Father Brown
- proper noun
- Literature
:
Padre Brown
- One of my favorite Chestertons is "There are two ways of renouncing the devil," said Father Brown; "and the difference is perhaps the deepest chasm in modern religion."
Examples
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Father Brown!
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Notable detectives of this period include G.K. Chesterton's Catholic priest, Father Brown, and R. Austin Freeman's (1862-1943) scientific barrister-physician, Dr. Thorndyke.
Academic text (2010) -
Or in other words, what I'm trying to tell you, Father Brown, is you gonna have to move on over.
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Father Brown gets on my nerve.
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Father Brown.
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Father Brown--
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Chesterton's Father Brown illustrated the author's love of paradox and ingenuity.
Academic text (2010) -
For example, in 'The Invisible Man', one of the best-known of the Father Brown stories, the killer is 'invisible', a postman who is simply not noticed because he is too normal.
Academic text (2010) -
In G. K. Chesterton's stories, Father Brown uses his keen understanding of human nature to solve mysteries.
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The character of Father Brown showcases Chesterton's unique approach to crime and morality.
Surface Forms
Morphology
The name is compositional in that 'Father' is a clerical title and 'Brown' is a surname, so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer it refers to a priest named Brown. However, the specific literary reference (G. K. Chesterton's fictional character) and his role as an amateur detective are not derivable from the parts, so the expression is only partially transparent.
Etymology
Father Brown is the name of a quiet Catholic priest created by G. K. Chesterton who solves crimes by noticing small human details and understanding people. Because of this simple picture, Father Brown now means 'a priest who solves mysteries' and is used to talk about that kind of character.
