See Watsonian in All languages combined, or Wiktionary
Download JSON data for Watsonian meaning in English (5.9kB)
{
"antonyms": [
{
"sense": "antonym(s) of “in universe”",
"word": "Doylist"
},
{
"sense": "antonym(s) of “in universe”",
"word": "extradiegetic"
},
{
"sense": "antonym(s) of “in universe”",
"word": "out-of-universe"
}
],
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "Watson",
"3": "ian"
},
"expansion": "Watson + -ian",
"name": "suffix"
}
],
"etymology_text": "Watson + -ian. \"In-universe\" sense formed in reference to Dr. John Watson, the fictional author within the text of the Sherlock Holmes stories, in contrast to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as the real author of the stories. Started in Sherlock Holmes fandom before spreading to other fandoms. Possibly originating in the \"Baker Street Irregulars\" fan club and entering the science fiction fandom usage (fanspeak) via the Lois McMaster Bujold mailing list.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "more Watsonian",
"tags": [
"comparative"
]
},
{
"form": "most Watsonian",
"tags": [
"superlative"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "Watsonian (comparative more Watsonian, superlative most Watsonian)",
"name": "en-adj"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "adj",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
{
"_dis": "69 31",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
"parents": [
"Entries with incorrect language header",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "80 20",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
"parents": [
"Entries with language name categories using raw markup",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "69 31",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with topic categories using raw markup",
"parents": [
"Entries with topic categories using raw markup",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "80 20",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English terms suffixed with -ian",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "93 7",
"kind": "topical",
"langcode": "en",
"name": "Sherlock Holmes",
"orig": "en:Sherlock Holmes",
"parents": [
"British fiction",
"Literature",
"Fiction",
"Culture",
"Entertainment",
"Writing",
"Artistic works",
"Society",
"Human behaviour",
"Language",
"Art",
"All topics",
"Human",
"Communication",
"Fundamental"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Resembling or characteristic of the character Dr. Watson from the Sherlock Holmes stories."
],
"id": "en-Watsonian-en-adj-Oq1ImmAD",
"links": [
[
"character",
"character"
],
[
"Sherlock Holmes",
"Sherlock Holmes"
]
],
"synonyms": [
{
"_dis1": "94 6",
"sense": "resembling Dr. Watson",
"word": "Dr. Watsonish"
},
{
"_dis1": "94 6",
"sense": "resembling Dr. Watson",
"word": "Watsonish"
}
]
},
{
"categories": [
{
"kind": "topical",
"langcode": "en",
"name": "Narratology",
"orig": "en:Narratology",
"parents": [
"Drama",
"Literature",
"Theater",
"Culture",
"Entertainment",
"Writing",
"Art",
"Society",
"Human behaviour",
"Language",
"All topics",
"Human",
"Communication",
"Fundamental"
],
"source": "w"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "2000 October 6, Martin Bonham, “Banks was Re: Multi-culturalism in space?”, in rec.arts.sf.written (Usenet), message-ID <970804830.406747@hermes>",
"text": "I would accept that many of them behave like humans born on earth would, but that must be an artefact of poor translation or our poor understanding of their motives and objectives [Watsonian] or lack of vision on the writers part [Doylist - to borrow some terms from the Bujold mailing list - think 'as written by' Dr Watson or by Arthur Conan Doyle].",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "2005 May 30, Del Cotter, “Re: The past as a foreign country”, in rec.arts.sf.written (Usenet), message-ID <oZTd7a9563mCFw2X@branta.demon.co.uk>",
"text": "IIRC, Wells specifically described the choice of Southern England as being as much about \"bridgehead\" as about \"decapitation strike\". I think he said something about settling in to the island and building up strength before spreading out to the continent and planet.¶ That's the Watsonian explanation of course, the Doyleist explanation is that he was writing an allegory of white men wiping about the Tasmanians, from the point of view of the Tasmanians. He needed to set it where his English readers would be horrified by the destruction, and the Martian invasion of Korea or Florida or Sri Lanka, or even Ireland, wouldn't have had as much of an impact.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "2012, Laurie Cubbison, “Russell T Davies, 'Nine Hysterical Women,' and the Death of Ianto Jones”, in New Media Literacies and Participatory Popular Culture Across Borders",
"text": "While fans recognize and do engage in Doylist readings, they tend to find Watsonian readings more engaging. Fan fiction writers in particular engage with the text intradiegetically.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "2014 March 28, Michael Deutschmann, “Re: WhichDevTeam-enabled actions seem like cheating to you?”, in rec.games.roguelike.nethack (Usenet), message-ID <%gcXNTpsfY@bagheera.talosis.ca>",
"text": "I think the best Watsonian explanation is that shopkeepers aren't quite right in the head. They know that most players intend to rob them blind, but don't understand how the successful ones are doing it.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"From an in-universe perspective; of or relating to an explanation within the text; internal to the narrative."
],
"id": "en-Watsonian-en-adj-NsA5xZg1",
"links": [
[
"fandom",
"fandom"
],
[
"slang",
"slang"
],
[
"narratology",
"narratology"
],
[
"in-universe",
"in-universe"
],
[
"perspective",
"perspective"
],
[
"explanation",
"explanation"
],
[
"text",
"text"
],
[
"internal",
"internal"
],
[
"narrative",
"narrative"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(fandom slang, narratology) From an in-universe perspective; of or relating to an explanation within the text; internal to the narrative."
],
"tags": [
"slang"
],
"topics": [
"human-sciences",
"lifestyle",
"linguistics",
"narratology",
"sciences"
]
}
],
"synonyms": [
{
"_dis1": "48 52",
"sense": "in universe",
"word": "intradiegetic"
},
{
"_dis1": "48 52",
"sense": "in universe",
"word": "in-universe"
}
],
"wikipedia": [
"Sherlock Holmes"
],
"word": "Watsonian"
}
{
"antonyms": [
{
"sense": "antonym(s) of “in universe”",
"word": "Doylist"
},
{
"sense": "antonym(s) of “in universe”",
"word": "extradiegetic"
},
{
"sense": "antonym(s) of “in universe”",
"word": "out-of-universe"
}
],
"categories": [
"English adjectives",
"English entries with incorrect language header",
"English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
"English entries with topic categories using raw markup",
"English eponyms",
"English lemmas",
"English terms suffixed with -ian",
"en:Sherlock Holmes"
],
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "Watson",
"3": "ian"
},
"expansion": "Watson + -ian",
"name": "suffix"
}
],
"etymology_text": "Watson + -ian. \"In-universe\" sense formed in reference to Dr. John Watson, the fictional author within the text of the Sherlock Holmes stories, in contrast to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as the real author of the stories. Started in Sherlock Holmes fandom before spreading to other fandoms. Possibly originating in the \"Baker Street Irregulars\" fan club and entering the science fiction fandom usage (fanspeak) via the Lois McMaster Bujold mailing list.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "more Watsonian",
"tags": [
"comparative"
]
},
{
"form": "most Watsonian",
"tags": [
"superlative"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "Watsonian (comparative more Watsonian, superlative most Watsonian)",
"name": "en-adj"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "adj",
"senses": [
{
"glosses": [
"Resembling or characteristic of the character Dr. Watson from the Sherlock Holmes stories."
],
"links": [
[
"character",
"character"
],
[
"Sherlock Holmes",
"Sherlock Holmes"
]
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English fandom slang",
"English terms with quotations",
"en:Narratology"
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "2000 October 6, Martin Bonham, “Banks was Re: Multi-culturalism in space?”, in rec.arts.sf.written (Usenet), message-ID <970804830.406747@hermes>",
"text": "I would accept that many of them behave like humans born on earth would, but that must be an artefact of poor translation or our poor understanding of their motives and objectives [Watsonian] or lack of vision on the writers part [Doylist - to borrow some terms from the Bujold mailing list - think 'as written by' Dr Watson or by Arthur Conan Doyle].",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "2005 May 30, Del Cotter, “Re: The past as a foreign country”, in rec.arts.sf.written (Usenet), message-ID <oZTd7a9563mCFw2X@branta.demon.co.uk>",
"text": "IIRC, Wells specifically described the choice of Southern England as being as much about \"bridgehead\" as about \"decapitation strike\". I think he said something about settling in to the island and building up strength before spreading out to the continent and planet.¶ That's the Watsonian explanation of course, the Doyleist explanation is that he was writing an allegory of white men wiping about the Tasmanians, from the point of view of the Tasmanians. He needed to set it where his English readers would be horrified by the destruction, and the Martian invasion of Korea or Florida or Sri Lanka, or even Ireland, wouldn't have had as much of an impact.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "2012, Laurie Cubbison, “Russell T Davies, 'Nine Hysterical Women,' and the Death of Ianto Jones”, in New Media Literacies and Participatory Popular Culture Across Borders",
"text": "While fans recognize and do engage in Doylist readings, they tend to find Watsonian readings more engaging. Fan fiction writers in particular engage with the text intradiegetically.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "2014 March 28, Michael Deutschmann, “Re: WhichDevTeam-enabled actions seem like cheating to you?”, in rec.games.roguelike.nethack (Usenet), message-ID <%gcXNTpsfY@bagheera.talosis.ca>",
"text": "I think the best Watsonian explanation is that shopkeepers aren't quite right in the head. They know that most players intend to rob them blind, but don't understand how the successful ones are doing it.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"From an in-universe perspective; of or relating to an explanation within the text; internal to the narrative."
],
"links": [
[
"fandom",
"fandom"
],
[
"slang",
"slang"
],
[
"narratology",
"narratology"
],
[
"in-universe",
"in-universe"
],
[
"perspective",
"perspective"
],
[
"explanation",
"explanation"
],
[
"text",
"text"
],
[
"internal",
"internal"
],
[
"narrative",
"narrative"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(fandom slang, narratology) From an in-universe perspective; of or relating to an explanation within the text; internal to the narrative."
],
"tags": [
"slang"
],
"topics": [
"human-sciences",
"lifestyle",
"linguistics",
"narratology",
"sciences"
]
}
],
"synonyms": [
{
"sense": "resembling Dr. Watson",
"word": "Dr. Watsonish"
},
{
"sense": "resembling Dr. Watson",
"word": "Watsonish"
},
{
"sense": "in universe",
"word": "intradiegetic"
},
{
"sense": "in universe",
"word": "in-universe"
}
],
"wikipedia": [
"Sherlock Holmes"
],
"word": "Watsonian"
}
This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-20 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-05-02 using wiktextract (1d5a7d1 and 304864d). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.
If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.