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Coloraday Posted 17 years ago
Vocabulary

What does smoak mean here?

In a comedy by congreve named The Double Dealer there is this sentence;Should she smoak my design upon Cynthia , I were in a fine pickle.
What does smoak mean here  ?
Is my interpretation of fine pickle right?Which I think means "I were angry with her or sth like this".
Thanks for your answers 
  

Top answer

) sense of "suspect". "a fine pickle" is an awkward or difficult situation. So, my interpretation of the whole thing is: "I'd be in trouble if she suspected my design upon Cynthia".

— Mr Wordy

  • ) sense of "suspect".
  • "a fine pickle" is an awkward or difficult situation.
  • So, my interpretation of the whole thing is: "I'd be in trouble if she suspected my design upon Cynthia".
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31 Answers
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I believe that "smoak" here is an old spelling of "smoke", used in the obsolete(?) sense of "suspect".

"a fine pickle" is an awkward or difficult situation.

So, my interpretation of the whole thing is: "I'd be in trouble if she suspected my design upon Cynthia".
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To be in a fine pickle is to be in an awkward situation - a bad mess. You find yourself in a difficult position which you may have serious trouble getting out of.

Sorry, I can't find "smoak" anywhere, except as a person's name.

From your sentence, it seems like "reveal" might work.

If she reveals what I plan to do to Cynthia, I'll be in big trouble.
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Edit. To have a design upon someone is to have a possibly evil plan for that person.
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Avangi
Edit. To have a design upon someone is to have a possibly evil plan for that person.
It's also possible it could mean to have romantic intentions towards them. I guess you'd need to read through the context to know exactly what sort of "designs" these were.

(The 'duplicate post' link was circular or Moebian, so I have edited it out
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Mr Wordy old spelling of "smoke", used in the obsolete(?) sense of "suspect".
Hi Mr. Wordy. Thanks for the tip on the duplicate post.
I wonder if we have a pondial situation here. I was guessing in the other thread, but your view sent me to the dictionary. My Am. Htg. says your usage is not obsolete, but gives "expose to public view; reveal" rather tha
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AvangiI was guessing in the other thread, but your view sent me to the dictionary. My Am. Htg. says your usage is not obsolete, but gives "expose to public view; reveal" rather than "suspect." Pehaps it's a British usage. My unabridged subscription has lapsed

Hi Avangi

Right. "Expose to public view, reveal" seems equally plausible in the passa
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Hi Wordy, Yes, it does. (Sorry for the harangue, or however it's spelled.) This is the second time in two days I've accidently posted in the wrong thread, and I'm starting to come apart.

I'll post an exact quote from Am. Htg. *** knows where I'll end up putting it!
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****, this is terrible Emotion: angry You're right. I had read the "smoke out" listing and dismissed it. Then I proceeded to slip a cog. I n
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Mr Wordy(The 'duplicate post' link was circular or Moebian, so I have edited it out-- MM)
? Mr. Moebius, I presume? - or Mr. Mxyzptlk?
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Avangi
****, this is terrible You're right. I had read the "smoke ou
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