pickwikian
Definition
- Adjective:
- Pertaining to the Pickwick Club or its members: Relating to the fictional Pickwick Club, as described in Charles Dickens's novel The Pickwick Papers.
- In a specialized or jocular sense: Used humorously to describe a meaning that is personal, professional, or peculiar to a specific group, often in a playful or ironic way. This usage derives from a scene in the novel where a character uses the word "chops" in a non-standard sense.
Usage Examples
- (The meaning was specialized and understood only by insiders.)
- (The word was employed jocularly, with a private or technical meaning.)
Advanced Usage
- "in a pickwikian sense": A fixed phrase meaning "in a special, private, or jocular sense."
- The lawyer argued that the contract clause was to be interpreted in a pickwikian sense. (The clause was to be understood in a limited, non-literal way, possibly for humorous effect.)
Variants and Related Words
- Pickwickian (adj): The more common spelling; identical in meaning.
- The committee's decision was purely pickwikian. (The decision was based on a private or technical interpretation.)
Synonyms
- Specialized: limited to a particular field or group.
- Jocular: humorous or playful in tone.
- Idiosyncratic: peculiar to an individual or group.
Related Idioms
- In a Pickwickian sense: A phrase used to indicate that a word or phrase is being used in a non-standard, often humorous, way.
- He meant the compliment in a Pickwickian sense, so don't take it seriously. (The compliment was ironic or not meant literally.)
Additional Notes
- The term originates from Charles Dickens's (1836), where Mr. Pickwick is accused of calling Mr. Blotton a "humbug." Mr. Blotton later explains that he used the word "in a Pickwickian sense," meaning it was not intended as an insult but merely as a playful or specialized remark. This coinage has since entered English as a humorous way to denote a personal or technical meaning.