Smile v.

Forms: α. 4–5 smylle, 4–6 smyle, Sc. 5–6 smyll, 7 smill, 4– smile. β. 6–7 smoyle, 7, 9 dial. smoile. [ME. smīlen, = OHG. smîlan (in pres. pple. smîlenter; MHG. smielen), also Da. smile (hence NFris. smile), Norw. and Sw. smila; these are prob. adoptions from a MLG. *smîlen, which may also have been the source of the English word.]

  I.  intr. 1. Of persons: To give to the features or face a look expressive of pleasure or amusement, or of amused disdain, scorn, etc.

  To smile in one’s sleeve: see SLEEVE sb. 2 d.

  α.  a. 1300.  Cursor M., 2731. ‘Thar þe noght in hethyng smylle.’ Sco said, ‘for soth smild i noght.’

1338.  R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 185. Philip held him stille, & bigan to smyle.

1390.  Gower, Conf., II. 14. For with a goodly lok sche smyleth.

c. 1440.  Alph. Tales, cccl. 241. So þis Cardinall smylid, & commendid hym for his gude tale.

c. 1475.  Rauf Coilȝear, 711. The King preuilie smylit, Quhen he saw that bald.

1530.  Palsgr., 722/2. I smyle, I make a countenaunce towarde laughyng and laughe nat outryght, je me soubzris.

1560.  Daus, trans. Sleidane’s Comm., 128 b. He … began to smile, & contempne theyr answere.

1601.  Shaks., Jul. C., IV. i. 50. Some that smile, haue in their hearts I feare Millions of Mischeefes.

1670.  Clarendon, Hist. Reb., XIII. § 4. They … reprehended him very sharply if he smiled on those days.

1711.  Steele, Spect., No. 2, ¶ 5. He can smile when one speaks to him, and laughs easily.

1754.  Shebbeare, Matrimony (1766), II. 107. She hung at Sir William’s arm, Smiling in his Face.

1848.  Thackeray, Van. Fair, lvi. He … would smile when George came down late for breakfast.

1898.  J. Arch, Story of Life, xv. 357. Chamberlain was smiling all over his face.

  β.  1599.  Breton, Mamillia, Wks. (Grosart), II. 49/1. And,… like an olde horses neyghing, would he be smoyling. Ibid. (1614), I would & I would not, lxxix. I would I were an honest Countrey-Wench, That only could make Curtsey, smoile, and blush.

1864.  Tennyson, N. Farmer, I. xiv. Loook ’ow quoloty smoiles when they seeäs ma a passin’ boy.

  b.  transf. and fig.

1594.  1st Pt. Contention, viii. In that I intreat you to vse her well. The world may smile againe and I may liue, To do you fauour if you do it her.

1596.  Shaks., Two Gentl., I. ii. 63. When inward ioy enforc’d my heart to smile.

1667.  Milton, P. L., IX. 480. Then let me not let pass Occasion which now smiles; behold alone The woman [etc.].

1747.  Gray, Fav. Cat, 28. Malignant Fate sat by, and smil’d.

1794.  Mrs. Radcliffe, Myst. Udolpho, III. vii. 217. Thy soothing strains the pensive heart beguile, And bid the visions of the future smile.

a. 1822.  Shelley, Mutability (2), 1. The flower that smiles to-day To-morrow dies.

1825.  Hook, Sayings, Ser. II. Sutherl., I. 110. Now indeed was the crisis of his fate at hand, every thing smiled.

  c.  In the slang phrase I should smile, used to ridicule an idea.

1891.  Youth’s Companion, 138. Sing for nothing? Well I should smile!

  2.  a. To look on, upon, at, or to a person with a smile or pleasant expression.

1390.  Gower, Conf., II. 228. Achilles … upon himself to smyle Began, when he was so besein.

c. 1440.  Bone Florence, 1790. He at them can smyle.

1558.  Phaër, Æneid, I. A iiij. The maker of the Gods and men to her all swetely smyles.

1581.  Pettie, trans. Guazzo’s Civ. Conv., II. (1586), 73 b. To smile upon euerie man, is rather a signe of a vaine minde, then of a cheerefull countenance.

1676.  Hobbes, Iliad (1677), 15. His mother on him smil’d.

1711.  Addison, Spect., No. 69, ¶ 2. Sir Andrew, who often smiles upon me as he sees me bustling in the Crowd.

1749.  Smollett, Gil Blas, XII. xiii. (1782), IV. 268. At these words of my god-daughter, I smiled to her father.

1794.  Mrs. Radcliffe, Myst. Udolpho, IV. xiv. 315. Ludovico smiled at Annette, and bowed to Emily.

1847.  Marryat, Childr. N. Forest, viii. Edward … smiled upon the little girl.

1896.  Mrs. F. A. Steel, Face Waters, II. iii. They had smiled on little Sonny Seymour as he passed them.

  transf.  1610.  Holland, Camden’s Brit., 499. In the Spring time, the medowes arraied with pleasant flowers smile upon the beholders.

1667.  Milton, P. L., V. 124. When fair Morning first smiles on the World.

1821.  Shelley, Adonais, xxxii. 8. On the withering flower The killing sun smiles brightly.

  b.  To look on or upon one with favor, approval or encouragement. Freq. fig.

c. 1400.  Rom. Rose, 4355. It is of Love, as of Fortune,… Which whylom wol on folke smyle, And gloumbe on hem another whyle.

1508.  Dunbar, Gold. Targe, 218. Fair Calling did oft apon me smyle, And Cherising me fed wyth wordis fair.

1594.  Shaks., Rich. III., V. v. 20. Smile Heauen vpon this faire Coniunction, That long haue frown’d vpon their Enmity.

1638.  Sir T. Herbert, Trav. (ed. 2), 220. Yet was it [i.e., a palace] able to smile upon Alexander, when hee extracted thence to pay his Soldats.

c. 1657.  Sir W. Mure, Hist. Ho. Rowallane, Wks. (S.T.S.), II. 250. At y^t time the Court seemed to smill vpon him.

1709–10.  Steele, in Lett. Lit. Men (Camden), 345. My Lord Hallifax has smiled upon his labours.

1748.  Gray, Alliance, 16. If equal Justice with unclouded Face Smile not indulgent on the rising Race.

1833.  Ht. Martineau, Tale of Tyne, iii. 60. It is the duty of government to smile on undertakings which favour the industry of the people.

1878.  Bosw. Smith, Carthage, 281. Circumstances … seemed to smile on the project.

  c.  To show by the features one’s amusement (or pleasure) at something.

c. 1375.  Sc. Leg. Saints, xviii. (Mary Egypt), 509. Ȝone ȝonge man … at myn fule speke smylit in hy.

c. 1385.  Chaucer, L. G. W., 2123, Ariadne. This lady smylith at his stedefastnesse.

c. 1470.  Henry, Wallace, XI. 1384. Than Wallace smyld a litill at his langage.

1596.  Shaks., Tam. Shr., V. ii. 3. Time it is when raging warre is done, To smile at scapes and perils ouerblowne.

1623.  Camden, Rem. (1636), 245. Our first finest Poets may smile at the verses of that time as succeeding ages … will haply smile at theirs.

1681.  Dryden, Abs. & Achit., 912. While he withdrawn at their mad Labour smiles.

1719.  De Foe, Crusoe, II. (Globe), 356. The Spaniard only smil’d at that, and made him no Answer.

1817.  Shelley, Rev. Islam, II. xxxix. Wherefore dost thou smile At what I say?

1879.  Mrs. A. E. James, Ind. Househ. Managem., 60. Though they may smile inwardly at your ways,… they will never allow the smile to be outwardly seen.

  3.  Of physical features, things, etc.: To have or present an agreeable or pleasing aspect.

  Common in 18th-cent. poetry.

1594.  Kyd, Cornelia, IV. ii. H 4 b. O Faire Sunne that gentlie smiles, From the Orient-pearled Iles.

1667.  Milton, P. L., IV. 165. Cheard with the grateful smell old Ocean smiles.

1703.  Rowe, Fair Penitent, II. i. A better Order of succeeding Days Come smiling forward, white and lucky all.

1769.  Sir W. Jones, Palace Fortune, Poems (1777), 26. Each meadow blossom’d, and each valley smil’d.

1805.  Wordsw., Elegiac Stanzas, 19. A sea that could not cease to smile.

1878.  Bosw. Smith, Carthage, 11. A country smiling with corn fields, and gardens.

  4.  Of wine, beer, etc.: To sparkle. ? Obs.

a. 1700.  B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Mantles, When Drink is brisk and smiles.

1721.  Mortimer, Husb. (ed. 2), II. 325. It flushes violently out of the Cock … and then stops on a sudden, and pearls and smiles in a Glass like any bottled Beer.

1828.  in Carr, Craven Gloss.

  5.  (U.S.) slang. To drink; to have or take a drink.

1858.  [see SMILING vbl. sb. 2].

1865.  J. C. Hotten, in ‘Artemus Ward,’ His Book, 18, note. ‘Let us take a tod’ was formerly a common phrase. Recently, however, ‘To Kiss the Baby’ and to ‘Smile’ have taken its place.

1870.  Daily News, 7 Feb., 5/6. This ‘gentleman’ … asked me to ‘smile.’ I had learned by experience that this is the slang phrase for ‘taking a drink.’

  II.  trans. 6. a. To bring or convert into a specified condition by smiling. Const. in, into, out of, etc.

1588.  Shaks., L. L. L., V. ii. 465. Som Dick That smiles his checke [= cheek] in yeares. Ibid. (1601), Twel. N., III. ii. 84. He does smile his face into more lynes, then is in the new Mappe. Ibid. (1608), Pericles, V. i. 139. Thou doest looke like patience … smiling extremitie out of act.

1728.  Young, Love of Fame, I. 46. What author shall we find … The courtly Roman’s smiling path to tread, And sharply smile prevailing folly dead?

  b.  To dismiss, get rid of, drive away (something) with a smile or smiles; to while away (time), dry up (tears), in or by smiling.

1760–72.  H. Brooke, Fool of Qual. (1809), III. 142. The great ones of thy court have audaciously smiled away the gloom and horrors of guilt.

1792.  S. Rogers, Pleas. Mem., II. 78. When sober Judgment has his throne resigned She smiles away the chaos of the mind.

1803.  Visct. Strangford, Poems of Camoens, Sonn. xx. (1810), 106. Those charming eyes, within whose starry sphere Love whilom sat, and smil’d the hours away.

c. 1850.  Mrs. Browning, Hector & Andromache, 102. She received him straight To her bosom’s fragrance—smiling up her tears.

1885.  ‘Lucas Malet,’ Col. Enderby’s Wife, I. iii. A woman’s reputation must not be smiled away.

  transf.  1827.  Hood, Hero & Leander, xxviii. The drowsy world shone brighten’d in reply; And smiling off her fogs, his slanting beam [etc.].

  † 7.  To treat with contempt or disdain; to deride, laugh at. Obs.^–1

1605.  Shaks., Lear, II. ii. 88. A plague vpon your Epilepticke visage, Smoile you my speeches, as I were a Foole?

  8.  a. To answer or repeat by smiling.

1621.  G. Sandys, Ovid’s Met., III. (1632), 91.

  b.  To exhibit, indicate or express by smiling; to grant, bestow, etc., with a smile. Also fig. and with in (quot. 1860).

1646.  J. Hall, Poems, 29. Yet it is midnight still with me, Nay worse, unless that kinder she Smile Day.

1803.  W. R. Spencer, Year of Sorrow, 46. Thy Susan … Smiled no sweet sunshine on thy closing day.

1814.  Byron, Lara, II. xvii. He … sadly smiles his thanks to that dark page.

1853.  Kane, Grinnell Exped., xlvi. (1856), 423. They cannot be said to smile a welcome upon the navigator.

1860.  Lever, One of Them, iii. ‘The very remark I was about to make, my Lord,’ smiled in Mrs. Morris.

1880.  Daily Telegr., 21 Feb., 5/3. She smiled disbelief.

  c.  With cognate object: To give (a smile, esp. one of a specified kind).

1837.  Dickens, Pickw., xxiii. Mr. Weller junior smiled a filial smile.

1862.  Miss Braddon, Lady Audley, xl. She smiled the queerest smile.

1868.  Helps, Realmah, ii. (1876), 21. The Caliph smiled a grim smile.

  Hence Smileable a., at which one may smile; Smiled ppl. a., spoken or given with a smile; also with out.

1823.  Select Mag., etc., III. 352. The same smileable scrupulosity is observed in preparing the bread to be eaten at the ensuing feast, lest there should be any thing like leaven mixed with it.

1830.  J. Wilson, in Blackw. Mag., XXVIII. 893. All speak,—talk—whisper—or smile, of all the speakable, talkable, whisperable, and smileable little interesting affairs, incidents, and occurrences, real or fabulous, of public, private, demi-public, or demi-semi-private life.

1859.  W. C. Bennett, Baby May, 21. Tiny scorns of smiled reprovings That have more of love than lovings.

1892.  C. E. Norton, Dante’s Paradise, I. 5. If I was divested of my first doubt by these brief little smiled-out words, within a new one was I the more enmeshed.