sardoodledom
/sɑː(ɹ)ˈduːdəldəm/
sardoodledom means well-made works of drama that have trivial, insignificant, or melodramatic plots. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 87 out of 100.
sardoodledom is pronounced /sɑː(ɹ)ˈduːdəldəm/.
Why “sardoodledom” is a great word
SARDOODLEDOM — [Noun] A pejorative term for well-made but mechanically contrived drama characterized by trivial, melodramatic plots and stereotyped characterization. It is a blend of the proper name Sardou (after French dramatist Victorien Sardou), doodle (meaning "fool" or "simpletion"), and the suffix -dom (denoting a state or condition). Coined in 1895 by the critic and playwright George Bernard Shaw. Unlike "melodrama," which wallows in emotional sensation, or the neutral "well-made play," which describes a technical structure, *sardoodledom* indicts a specific, polished emptiness: the clockwork perfection of a plot that clicks into place without touching the heart. It is the impeccable timing of a slammed drawing-room door, the convenient glint of a discovered letter, and the precisely rehearsed tremor in a leading lady's voice—all serving a tale of profound insignificance. The theater becomes not a mirror to nature, but a kingdom of fools ruled by polished clockwork.
Etymology
Blend of Sardou + doodle + -dom, named after French dramatist Victorien Sardou. Coined by Irish playwright, critic, and polemicist George Bernard Shaw who first used it on the 1 June, 1895 in the Saturday Review when criticising Sardou's well-made plays.
noun
- Well-made works of drama that have trivial, insignificant, or melodramatic plots.“Naturally this critic loses no chance to express his contempt for what he calls “Sardoodledom:” the cult of the “wellmade” play. He gives M. Sardou no bail, and barely allows Mr. Pinero to go at large on good behavior.”