“I proved him wrong when he said I could not do it” said Tom candidly.
“What’s that fly you’re tying?” Tom said caddishly.
“The lady who played Sophia wasn’t really to my taste, but the lady who played Blanche was delicious,” said Tom ruefully.
‘A Percheron, a Suffolk Punch, it’s all the same to me,’ said Tom hoarsely.
‘I wouldn’t play anything but a Bosendorfer,’ Tom said grandly.
‘…And this reduces to x - x, which is…?’ said Tom naughtily.
‘No daughter of mine is going out dressed like that!’ said Tom a little tartly.
‘What’s this, the outside of a tree?’ Tom barked.
“I might as well slit my throat,” said Tom jocularly.
“Let’s go hang out with Greg and Gary!” said Tom gregariously.
“I’ve been working out,” Tom said weightily.
“I’ve been putting on weight,” Tom said expansively.
“Are you saying that the President is above the Law, Mr. Nixon?” Tom asked Frostily.
“I don’t think we can break out of here,” Tom said indefensibly.
“What is the name of that doggone star?” Tom asked seriously.
“My nose is running,” Tom whispered secretly.
“I am definitely in favor of capital punishment” said Tom electrically
“This zombie movie got bad reviews,” Tom deadpanned.
My Fav.
This is the best shrimp cocktail I ever had ,said Tom shellfishly.
“What’s wrong with worshipping a paper bag?” Tom asked sacreligiously.
“Call a plumber!” Tom piped.
“Comb your hair,” Tom snarled.
“I am king,” Tom dictated.
“I Pit myself!” Tom said self-pityingly.
“This cat is not feeling well,” Tom said musically.
“I don’t like pictures on my walls,” Tom said artlessly.
“I’ll have another bourbon,” Tom said mordantly.
“I need someone to inspire my art” Tom mused.
“This drink needs to be colder” said Tom icily.
“Today’s Tom Swiftie he gets high on you and the space he invades he gets by on you” said Tom in a Rush
“Memo to SNL: Fire all the writers.” said Tom, forlorn.
“Turn around and eat your big ass biscuit!” yelled Tom with Gusto
“Got anything to cut the scotch?” asked Tom gingerly
“Koreans have such straight hair” said Tom, blushing.
“I’m the biggest fish in this small pond” said Tom coyly.
“I think Helium-Neon is far superior to YAG” Tom beamed lazily.
As this Wikipedia entry puts it, the books’ authors tried to avoid repeatedly writing “Tom said”, and thus used other verbs (“cried”, “stammered”) as well as incorporating adverbs. While the examples from Tom Swift and His Airship do not incorporate puns, wags of the era quickly came up with the idea of using wordplay to parody the Stratemeyer Syndicate style.
Here is one of several earlier threads on this topic.
“I’ve brushed my hair too hard!” Tom bristled.