Literary notes about sass (AI summary)
Writers have used "sass" in varied and colorful ways to evoke both character and local color. In many narrations it denotes a cheeky, impertinent retort or attitude—as when a character demands, "don’t gimme no sass" to rebuke insolence [1, 2, 3] or when a rebellious reply promises repercussions for such backtalk [4]. At the same time, the term appears in discussions of everyday life, serving as a flavorful element in culinary and horticultural contexts—referring to items like apple or garden sass that suggest regional vernacular and cultural tradition [5, 6, 7, 8]. Even as a surname or proper noun, "Sass" intimates a particular identity or heritage within a narrative [9, 10, 11]. This semantic versatility underscores its role as both a marker of audacity in dialogue and a symbol of community-based customs within literary works.
- She cooks better'n any space-brained woman and she never opens her mouth to give me any sass!"
— from On the Trail of the Space Pirates by Carey Rockwell - "Looky here—mind how you talk to me; I'm a-standing about all I can stand now—so don't gimme no sass.
— from The Entire Project Gutenberg Works of Mark Twain by Mark Twain - “Looky here—mind how you talk to me; I’m a-standing about all I can stand now—so don’t gimme no sass.
— from Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain - “Say—if you give me much more of your sass I’ll take and bounce a rock off’n your head.”
— from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Complete by Mark Twain - Baby clothes, and apples, and apple sass—and melasses!
— from A Waif of the Plains by Bret Harte - "Good school over yonder; and a church--and big enough garden for all our garden sass and to can some."
— from Across the Fruited Plain by Florence Crannell Means - I’m so proud of my garden sass, I’d drive to the gate of the White House and offer it there.
— from John Baring's House by Elsie Singmaster - I raise my own garden-sass and all other sass.
— from The Log School-House on the Columbia by Hezekiah Butterworth - “Are you Isaac Sass?” exclaimed Burnett.
— from The Frontier Fort Or, Stirring Times in the North West Territory of British America by William Henry Giles Kingston - He looked about expecting to see Sass, but he was nowhere to be found.
— from The School Friends; Or, Nothing New by William Henry Giles Kingston - Marion Hutson Sass (W); 15Jul65; R364777.
— from U.S. Copyright Renewals, 1965 July - December by Library of Congress. Copyright Office
