dogberry

A pompous official, a real dogberry, struts through the town square.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A small, wild fruit: "dogberry" refers to the fruit of the dogwood tree, specifically the Cornus sanguinea or similar species. It is a small, red or black berry-like drupe, often considered inedible or bitter.
   • A foolish, self-important, but incompetent official: This meaning comes from the character Dogberry in Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, who is a constable known for his malapropisms, pompousness, and bumbling nature. It is used as a derogatory term for an official who is both ignorant and arrogant.

Usage Examples

• Fruit:

  • The dogberries on the dogwood tree ripened to a deep red in autumn. (The small fruits of the dogwood tree.)
  • Birds often eat dogberries, though humans find them too sour. (The wild berries are consumed by wildlife.)

• Character type:

  • The new supervisor is a complete dogberry — he gives orders he doesn't understand and refuses to listen to advice. (A foolish and self-important official.)
  • Shakespeare's Dogberry is a classic example of a comic dogberry, a constable who bungles every investigation. (The literary archetype of an incompetent but conceited authority figure.)

Advanced Usage

• "To play the dogberry": to act in a pompous, blundering manner, especially in a position of authority.

  • The mayor played the dogberry during the crisis, issuing contradictory statements and blaming others. (He behaved foolishly and arrogantly.)

• "Dogberryism": a malapropism or absurdly incorrect use of language, characteristic of the character Dogberry.

  • His speech was full of dogberryisms, like "comparisons are odorous" and "our watch, sir, have indeed comprehended two auspicious persons." (Examples of comically wrong words.)

Variants and Related Words

• Dogberry (proper noun): The name of the character in .
  • Dogberry is one of Shakespeare's most memorable comic characters. (The specific fictional constable.)
• Dogberryish (adj): resembling or characteristic of Dogberry; foolishly self-important.
  • His dogberryish manner annoyed his colleagues. (He acted like a pompous fool.)

Synonyms

• Bungler: a person who makes mistakes through incompetence.
• Pompous fool: someone who is both arrogant and laughably inept.
• Malapropist: a person who habitually uses words incorrectly for comedic effect (related to Dogberry's speech).

Phrasal Verbs

• Dogberry around: (informal, rare) to act in a foolish, officious manner.
  • Stop dogberrying around and do your job properly. (Stop behaving like a bumbling, self-important official.)

Related Idioms

• "To be as wise as Dogberry": an ironic phrase meaning to be foolish or ignorant, since Dogberry believes himself wise but is not.
  • He thinks he's a genius, but he's as wise as Dogberry. (He is actually very foolish.)