Contemptuous Sneer Is Not the Same As "Smile"
Boy, how 'bout that Mary Cheney book? Huh? We're pretty interested in that! Especially now that all the coverage of it has quoted and described in detail the only interesting parts. Her profile in thePosttoday is three pages of boring, but the last line kinda confused us.
And when she gives him one of her off-kilter smiles -- the smile that makes her look exactly like her father -- it's hard to tell if she's pleased or amused.
You can't have it both ways. If it makes her look exactly like her father, then it's clearly neither "pleased" nor "amused," but "dangerous cornered animal" or "near death." Though it could be "pleased," in like a "watching your enemies perish" sort of sense.
Out and About [WP]