• Thusly

    Pronunciation

    • UK IPA: /ˈðʌs.li/

    Origin

    thus + -ly, dating from the 19th century, seemingly coined by educated writers to make fun of uneducated persons trying to sound genteel,

    American Heritage Dictionary, 4th edition (Accessed 2012-01-13)

    with a false inference that thus is not an adverb.

    Full definition of thusly

    Adverb

    thusly

    1. thus (in this way).
      • 1893, Isabel Burton, The Life of Captain Sir Richard F. Burton KCMG, FRGS, Vol II:Stories never lose anything in the recital, and consequently this one grew thusly.
      • 1995 December, John P. Wiley Jr, quoting Edward R. Harrison, Smithsonian Magazine:The history of the Universe has been summed up thusly: "Hydrogen is a light, odorless gas, which, given enough time, turns into people."
      • 1996, Charles Harding, High Rise Dwelling http://www.poetry.com/poets/CharlesHarding.html:Going thusly, unwillingly at the bell,Answering the call to recycle my time.

    Usage notes

    Although thusly has diffused into popular usage, it is still widely regarded as incorrect; instead, other equivalent expressions (such as thus or this way) can be used. It originated in the Eastern U.S., and it is still more common in American than British English; it is "often used for amusement or to make an ironic point."

    Pam Peters, The Cambridge Guide to English Usage (2003).

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