whisper, to our hero. "Can't you give some sort of a lecture? The girls are just crazy to hear about the airship, and this ogress won't let us. Say something!" "I — I don't know what to say," stammered Tom. The Tom Swifty, then, is a parody of this style with the incorporation of a pun. A much earlier example may be found, for example, in Dickens' Our Mutual Friend: "How Do You Like London?" Mr Podsnap now inquired from his station of host, as if he were administering something in the nature of a powder or potion to the deaf child; "London, Londres, London?" The foreign gentleman admired it. "You find it Very Large?" said Mr. Podsnap, spaciously. Examples "I'd like to stop by the mausoleum," Tom said cryptically. "Pass me the shellfish," said Tom crabbily. "We just struck oil!" Tom gushed. "Get to the back of the ship!" Tom said sternly. "I forgot what I needed at the store," Tom said listlessly. "I'd like my money back, and then some," said Tom with interest. "I decided to come back to the group," Tom rejoined. "I dropped my toothpaste," Tom said, crestfallen. (a reference to Crest toothpaste) "I love hot dogs," said Tom with relish. "If you want me, I shall be in the attic," Tom said, loftily. "What our team needs is a home run hitter," Tom said ruthlessly. (a reference to baseball player Babe Ruth) "I'll have another martini," said Tom dryly. "Pass me another chip," said Tom crisply. "I'm wearing a ribbon around my arm," said Tom with abandon. "Baa," said Tom sheepishly. "Stay away from that turtle!" Tom snapped. "I'm throwing this soup on the ground!" said Tom with wanton disregard. (a homophone of wonton) "I own 1,760 yards of paddy fields," he said with a wry smile. (homophone of "rice mile") “There’s no more room in the hay barn,” said Tom balefully. "Have we no more floribundas?" asked Tom morosely. "I flew into Los Angeles airport twice last month" said Tom reLAXedly. History Tom Swifties first came to prominence in the United States with the 1963 publication of the book Tom Swifties by Paul Pease and Bill McDonough. The spread of Tom Swifties was abetted by an article in the May 31, 1963 edition of Time magazine, which also announced a contest for its readers to submit their own Tom Swifties. Included was a