Vital Sparks: Do you feel the smart?
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Will Fitzgerald
Apr 14, 2026, 5:15:35 PM (9 days ago) Apr 14
to Fasola Discussions
I wrote some more about semantic drift in The Sacred Harp, including our discussion of "the heaven."
Enjoy, and I look forward to your comments and corrections!
Robert Vaughn
Apr 15, 2026, 12:51:21 AM (9 days ago) Apr 15
to Fasola Discussions, Will Fitzgerald
Interesting piece. Thanks.
Will, you wondered if “feel the smart” seems unnatural to a modern ear? I can’t speak for what seems natural or unnatural to the modern ear, since my ears are not very modern anymore. Additionally, I spend a lot of time in old writings, and often what is modern seems unnatural to me.
However, to address specifically “feel the smart”: this would feel very natural to most anyone who grew up in the time and place when and where I did. “That smarts!” was a very common expression to describe pain. The connection between the verb and noun was fairly natural. But I would guess that it is not commonly used by the younger generation, even around here.
Robert Vaughn
Mount Enterprise, TX
Ask for the old paths, where is the good way
For ask now of the days that are past...
Give ear, all ye inhabitants of the land.
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Steve Nickolas
Apr 15, 2026, 1:14:13 AM (9 days ago) Apr 15
to 'Robert Vaughn' via Fasola Discussions
On Wed, 15 Apr 2026, 'Robert Vaughn' via Fasola Discussions wrote:
> Interesting piece. Thanks.
>
> Will, you wondered if “feel the smart” seems unnatural to a modern ear? I can’t speak for what seems natural or
> unnatural to the modern ear, since my ears are not very modern anymore. Additionally, I spend a lot of time in old
> writings, and often what is modern seems unnatural to me.
>
> However, to address specifically “feel the smart”: this would feel very natural to most anyone who grew up in the
> time and place when and where I did. “That smarts!” was a very common expression to describe pain. The connection
> between the verb and noun was fairly natural. But I would guess that it is not commonly used by the younger
> generation, even around here.
I can second that. I'm 46 and I _do_ use "that smarts" sometimes, but
> Interesting piece. Thanks.
>
> Will, you wondered if “feel the smart” seems unnatural to a modern ear? I can’t speak for what seems natural or
> unnatural to the modern ear, since my ears are not very modern anymore. Additionally, I spend a lot of time in old
> writings, and often what is modern seems unnatural to me.
>
> However, to address specifically “feel the smart”: this would feel very natural to most anyone who grew up in the
> time and place when and where I did. “That smarts!” was a very common expression to describe pain. The connection
> between the verb and noun was fairly natural. But I would guess that it is not commonly used by the younger
> generation, even around here.
it's old language for me.
-uso.
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