Literary notes about swaggering (AI summary)
The term "swaggering" is frequently employed in literature to evoke a sense of self-assured, sometimes brash, confidence that can be both admirable and disconcerting. Authors use it to paint characters who exude a distinctive blend of arrogance and charm, as seen in the portrayal of Jack Palmer’s refined yet cocky demeanor ([1], [2]). At other times, it suggests a threatening, aggressive posture that marks a character’s readiness to dominate a scene, whether it is a threatening advance toward others ([3], [4]) or the bold, spirited strut of a figure in society ([5], [6]). This multifaceted term not only enriches characterizations but also mirrors the social nuances of pride and bravado across various narrative landscapes ([7], [8]).
- In sock or buskin there was an air of swaggering gentility about Jack Palmer.
— from The Works of Charles and Mary Lamb — Volume 2 by Charles Lamb and Mary Lamb - n there was an air of swaggering gentility about Jack Palmer.
— from The Works of Charles and Mary Lamb — Volume 2 by Charles Lamb and Mary Lamb - “See here,” began Fanning, swaggering forward threateningly toward the two girls.
— from The Girl Aviators and the Phantom Airship by Margaret Burnham - “As the eleventh hour struck, he entered with a swaggering air, attended by two of the most dissolute and reckless of his boon companions.
— from The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas and Auguste Maquet - Then he put his hat on, and his hands on his hips, with a swaggering, man-of-society air.
— from Little Saint Elizabeth and Other Stories by Frances Hodgson Burnett - He carried his head very jauntily in the air, had a swaggering style of walking, and was, above all else, remarkable for his extraordinary height.
— from The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle - PUCK What hempen homespuns have we swaggering here, So near the cradle of the fairy queen?
— from A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare - I never saw such a bouncing, swaggering puppy since I was born.
— from She Stoops to Conquer; Or, The Mistakes of a Night: A Comedy by Oliver Goldsmith
