Sir John Falstaff

1 8.2

A large funny man in Shakespeare's plays who often brags and drinks

proper noun

Literature

: Sir John Falstaff

The actor delivered a memorable performance as Sir John Falstaff in the production of Henry IV.
Sir John Falstaff the knight

Examples

Many critics consider Sir John Falstaff the greatest comic character in English literature.
He laughed heartily, reminding everyone of Sir John Falstaff in both girth and wit.
In Shakespeare's plays, Sir John Falstaff is a beloved character.
Many people find Sir John Falstaff to be hilarious.
In Shakespeare's plays, Sir John Falstaff is known for his humorous and exaggerated personality.
The character of Sir John Falstaff provides comic relief in the serious historical plays of Shakespeare.
Everyone loves the character of Sir John Falstaff for his witty remarks and boisterous attitude.

Synonyms

Falstaff

vsSir John Falstaff

Literature

3 9.9

A funny, often drunk character in Shakespeare's plays who boasts and causes trouble

is the same character but used with a formal title

Surface Forms

Sir John Falstaff main

Morphology

Sir + John + Falstaff

This is a proper name referring to a specific literary character; the descriptive properties (fat, witty, dissolute, comic) are world-knowledge about that referent and are not compositionally derivable from the constituents 'Sir' (title), 'John' (given name) and 'Falstaff' (surname). A B1 learner who only knows the words would not infer the character's traits or literary status without prior cultural or textual exposure, so the expression is not transparent.

Etymology

Sir John Falstaff is the name of a famous character in Shakespeare's plays, a big, funny knight who loves drink and boasts about himself. That's why calling someone Sir John Falstaff means they remind people of that character, 'a big, funny, and boastful man'.