On the connotations of smirk...

[StillStunned]

A villain going "Before I kill you, Mr Bond, I will tell you my cunning plan" will smirk.

Can we start a petition for Baldrick as the next Bond villain?

(And yes, I know Rowan Atkinson already played in a Bond movie. Not as Blackadder, though.)

 

[Smuttyandfun]

Can we start a petition for Baldrick as the next Bond villain?

(And yes, I know Rowan Atkinson already played in a Bond movie. Not as Blackadder, though.)

But it won't be a sexy smirk, will it? lol Otherwise, you've got a whole other movie.

 

[mildlyaroused]

It depends how blatant it is. A simple bully will smirk when they've cornered their victim. But an evil mastermind who's trapped the hero and wants to gloat might have "a trace of a smirk hidden beneath their façade of politeness".

That's true. I think in general I tend to stick to "smile", with some extra descriptors.

From a recent story:

"There’s an edge to his smile now; a chip in a wine glass."

"... a smile teasing the corners of his mouth."

 

[Smuttyandfun]

By adding adjectives like "little" and "teasing," you're trying to shift the original negative meaning of the word. While you have the right to do so, it remains semantically incorrect.

I know how I use the word in my stories and no one's ever complained, or compared it to a diseased-ridden coach roach.

 

[Plathfan]

Big transatlantic difference. American writers seem to use it as a synonym for 'grin', a word they rarely use. Possibly 'pleased grin'.

Merriam-Webster is an American dictionary, and I rely on it just as I rely on the Chicago Manual of Style.

 

[mildlyaroused]

Merriam-Webster is an American dictionary, and I rely on it just as I rely on the Chicago Manual of Style.

Well done on acknowledging your own perspective as your own perspective.

The next step is to acknowledge that other dictionaries have other definitions, that language has nuance, and thus that "smirk" doesn't have to hold an "original negative meaning". It's semantically okay to use it in a positive manner.

 

[Plathfan]

I know how I use the word in my stories and no one's ever complained, or compared it to a diseased-ridden coach roach.

Now you're comparing an average, indifferent reader to a discerning, involved beta reader.

 

[Smuttyandfun]

Writing is fluid. Things that were set in stone decades ago, often no longer apply. I've read some amazing stories, by some very gifted authors that break a lot of rules, to convey things the way they want to convey them. Even Hemmingway was a rule breaker. And I think most people would agree, he was a very gifted writer, even if he didn't follow all the rules.

 

[Smuttyandfun]

Now you're comparing an average, indifferent reader to a discerning, involved beta reader.

If you're looking for an argument, you won't get one from me. I know what and how I want to write something, and for me that's enough.

 

[pink_silk_glove]

One can definitely smirk in a playful or sarcastic way just as easily as one can smirk in a smug or spiteful way. If anyone feels the need to get their knickers twisted over it, I'm about to stop them as much as I'm about to avoid pissing them off with the liberal use of smirk - as in zero.

 

[lovecraft68]

That's the opinion of one reader. I use the word when it fits. Yes, a smirk usually goes along with a sarcastic or outright nasty remark, but again, if it fits, it fits.

Beta readers are a big help for catching mistakes, flow, overall story etc.. but they are not in charge of changing you're writing.

I don't see a problem with this, doubt many here will.

I'd keep it and find a new beta reader.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Here in Oz, a smirk is usually a tad smug. Does it go as far as condescending? Probably not, but would edge close - but it's very context dependent.

Dictionary definitions are good, though. That is, after all, why we have them. If we didn't, every word would be a Humpty Dumpty word, with all of us having our own meanings.

 

[Smuttyandfun]

1. Variation in Cultures: The interpretation of a smirk can vary significantly across different cultures, where it might be seen as rude in some and merely playful in others.
2. It can signal flirtatiousness or a playful attempt to seek attention. When someone smirks in a romantic or social setting, it might be their way of subtly expressing interest or attraction.

This is exactly what Kumquatqueen was referring to. The meaning changes depending on where you live. I've often seen it used as meaning a playful smile, which is why I use it that way.

And with that, I'll say goodnight.

 

[orangecurious]

nothing wrong with a good smirk

 

[ElectricBlue]

nothing wrong with a good smirk

I find a raised eyebrow is much better .

 

[orangecurious]

I find a raised eyebrow is much better .

combine them and it's a winning combo

 

[ElectricBlue]

combine them and it's a winning combo

True, that .

 

[yowser]

Just an aesthetic note, and a personal one at that. This is one of those words best used sparingly and with care. If I'm reading a character who's smirking all the time (esp without nuance or more detailed description) I'm likely to think the author has a smirk tic.

 

[intim8]

“Sorry, Mia, that is one thing I have never done.” I smirked a bit

My only complaint with that is "a bit". It's a hesitation word, a filler word, for the writer, like "just" often is. It unnecessarily makes the writer look a lot less confident and creates a small measure of psychic distance between the reader and the action.

I've trained myself to watch for it, because I do it all the time.

 

[KeithD]

"Smirked" does have a tint of condescending to me. Sometimes, given the content, that would seem appropriate. More often than not, not, though, I think. It wouldn't bother me too much, but it would be a negative tick against the speaker for me.

 

[THBGato]

In the Lesbian Sex stories I've read (circa 3,000), smirking seems to be done exclusively by Tops/Dommes, and often has connotations of disdain/predation.

 

[JuanSeiszFitzHall]

When my characters smirk, it's in response to statements or situations that deserve undermining. Still, each smirk is light-hearted, and provides a teaching moment for the smirkee.

In my fictional world, if one smirks with a snark, it's obnoxious. If one smirks in response to a snark, it's justified.

 

[Britva415]

I was surprised by a comment from a beta reader on a story of mine. They objected to my use of 'smirked', saying that it cast my female lead in a very poor light. It surprised me some because it is a word I like, because of the friendly mischievousness I associate with the word. There is enough cultural difference between us that it isn't surprising we have some connotative differences, but it got me curious about the wider perception of the word.

“Sorry, Mia, that is one thing I have never done.” I smirked a bit. I knew most girls did shoplift at some point in their youth. “I once had a friend banished from my house for years by my Ma for just talking about shoplifting a little. Small business owners tend to take theft personally.”

So my question to the crowd is this. One a scale of 1 being fun puckishness to 5 being unsavory bitch, what is your connotation of someone smirking at you?

It can mean more than one thing, so, you can spell it out. "A fun, puckish smirk" or "a bitchy unsavory smirk" or "a friendly mischievous smirk."

Or you could write a whole story where you tell how the smirkers feel about it or intend it, and the lookers take it the total wrong way because they aren't mind readers and either the body language is inadequate or the observer's perception of it is inadequate.

 

[Britva415]

A large variety of smirks have been described in this thread. Smug, conspiratorial, insincere, snide, wryly appreciative, archly pleased, etc. They're all smirks.

And no, as an American, it's not a synonym or replacement for "grin," to me. If someone writes it that way, I won't read it that way, so, who failed?

My favorite smirk to write about is the involuntary one. The one where something makes you smile but it comes out a smirk because you try not to smile. This happens in dramatically charged circumstances with potential consequences, so,

 

[colddiesel]

According to Merriam-Webster, a "smirk" is "a smile that shows a smug, condescending, or self-satisfied attitude."

Therefore, it's difficult to find any playful or positive connotation here. Your beta reader was right.

The OED is more expansive than Webster. with less emphasis on the smug and more on the silly but harmless meaning. So long as a smirk doesn't become a smirch! The Beta reader was like Noah Webster, narrow minded, too concerned with their 'rightness.'