smelt vs smelled -- this is driving me insane

[Alex756]

OK I KNOW smelled is the common one. I know that. I just have a sentence in my new story that smelt seems right. The dictionaries were of no help, they list both versions.

So my poor confused mind is saying it must be a regional dialog thing, but the only thing I can use to come up with backup is 'you smelt it you dealt it' which really is pathetic usage of the world smelt.

So anyone know of any regions where smelt is the more often used, even just commonly how people speak? I am positive growing up I used both frequantly, but it was probbaly something my Evil British Cambridge Writing For Your Major Class (EBCaWFoYM -- pronounced Ebb Cah Foim, kinda like a word the prof on the simpsons would use) whipped out of me.

OK that was randomenough to show the state my mind is in over this:

Blood. He smelt blood. He smelt fresh blood.

Maybe its a good sign I have my editing down to this last little bit of annoyance?

~Alex

 

[rgraham666]

Smelt is a small fish.

Never seen smelt as a word for an olfactory sensation.

 

[BlackShanglan]

I've been told that the -t past tense is more common in British usage, but I'm not sure how accurate that is. My grandfather always used "burnt" rather than "burned," as do all of his progeny. In the south I have also heard "rurnt" (spelling roughly as it sounds) meaning something like "ruined." I've heard both "smelled" and "smelt" used, and for some reason "smelt" more commonly to describe something that has an odor rather than a person in the act of smelling something - i.e., the man smelt of fish, the man wrinkled his nose as if he smelled fish.

Shanglan

 

[cantdog]

Shang has the nub, here. Listen to Shang. I know, too.

 

[Alex756]

Thanks guys

My thought, if Jonathan Swift can use smelt so can I

Your Fancy then had always dwelt
On what you saw, and what you smelt;
Would still the same Ideas give ye,
As when you spy'd her on the Privy.

So unless anyone comes up with a good reason NOT to I am sticking with what sounds right to my ear in this situation.

~alex

 

[cantdog]

Smelt is a couple centuries old British English. Leapt has had a longer run. Smelt is now, even in Britain, as Shang describes it.

And, the small fish.

But that's not germane, really.

 

[BlackShanglan]

So unless anyone comes up with a good reason NOT to I am sticking with what sounds right to my ear in this situation.

An excellent rule in nearly any circumstances, and of course doubly so if you've got the good dean on your side. Swift does no wrong. That particular poem has always been a favorite of mine. Ah, that wonderful, profane, filthy, ranting old angel. Never got his due, poor man.

Shanglan

 

[cantdog]

Swift. Bow down, ye mortals.

 

[R. Richard]

I would tend to use smelled myself, the dictionary does list smelled first. As has been pointed out, smelt [noun]is a fish. Smelt [verb] is also the process of extracting metals from ores.

 

[minsue]

In speech, I can deal with smelt. Written, however, all I see is a little fish.

 

[LadyJeanne]

If it sounds right that your character would say smelt, then say smelt.

 

[cantdog]

Yeah. What the fuck? Is there gonna be a test?

 

[eyesee]

olfactory dilemna

Indeed you are correct, either smelled or smelt cover the perception by means of the nose and its olfactory nerves. My preference is smelled, reserving smelt for metal fusion; a style preference. Best practice is to keep a writing word journal and declare your preferences. This is a key element to your individual writing style.

Just to differentiate some olfactory trivia. Humans' olfactory sensor is about the size of a postage stamp. A dog's sensor is about the size of an 8 1/2" X 11" piece of paper.

The act of smelling and the act(ive) effort of sniffing occur in completely separate and distinct parts of the brain. For whatever that's worth. At least there's no confusion with sniffed and snift!

Good luck!

eyesee

 

[tolyk]

"Smelt" always makes me think of forges and iron working personally..

 

[English Lady]

smelt works perfectly for me! It's used all the time in the north west of England.

"Have you smelt them roses yet?" and such like phrases are often used. I think we'd more often than not use the word smelt over smelled.

Unless you're being posh

And the phrase you wrote looks perfect, i can't see it with smelled myself....sounds weird.

 

[Colleen Thomas]

I thought smelt was a verb. Generally seen in the past tense, Smelting or smelted, but smelt means to fuse metals. As in you must smelt iron & coke to get light steel.

 

[Guest]

"Smelt" always makes me think of forges and iron working personally..

exactly what i thought as well. separating metals...

 

[Extreme Bohunk]

So, if the metal workers' nose detected small fish,
would it be written 'The smelt smelt Smelt.' ?

I know, that one smelled.

 

[eric shawn listo]

As RG has reprted a smelt is a fish.

However, if what you're descrbing is slightly fishy......

Sorry, couldn't resist.

 

[Guest]

So, if the metal workers' nose detected small fish,
would it be written 'The smelt smelt Smelt.' ?

I know, that one smelled.

yes, the smelter smelt smelting...YIKES..LOL
yes, it was smelly

 

[elfin_odalisque]

This smells fishy.

Alex, great, you've just seen the big, black hole of english grammar.

To answer you geekily, 'smelled' is strictly correct although several English dialects (including EL's) accept the degenerative 't' form.

OK, smelt, noun, is a fish and 'to smelt' is to fuse ore (past: smelted).

Strictly, for regular past tenses, there are only 3 types of endings;

Rub/jam - rubBED/jamMED
Jump/need/smell - jumpED/needED/smellED
Vote/masturbate - voteD/masturbateD

Just a 'for instance' try your 'smelt' ending with 'yell', 'press','call', 'miss' (even 'piss'). Does fall become felt - if only. I know past tenses like 'burnt' and 'learnt' are often seen - and accepted, but do seem to be on the decline.

There is a difference between American and UK English, in that we accept 'dove' whilst it is 'dived (regular)' on the other side of the pond.

There are some real funny corners - like dream= dreampt/dreamed - but ,in general, there is a morphological tendency to move towards the regular forms.

Lecture over. In fiction we have to fit our words in context. Just look at all the hot air we see on this site about whether 'ass' is sexier than 'arse', or the erotic nuance between 'panties' and 'knickers'.

Go with the flow.

 

[Alex756]

I've never been a big one for 'standard' english and grammar

The region I am trying to go for according to my research ... aka calling friends and saying, "quick is it spelled or smelt!" which evidently is not a question you want to be woken too while hung over... Oh well, he'll get over it.

Although I did have to listen to a horrible rant about the correct pronunciation of Pecan as a result of my calling.

Oh well, who knows what we'll all be saying in 100 years, for right now, I am keeping it to smelt. If anyone all bent on proper grammar and such really wants to lash into my latest, the sentence fragments should give them more than enough ammo

I've never tried to give a narator a regionality before in a 3rd person work, so it's going to be interesting. Hopefully in a good set the feel kinda way, more likely in a what was that girl thinking type of way.

~Miss Alex

 

[elfin_odalisque]

I've never been a big one for 'standard' english and grammar

The region I am trying to go for according to my research ... aka calling friends and saying, "quick is it spelled or smelt!" which evidently is not a question you want to be woken too while hung over... Oh well, he'll get over it.

Although I did have to listen to a horrible rant about the correct pronunciation of Pecan as a result of my calling.

Oh well, who knows what we'll all be saying in 100 years, for right now, I am keeping it to smelt. If anyone all bent on proper grammar and such really wants to lash into my latest, the sentence fragments should give them more than enough ammo

I've never tried to give a narator a regionality before in a 3rd person work, so it's going to be interesting. Hopefully in a good set the feel kinda way, more likely in a what was that girl thinking type of way.

~Miss Alex

Best of luck and go for it girl.

"Please come and see my garden. I don't think my roses have ever smelled you."

 

[Alex756]

Best of luck and go for it girl.

"Please come and see my garden. I don't think my roses have ever smelled you."

I must have dreamt that I felt and smelt the lovely buds.

Perhaps, I just knelt for a moment.

~Alex

 

[elfin_odalisque]

I must have dreamt that I felt and smelt the lovely buds.

Perhaps, I just knelt for a moment.

~Alex

Go for it girl.

You can play the grammar groupies very well.