A character from Charles Dickens' novel known for naive optimism and comic misadventures, or anyone who gets into ridiculous situations due to good-natured foolishness.
From Samuel Pickwick, the protagonist of 'The Pickwick Papers' (1836-1837). Dickens likely created the name as a blend of sounds that felt whimsical and English; the character became so iconic that his name entered common usage for well-meaning but bumbling people.
The Pickwick Papers was originally published as serialized installments in a magazine—making Dickens one of the first writers to use the technique that modern TV shows and webtoons still use today! Pickwick's earnest goodness spawned the term 'Pickwickian sense,' meaning words used in an innocent or harmless way even if they seem negative.
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