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Subject: Smouching Toward...

On Wed, 27 Aug 1997 19:52:18 -0400, Mary Boewe wrote:

 As I sit on my couch and crouch over dictionaries, I realize I cannot
 vouch for the fact that "smouch" rhymed with "ouch" in Mark Twain's
 America.  But, as implied in my recent note via e-mail pouch, I accept
 the OED pronunciation until smOOch can be legitimately documented.

 Sorry to be such a grOOch!

>                         Mary Boewe
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Date: Wed, 27 Aug 1997 18:32:28 -0700

Very sensible.

The distinguished *Century Dictionary* (volume 5), published 1890-91, is
a fully American authority for "smouch" (rhymes with ouch). Also,
*Webster's Third New International Dictionary,* published in 1981 and an
eminently distinguished work in its own right, gives the same (ouch)
pronunciation for the 4th form of the word, meaning to get by stealing or
trickery. By contrast, for the first form, meaning a slobbery smacking
kiss, it gives two pronunciations, first "smooch" then "smouch" (rhymes
with ouch). The inference is that the older, British form even for a
slobbery kiss was pronounced like ouch.

When Josephine Hobby typed up Mark Twain's dictation for 19 November
1906, which he subsequently went over and corrected in ink, she typed
"smouched," not "smooched." And even though Ramsay and Emberson (*Mark
Twain Lexicon*) say that Mark Twain's spelling in a 1935 edition of
"*Slovenly Peter* probably indicates his usual pronunication" (smooch), a
check of the manuscript shows that Mark Twain spelled it "smouch," as he
did invariably elsewhere. So the 1935 printer's pronunciation may have
been "smooch" but Mark Twain's was in all likelihood "smouch" (rhymes
with ouch).

Bob Hirst

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Date: Thu, 28 Aug 1997 09:22:31 PST

Well, now, if we forget the OED and rely upon common pronunciation
(by no means a safe or sure guarantee of accuracy), then it is
smOOch; such at least is the way I heard it and pronounced it when I
was a young tad up in the great Northwest and the Snohomish river
valley.  So I guess I will stick with the Americanese I am familiar
and comfortable with.

dennis eddings

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The discussion is about Mark Twain's use of the word "smouch," not
Eddings' or Camfield's.  Bob Hirst's answer is  the definitive
reply.                  --MB