Micawberly

English edit

WOTD – 7 May 2021

Etymology edit

From Micawber +‎ -ly (suffix forming adjectives from nouns, having the sense of ‘behaving like, or having a nature typical of [what is denoted by the noun]’) (see origin of name there), from the character Wilkins Micawber – noted for his naive optimism, always confident that “something will turn up”^[1] – in David Copperfield (1849–1850) by the English author Charles Dickens (1812–1870).

Pronunciation edit

(Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /mɪˈkɔːbəli/
Audio (Southern England) (file)
(General American) IPA^(key): /mɪˈkɔbɚli/, /məˈkɑ-/
Hyphenation: Mi‧caw‧ber‧ly

Adverb edit

Micawberly (comparative more Micawberly, superlative most Micawberly)

in an upbeat and optimistic way, in the face of seemingly hopeless circumstances
- 1872, Adeline Dutton Train Whitney, Sights and Insights: Patience Strong's Story of Over the Way, volume 1, J.R. Osgood & Company, published 1876, page 151:
  […] not growing a single spiritual inch, for putting forth his powers as a man should; just amiably Micawbering along, and most Micawberly devoted to somebody he would like well enough to marry when the times comes and things "turn up;" […]
- 1875 January 31, “Grand Duke Alexis”, in Galveston Daily News‎^[1], archived from the original on 5 March 2016, page 1, column 2 (bottom):
  The marriage of Grand Duke Alexis in his proper station in life is indefinitely postponed, and Count Shouvalod and his imperial master must wait, Micawberly, for something to turn up.
- 1995, William A. Senior, Stephen R. Donaldson's Chronicles of Thomas Covenant: Variations on the Fantasy Tradition, Kent State University Press, page 176:
  Covenant doggedly searches for a way out of his predicament and vows to keep moving in the hopes that, macabrely (as opposed to Micawberly) put, something will turn up.

Related terms edit

Translations edit

synonym of Micawberesque — see Micawberesque

References edit

^ See, for example, Charles Dickens (May 1849 – November 1850), “I Assist at an Explosion”, in The Personal History of David Copperfield, London: Bradbury & Evans, […], published 1850, →OCLC, page 540: “‘I could not receive it as a gift,’ said Mr. Micawber, full of fire and animation, ‘but if a sufficient sum could be advanced, […] to allow time for something to turn up——’”