Micawberly

English

WOTD – 7 May 2021

Etymology

From Micawber +‎ -ly (suffix forming adjectives from nouns, having the sense of ‘behaving like, or having a nature typical of [what is denoted by the noun]’) (see origin of name there), from the character Wilkins Micawber – noted for his naive optimism, always confident that “something will turn up”^[1] – in David Copperfield (1849–1850) by the English author Charles Dickens (1812–1870).

Pronunciation

(Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /mɪˈkɔːbəli/
Audio (Southern England): (file)
(General American) IPA^(key): /mɪˈkɔbɚli/, /məˈkɑ-/
Hyphenation: Mi‧caw‧ber‧ly

Adverb

Micawberly (comparative more Micawberly, superlative most Micawberly)

in an upbeat and optimistic way, in the face of seemingly hopeless circumstances
- 1872, Adeline Dutton Train Whitney, Sights and Insights: Patience Strong's Story of Over the Way, volume 1, J.R. Osgood & Company, published 1876, page 151:
  […] not growing a single spiritual inch, for putting forth his powers as a man should; just amiably Micawbering along, and most Micawberly devoted to somebody he would like well enough to marry when the times comes and things "turn up;" […]
- 1875 January 31, “Grand Duke Alexis”, in Galveston Daily News‎^[1], archived from the original on 5 March 2016, page 1, column 2 (bottom):
  The marriage of Grand Duke Alexis in his proper station in life is indefinitely postponed, and Count Shouvalod and his imperial master must wait, Micawberly, for something to turn up.
- 1995, William A. Senior, Stephen R. Donaldson's Chronicles of Thomas Covenant: Variations on the Fantasy Tradition, Kent State University Press, page 176:
  Covenant doggedly searches for a way out of his predicament and vows to keep moving in the hopes that, macabrely (as opposed to Micawberly) put, something will turn up.

Related terms

Translations

synonym of Micawberesque — see Micawberesque

References

^ See, for example, Charles Dickens (May 1849 – November 1850) “I Assist at an Explosion”, in The Personal History of David Copperfield, London: Bradbury & Evans, […], published 1850, →OCLC, page 540: “‘I could not receive it as a gift,’ said Mr. Micawber, full of fire and animation, ‘but if a sufficient sum could be advanced, […] to allow time for something to turn up——’”