barkis is willin'
Preserved but no longer current.
The message sent by Barkis to Peggotty by David Copper-field, expressing his desire to marry. It has passed into a pro- verbial expression indicating willingness. Barlaam and Josaphat (bar' lam, Jos' a f£t). An Eastern romance telling how Barlaam, an ascetic monk of the desert of Sinai, converted Josaphat, son of a Hindu king, to Christianity.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “barkis is willin'” mean?
The message sent by Barkis to Peggotty by David Copper-field, expressing his desire to marry. It has passed into a pro- verbial expression indicating willingness. Barlaam and Josaphat (bar' lam, Jos' a f£t). An Eastern romance telling how Barlaam, an ascetic monk of the desert of Sinai, converted Josaphat, son of a Hindu king, to Christianity.
Is “barkis is willin'” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.