Here’s a word that gets misused a lot, at least in the manuscripts I’ve seen in recent years. (And not just misused—overused.)
Smirk.
It can be a noun or a verb. But no matter how it gets used, I think some writers are missing the fine nuances in smirk, the subtleties that distinguish it from, say, smile. Or grin. (Or even grin wickedly, although I like a wicked grin myself.)
Smirk has a slightly negative connotation in my mind. It’s a smart-aleck smile. Even a smarmy smile. It’s not a genuine smile. Not really a happy smile. Not particularly friendly. It’s smug, condescending; it’s closer to a sneer than a smile, to my way of thinking, a way of mocking the situation or the person at whom it’s directed.
My favorite dictionary defines the verb form thus: “to smile in an affected or conceited manner: smile with affected complaisance; to simper.” The noun is described as “an affected smile: simper (the solemnity of the ceremony was broken by smirks, whispered jokes, and repressed titters …).” Yeah, that’s it exactly! (And simper, if you’re interested, is to smile in an affected, coy, or silly manner.)
But what I’m seeing too much of is smirk used as a substitute for smile—and that doesn’t work for me.
(We all expand our vocabularies by reading words in context, especially once we’ve quit bringing home those mimeographed lists of twenty words we have to know by Friday. So every time smirk is misused in a novel, someone, somewhere, attaches the wrong definition to it in his brain’s vocab list. Yes, I’m talking about the dumbing down of society here, dagnabbit, and I’m making my little stand against it.)
I’m the sort of editor (and writer) who generally likes simplicity in the descriptive narrative. Just call a smile a smile. (Writer-speaker Guy Kawasaki is another a big fan of smiling, and spends a lot of time explaining the difference between a genuine smile—a Duchenne smile—and what he calls a “Pan Am smile.” There’s a discussion of both here.)
There are nuances, of course: one can grin (showing the teeth in a broad smile, particularly to show amusement or laughter) or leer or even beam (with pride, say). I used grin wickedly above, but excessive use of adverbs is frowned upon these days, so you’d want to watch phrases like smiled happily, not least because it’s redundant.
But just because you see smirk in your thesaurus in the entry for smile, it’s still a very specific action; a smirk is not a direct substitute for a smile, my friends. Any parent of a teenager could tell you that. 🙂
Tweet: Is that a smirk on your face or are you just happy to see me?
Tweet: A smirk is not a direct substitute for a smile—any parent of a teenager knows that.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Great post, Jamie. I think I use smirk correctly (yes, I raised four kids through their teenage years and lived to tell the tale) but I’ve always thought of grin as a slight smile. Looking it up just now, I realize I’ve been wrong lo these many years! Fortunately, it doesn’t harm the intent of the scene (especially in women’s fiction and romance) quite so much to have your characters smiling wider than you intended. But henceforth, I shall not say grin when I mean slight smile!
So glad I could be of service! she said with a delighted smile.
Smirking in Minnesota. I know that I’m guilty of overusing that word. For some reason, it has always seemed like a sexy response for a smoldering hero. After reading your post, I’ll be more judicious.
So glad to finally meet you at the convention. You are as nice and kind as you sound in your emails. All best wishes from Chris
I think if you make it clear in context, you could use it that way … but probably only once per novel. It’s a word that sticks out like a sore thumb!
And thank you for your kind words. It was a joy to meet you!