Watsonish en · ADJ
Etymology
From Watson + -ish.
Meanings
-
Resembling or characteristic of the character Dr. Watson from the Sherlock Holmes stories.
"You don't really want it explained," he said, smacking him on the knee; "you're just being Watsonish. It's very nice of you, of course, and I appreciate it."
1922, A. A. Milne, chapter XI, in The Red House Mystery:I would have settled for a Watsonish role. I don't have to be the main character.
1991, Kathryn Lasky, Double Trouble Squared, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, →ISBN, page 159:This element is also picked up by Thomas Aquinas (whose philosophy sometimes has a Watsonish quality in relation to Aristotle, whom he calls simply “The Philosopher”).
2012, Philip Tallon, “Watsons, Adlers, Lestrades, and Moriaties: On the Nature of Friends and Enemies”, in Philip Tallon, David Baggett, editors, The Philosophy of Sherlock Holmes, University Press of Kentucky, →ISBN, page 66:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| more Watsonish | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| most Watsonish | Degree=Sup | lexicographic |