bobadil

Etymology

Name of such a character in Ben Jonson's 1598 play Every Man in his Humour.

Why this word is great

BOBADIL — [Noun] A swaggering boaster, especially one who is cowardly or dishonest. From the proper name Bobadil, a boastful character in Ben Jonson's play 'Every Man in his Humour' (1598), possibly inspired by Bobadilla, the first governor of Cuba. Unlike a "braggart" (who merely inflates their deeds) or a "blowhard" (who drowns others in empty opinions), a Bobadil performs his vanity with theatrical flair, all swagger and no steel. He is the man at the tavern recounting duels he never fought, the politician thundering about virtues he doesn’t possess, the would-be poet declaiming verses he didn’t write—a figure of hollow spectacle, reminding us how often confidence is just cowardice in a louder voice.

noun

  1. A swaggering boaster.“But in a minute they came out again, apparently satisfied, and crowded down stairs; whereon the man behind the curtain laughed again, and swaggering out, Bobadil-like, shook his fist with furious gestures after them.”