Wednesday word: Pecksniffian

[trellia-chan.livejournal.com]

Heee, such a fun word!  ^_^

pecksniffian: [pek-snif-ee-uhn]

Adjective: Hypocritically benevolent; sanctimonious; Affecting high moral principles.


Origin:1850-55; named after Seth Pecksniff, character in Martin Chuzzlewit, a novel by Charles Dickens.

"Pecksniffish" is an acceptable variation.

Comments

[kryptyd.livejournal.com]

From what I've read that adjective would seem to describe Dickens himself well.

Nice choice!

[theidolhands.livejournal.com]

It rather does sound like what it is, the British are so dastardly good at names!

It's all the rage to rag on Dickens these days, but I still enjoy his work. I mean if Lovecraft can be a manic depressive racist and Tessla is becoming a household word despite being an intellectual eugenist...then there's clearly room to breathe in the category of writing and admiration despite flaws. lol