Literary notes about rowdy (AI summary)
The word "rowdy" is employed in literature as a versatile descriptor that conveys unruly behavior and a spectrum of attitudes, ranging from affectionate mischief to disreputable conduct. In one context, it is used to portray a character who has degenerated into a low and disreputable man [1], while in another it enlivens dialogue with an air of playful exuberance [2]. At times the term captures the disorderly nature of crowds or the disruptive energy of unruly characters, as seen when it characterizes noisy gatherings and even escalates conflicts [3], [4]. Whether applied to depict a rough, uncouth nature [5] or used in a more endearing, familiar manner [6], "rowdy" enriches literary textures by blending both critical commentary and wry humor.
- From respectable citizens we ascertained he had become a low, miserable rowdy—a broken-down, disreputable man.
— from Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup - “You wait till you taste it,” chuckled Rowdy, who seemed to be a very practical boy indeed.
— from The Corner House Girls Snowbound How They Went Away, What They Discovered, and How It Ended by Grace Brooks Hill - There was no frantic crowding and jostling, no shouting and swearing, and no swaggering intrusion of services by rowdy hackmen.
— from The Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain - I say, tune up, now, something real rowdy,—quick!”
— from Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe - “I think you ought to know that he’s nothing but a rowdy,” he said.
— from The Boy Inventors' Electric Hydroaeroplane by Richard Bonner - "Good old Rowdy!" soothingly murmured Tom reaching over to give the dog a pat.
— from Boy Scouts in Southern Waters; Or, Spaniard's Treasure Chest by G. Harvey (George Harvey) Ralphson
