Falstaff

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A large, jolly, and blustering character known for his wit, cowardice, and love of drinking and self-indulgence in Shakespeare's works
2. A portly, talkative figure famous for his grandiose lies, comic escapades, and hedonistic lifestyle in early modern English drama
3. A corpulent, witty rogue celebrated for his tavern antics, exaggerated tales, and parasitic friendship with a young prince in Shakespearean literature

Etymology: Sir John Falstaff is one of Shakespeare's most memorable comic creations: a fat, boastful, cowardly knight who drinks, lies and cheerfully ignores his own dishonour. He first appears in the Henry IV plays, where his scrapes with Prince Hal in the Eastcheap tavern make him the emotional heart of the comedy, and he returns in The Merry Wives of Windsor. The character's name has outlived the plays, and "Falstaff" is now used as a common noun for a man of this kind. The name itself was Shakespeare's invention, not a borrowing from a real person or older legend. Its pattern, a surname that sounds like a stock English gentleman's title, suited a character who is all bravado and no substance, which is part of why it stuck in the language.