Johnsonism

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A style or practice in rhetoric or politics characterized by straightforward, practical, and often humorous expression associated with a notable figure named Johnson; a doctrine or approach reflecting this style; an ideological standpoint inspired by such communication
2. A manner of speaking or writing that emphasizes plainspoken clarity and wit linked to an influential Johnson; a set of principles or beliefs derived from this approach; a communicative method embodying these traits
3. A communicative tendency emphasizing earthy common sense and keen observation attributed to a famous individual named Johnson; a philosophical or political system reflecting these ideas; a characteristic mode of discourse inspired by this figure

Etymology: "Johnsonism" is built from the surname Johnson with the suffix "-ism," a pattern English uses to name a doctrine, manner, or habit of thought after a person. Here the person is most famously Samuel Johnson, the eighteenth-century lexicographer and critic, whose blunt, commonsense conversation and sharp observation were recorded by his friend and biographer James Boswell, and the word's sense of a characteristic style of plain, forthright discourse traces back to that reputation. The suffix does the work of turning a name into a label. Once a person's manner becomes widely recognized, speakers can attach "-ism" to the surname to name the qualities associated with him, and the term then extends beyond the man himself to cover any philosophy or political outlook that echoes his ideas.