falstaffian means having the traits of the comic character Falstaff: especially, corpulent and jolly.
Why “falstaffian” is a great word
Possessing the jovial, corpulent, and boisterously humorous qualities of Shakespeare’s character Sir John Falstaff. From the proper name Falstaff (the Shakespearean character) + the English suffix -ian (meaning 'characteristic of'), first recorded in use around 1800–10. Unlike 'jovial,' which suggests a general cheerfulness, or 'corpulent,' which denotes mere physical bulk, Falstaffian implies a specific union of vast appetite, witty dissoluteness, and riotous conviviality. It is the scent of sack and roasting meat in a crowded tavern, the thunderous laugh that shakes a substantial belly, and the cunning excuse delivered with perfect comic timing—a celebration of life's messy, sensual excess that masks a quiet, melancholy knowledge of its inevitable end.
adj
- Having the traits of the comic character Falstaff: especially, corpulent and jolly.e.g.“In battle, he self-deprecatingly recorded his own Falstaffian flight – 'fleeing is also an act of courage' – and probably the most 'strange and comic' scatological scene in military history.”
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