Wodehousian

English

Alternative forms

• Wodehousean

Etymology

From Wodehouse +‎ -ian.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wʊdˈhaʊsi.ən/, /wʊdˈhaʊzi.ən/

Adjective

Wodehousian (comparative more Wodehousian, superlative most Wodehousian)

1. Of or pertaining to P. G. Wodehouse (1881–1975), English writer and humorist known for his eccentric half-witted characters and excellent prose.
   • 1998, Edward L. Galligan, The Truth of Uncertainty, University of Missouri Press, →ISBN, page 163:

     Wodehousian farce, like all other kinds of farce — like most comedy, for that matter — nurses a deep suspicion that the ability to reason is an overrated gift, and what counts in farce is not originality of meaning but freshness of image.

   • 2010, Charlotte Mosley, “Introduction”, in Wigs on the Green, →ISBN:

     Wigs on the Green, originally published in 1935, is Nancy Mitford's third novel. Like its predecessors, it is a light, accomplished comedy of manners, complete with Wodehousian conventions of a rich heiress, rivals in love, legacies from an aunt, broken engagements, assumed identities and a happy ending.

   • 2010 February 1, Rupert Christiansen, “Opera North's Ruddigore, review”, in Daily Telegraph‎^[1]:

     Translating a Cornish village during the Napoleonic wars to a vaguely Wodehousian 1920s ambience provides a bit of incidental fun […]

   • 2013 July 25, Elfreda Pownall, “Italian gardens: a spectacular visit to the Roman Campagna”, in Daily Telegraph‎^[2]:

     On the coach the next morning, James shows a Wodehousian ability to find alternatives to the verb “to go”: “Let’s slowly trickle along”, “I think we could race back now”, “We might just wander up for a look”.

   • 2015 August 4, Delshad Irani, “Jeeves@100: Here's how PG Wodehouse influences Indian copy writing”, in Economic Times‎^[3]:

     The Wodehousian way is the ability to effortlessly expand characters, trivialities and plots and exaggerate the mundane to great comic or catastrophic effect.

   • 2018 July 13, Tom Rachman, “A fresh disaster: How Brexit is diverting Britain”, in The Globe and Mail‎^[4]:

     Traipsing through this farce is the most Wodehousian character of all, Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson, a 54-year-old dishevelled blond toff with a talent for leaping into action precisely when his country needs him least.