Phrase guide

Tom Swifty

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • tŏm′ swĭft′ē
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌtɒm ˈswɪft.iː/
  • /ˌtɔːm ˈswɪft.iː/ Received Pronunciation, older
  • General-American, Scotland: /ˌtɔm ˈswɪft.i/
  • General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American, cot-caught-merger: /ˌtɑm ˈswɪft.i/
  • Canada: /ˌtɒm ˈswɪft.i/
  • Canada, cot-caught-merger: /ˌtɑm ˈswɪft.i/
  • Australian: /ˌtɔm ˈswɪft.iː/
  • New-Zealand: /ˌtɒm ˈswəft.iː/
  • India: /ˌʈɔm ˈswɪfʈ.iː/

1

noun

Meaning 1

A humorous phrase in which a supposed quotation is linked by a pun to the manner in which it is attributed.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Referring to the Tom Swift series of books, whose authors frequently avoided the word "said" in favour of other constructions, + -y.