Writing - Wellerisms

 A fuller explanation of Wellerisms. 

Wellerisms, named after sayings of Sam Weller in Charles Dickens's novel The Pickwick Papers, make fun of established clichés and proverbs by showing that they are wrong in certain situations, often when taken literally. In this sense, Wellerisms that include proverbs are a type of anti-proverb. 

"Wery glad to see you, indeed, and hope our acquaintance may be a long 'un, as the gen'l'm'n said to the fi' pun' note." 

"All good feelin', sir – the wery best intentions, as the gen'l'm'n said ven he run away from his wife 'cos she seemed unhappy with him." 

'Vich I call addin' insult to injury, as the parrot said ven they not only took him from his native land, but made him talk the English langwidge arterwards' 

These are produced as published in the Pickwick Papers and below are some modern examples. 

• "It comes back to me now," said the prisoner, spitting into the wind. 
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• "Remarkable," said the teacher, trying out her new dry-erase board. 
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• "We'll have to rehearse that," said the undertaker as the body tumbled from the coffin. 

As an exercise in writing creating such Wellerisms can be fun and enriching.

God Bless