[f. as prec. + -ING2.] That twangs, in senses of the verb.
1567. Drant, Horace, Art Poet., A vij. With the twanginge instrumente the singers voyce did matche.
1697. Dryden, Æneid, V. 688. To shew An archer’s art, and boast his twanging bow.
1784. Cowper, Task, IV. 1. Hark! ’tis the twanging horn.
1856. Kane, Arct. Expl., I. vii. 69. The sharp twanging snap of a cord.
1905. G. Thorne, Lost Cause, xi. The twanging accent of the United States, the guttural German, the purring, spitting Russian.
† b. colloq. Exceptionally fine or good. Cf. stunning, ripping, etc. Obs.
1609. B. Jonson, Sil. Wom., V. iii. O ’twill be full and twanging!
Hence Twangingly adv., in a twanging manner, with a twang; fig. successfully, with éclat (arch.).
1825. Scott, Jrnl., 22 Dec. I wrote six of my close pages [of the Life of Napoleon] yesterday,… I think it comes off twangingly. The story is so very interesting in itself. Ibid. (1825), Talism., xxvi. I like these rattling rolling Alexandrines; methinks they come more twangingly off to the music than that briefer measure.
