Four short, satirical plays written by P.G. Wodehouse between 1904-1907 have been discovered and show the great comic author’s politics. He wrote them in support of British conservatives and those arguing for tariff reform.
Literary historian Paul Spiring discovered the works. “They are quite powerful,” he said, “and show that he was very much a supporter of the Tariff Reform League and pro-Chamberlain. His writing has often given people the impression that he was above politics. But the songs show that he was quite astute.”
September 1928: English novelist Pelham Grenville Wodehouse (1881 – 1975), creator of the characters Bertie Wooster and his valet Jeeves, at the door of his home at Hunstanton Hall, Norfolk. (Photo by Sasha/Getty Images)
A lot of people don’t know that Wodehouse was a busy writer of Broadway musicals, and is considered one of the founders of the American musical theater. Along with his friend Guy Bolton (also an Englishman) he adapted Viennese operettas into musical plays suited for American tastes. They helped make the transition to original, American-produced musicals. None of their shows are produced anymore, but we do have Wodehouse’s song, “Bill,” which eventually found its way into “Carousel.” (It is Carousel, isn’t it?)
“Wodehouse is best known as the creator of the all-knowing Jeeves and his egregious boss, Bertie Wooster.”
Egregious? Egregious? Egregious means the worst possible example of any particular thing. Bertie may be an idiot and an ass, but he’s hardly egregious. Jeeves considers himself very well suited in Bertie’s employ.
Idiots are writing the news these days. Egregious idiots.
I didn’t think of it that way when I read the caption. Thought of it more as exaggeration. I wondered if the English use “egregious” differently than we do, and I looked it up on AskOxford.com. Funny–the origin is a Latin word “egregius” meaning “illustrious” or “standing out from the flock.” The Compact OED defines egregious as “outstandingly bad” with an archaic meaning of “remarkably good.”
You know, speaking of old words, your novel TYOTW, Lars, ingrained me with a meaning of “thrall” so that when my boss used the word “enthralled” as in “fascinated with something” (or maybe a bit less passionate than that), I suggested another word, saying “enthrall” has slavery connotations for me. The old definition of “enthrall” is “enslave” so he changed the word.
I didn’t like “Carousel.” I looked it up just now, and don’t see a “Bill” song, though Billy is the lead character.
Mr. Walker–“egregious idiots” indeed. Bertie would have called them “silly asses.” Wodehouse saved my bacon while I attended law school and was forced to read the worst drivel on the face of the earth–textbooks written by lawyers. Five minutes of Bertie, Mr. Mulliner, Psmith was the antidote to that crap.
I was wrong. “Bill” is in “Showboat.” I always get the two confused, mainly because I don’t think I’ve ever seen either one all the way through.
I’d have gone with “enthralled.” A perfectly good word in its modern meaning. Most people don’t have your cultural advantages, Phil.
Richard: Sounds like just the prescription (if I may mix a medical metaphor into a discussion of legal studies).