2009 Maev Kennedy, Polanski was not guilty of ‘rape-rape’, says Whoopi Goldberg, The Guardian

Smocking forms an effective trimming for ladies' dresses, either as a waistcoat or yoke, and looks well for the crown of a small toque with a velvet brim. The great difficulty in smocking is to gather the material regularly, or the embroidery will look crooked.

to flash a message along the telephone wires;  to flash conviction on the mind

His good sense had pointed out to him the artifices of the monks, and the gross absurdity of their miracles, wonders, and supposititious reliques.