Wellerism

noun

Wel·ler·ism ˈwe-lə-ˌri-zəm

: an expression of comparison comprising a usually well-known quotation followed by a facetious sequel (such as "'every one to his own taste,' said the old woman as she kissed the cow")

Did you know?

Sam Weller, Mr. Pickwick's good-natured servant in Charles Dickens' The Pickwick PapersK, and his father were fond of following well-known sayings or phrases with humorous or punning conclusions. For example, in one incident in the book, Sam quips, "What the devil do you want with me, as the man said, w[h]en he see the ghost?" Neither Charles Dickens nor Sam Weller invented that type of word play, but Weller's tendency to use such witticisms had provoked people to start calling them "Wellerisms" by 1839, soon after the publication of the novel.

Word History

Etymology

Sam Weller, witty servant of Mr. Pickwick in the story Pickwick Papers (1836–37) by Charles Dickens

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of Wellerism was in 1838

See more words from the same year

Podcast

Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP

Cite this Entry

Style

“Wellerism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Wellerism. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

Copy Citation

Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.

Can you solve 4 words at once?

Can you solve 4 words at once?

Word of the Day

scintilla

Listen to the pronunciation of scintilla

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!