Terence Rattigan

1 8.9

British writer who wrote serious and funny plays about middle-class life

proper noun

: Terence Rattigan

Did you know that Terence Rattigan wrote 'The Winslow Boy'?

Examples

The theater staged a revival of Terence Rattigan's classic play 'The Deep Blue Sea'.
Many critics regard Terence Rattigan as one of the leading dramatists of the twentieth century.
Terence Rattigan was celebrated for his skillful portrayal of middle-class English life on stage.
The famous playwright Terence Rattigan created many memorable characters.
Terence Rattigan was celebrated for his skillful portrayal of middle-class English life on stage.
Many critics regard Terence Rattigan as one of the leading dramatists of the twentieth century.
The theater staged a revival of Terence Rattigan's classic play 'The Deep Blue Sea'.

Surface Forms

Terence Rattigan main

Morphology

Terence + Rattigan

This is a personal name (proper noun); the identity and biographical information 'British playwright' cannot be derived from the constituent words, which are arbitrary names without descriptive meaning. Proper names are referential and language-specific, so a B1 learner who only knows the name forms would not be able to infer the MWE's meaning without prior exposure.

Etymology

Terence Rattigan was a British 'playwright' who wrote quiet, tightly-built stories about middle-class life. Picture a neat living room where polite talk hides big feelings — that's why his 'plays' are known for their emotional power and are still performed today.