Dickensian Eponyms

Abstract

Charles Dickens created almost a thousand fictional characters, many of whom have become synonyms for distinctive types of people or their pecu- liar traits. This article surveys seventeen Dickensian eponyms, cites their first appearance as such, and provides examples of their usage in magazines, books, and the Internet.

Keywords:

• Charles Dickens
• eponyms
• literary onomastics

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ernest L Abel

Ernest Lawrence Abel is a Distinguished Faculty Professor at Wayne State University in Detroit. His family dog’s name is ‘Dickens.’

Correspondence to: Ernest Abel, Mott Center, Wayne State University, 275 East Hancock, Detroit, Michigan, 48201, USA. Email: [email protected]