But still I flirted, standing pat,
And did not yield an inch;
I told her I was married—that
Was how I fooled her squinch!
TASHIVATE
Tash-i-va´tion, n. The art of replying by means of reciprocal tones.
Tash´i-vate, v. To reply without attention; to speak aimlessly, or without interest, as to a child.
Tash´i-vat-ed, p.p. Absorbed in more interesting things; inattentive; answered perfunctorily.
Have you acquired the art of tashivation? Can you read the newspaper right along through your wife’s gossip, or your little daughter’s prattle? This is the secret of true domesticity; it is the science of being a husband.
The actress has an ear trained to distinguish emotions, and a tongue trained to answer them without the conscious use of her brain. A friend tells her a long, dull story, and her mind wanders through the Elysian Fields of her own experiences, unheeding. Suddenly the tale ends—“And there she was, right in the room with him!” What was it all about? Never mind, the answer is easy: “Well, what do you think of that?” (See Drillig.)