Literary notes about Moxie (AI summary)
In literary works, "moxie" is employed in a multifaceted way that enhances both character and setting. It often describes a spirited quality or resolute courage, as when a character is noted to have "plenty of moxie" [1][2][3]. At the same time, the word serves as a marker of locale, providing quaint, evocative names for places like Little Moxie and Moxie Lake, which not only ground the narrative in a specific geography but also imbue it with a distinctive character [4][5][6]. Occasionally, "moxie" appears in playful contexts or as part of colorful epithets, reinforcing a sense of deft, resilient personality alongside its literal sense of location [7][8].
- Her voice was like the rest of her: smooth, polished and relaxed—and with plenty of moxie held in reserve.
— from The Night of the Trolls by Keith Laumer - They are about seven feet tall, not too heavy, but they got plenty moxie.
— from Hoiman and the Solar Circuit by G. Gordon Dewey - You ain't got the moxie to handle no mobs, remember?
— from The Best Made Plans by Everett B. Cole - He first told the story of the wrecked life of the brother, and pointed to the bent figure of the hermit of Little Moxie, standing in the shadows.
— from The Rainy Day Railroad War by Holman Day - Wal, I left my deer right there an' h'isted ye on my sled, and struck across Little Moxie for my camp here on the double-quick, now I can tell ye.
— from The Rainy Day Railroad War by Holman Day - Moxie Lake lies much lower than Pleasant Pond, and its waters compared with those of the latter are as copper compared with silver.
— from Birds and Bees, Sharp Eyes, and Other Papers by John Burroughs - Robert Arthur (A); 6Oct66; R395257. Too much moxie.
— from U.S. Copyright Renewals, 1966 July - December by Library of Congress. Copyright Office - "Moxie, get your wife to sew a button on your mouth!"
— from To Him That Hath by Leroy Scott
