Why does everyone in this game SMIRK!?

[Alexander]

It's just an odd thing I've seen half a hundred times now: people who smirk. Everywhere. Multiple people at the woodcutters' camp smirk. Remnants smirk. Travelers smirk. It's just such an overused word in this game it makes me wonder. Nobody pouts, gives a half-smile, grins? They all have to smirk? Is there a reason it's such a commonly used word in this narrative?

Nitpicky, I know, but I can't be the only one to have picked up on it. It's used SO much.

[Magus Coldfire]

Because everyone is a smart badass in this game!

[Nikanuur]

But that's the point of smirking, *smirk*
I'd report Teemo for that, btw.

[Tiruin]

Translation stuff I bet! People have noted that the writing has been translated since (per the credits) the original[?] team has an English translation branch, and thus it'll probably have filled in for like, 'smiles' or other gestures this way.

[dna]

Originally posted by Tiruin:

Translation stuff I bet! People have noted that the writing has been translated since (per the credits) the original[?] team has an English translation branch, and thus it'll probably have filled in for like, 'smiles' or other gestures this way.

Not really, they use the german "grinsen" a lot too. I was kinda assuming that rustmoss consumption must be quite high *smirks*

[ginx2666]

Because devs aren't native English speakers and couldn't afford a translator who was. They didn't know "smirking" has negative connotations in English, and is associated with a condescending, redditor-like behavior of a smug bastard.

If they could afford a professional translator, he'd tell them that a benevolent kind of smiling would be, well, "smiling" or "beaming" if it's especially radiant.

[Lancenig]

Many authors do this...
I read a lot of Stephen king and occasionally he'll use a really cool word....then....he'll use it 67 more times and it becomes too repetitive for sure.

[ScytheMonkey]

I think the word they were looking for at least 80% of the time is "grins". Smirks is very annoying.