I am Japanese and I found this words in the novel but I can't get the meaning...
The whole sentense is `You sounded positively Victorian` and said by a woman to her boyfriend.
2007-06-06 20:54:03 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Education & Reference ➔ Words & Wordplay
Victorian means circa the Victorian era, which was 1837-1901, the reign of the British queen Victoria.
It means the person's words, mannerisms, and point of view, were like the common ones then. "Positively" just emphasizes it.
2007-06-06 20:59:07 · answer #1 · answered by x4294967296 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It relates to the values held by the character. If you could imagine someone from your own country, about 120 years ago. Wouldn't they have had a different manner of speech, etiquette and social interaction.
In the UK for example, 120 years ago, (in Queen Victoria's times) the social class structure was still very much in place - a working class person would address a middle class person as sir or ma'am - purely because it was considered rude not to. Hats were raised as ladies passed. Many people died purely from poverty. This complex societal structure was weakened after The First World War. Manners and etiquette became less important. After the Second World War - in the UK everyone was supposedly considered equal (although an informal class structure still existed) - this position has weakened further still.
I don't know which novel it was, but from the limited information provided, I think the woman was criticising her boyfriend by saying that his viewpoint is really old fashioned - the underlying meaning possibly being that he needs to bring his personal value system up to date.
Hope this helps
2007-06-07 12:36:20 · answer #2 · answered by cornflake#1 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It means that whatever the boyfriend had said was a very old-fashioned view. Like that children should be seen and not heard or that a woman's place is in the home.
2007-06-07 16:50:09 · answer #3 · answered by Kari 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Russell Brand is Dickensian - closest kinda guy you'll find to Victorian I guess!
2007-06-07 19:47:15 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Someone who has Victorian values is said to be very strict in their moral outlook and their attitudes towards discipline and sexuality.
2007-06-07 04:01:40 · answer #5 · answered by Nexus6 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
otherwise means...old fashioned and behind the times!
2007-06-07 04:05:47 · answer #6 · answered by laplandfan 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
old fashioned is what this means - i think
2007-06-07 05:45:27 · answer #7 · answered by motown 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
stiff, overly formal, chauvinistic, & smelly (no deodorant back then)
2007-06-07 03:59:07 · answer #8 · answered by el3_kisses 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋