[Jagman]

This verb confusion reminds me of the old Samuel Johnson story. Dr. Johnson didn't bathe frequently, and when traveling in a crowded tram, the lady next to him said, “You smell.” Dr. Johnson replied, “On the contrary madam, I stink; you smell.”

[wideminded]

Dr. Johnson replied, “On the contrary madam, I stink; you smell.”

I have read a lot of material by and about Johnson and I don't recall this story or anything about his lack of bathing, although he was sometimes known to be careless in his attire.

When I searched for the quote online, lots of people attribute it to Johnson, but no one seems to provide an original source. I did see it mentioned on one page devoted to questionable quotes.