Parson Adams
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
A leading character in Field- ing's Joseph Andrews (1742), often taken as the type of the simple-minded, hard-working, and learned country curate who is totally ignorant of "the ways of the world.
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 “Parson Adams” mean?
A leading character in Field- ing's Joseph Andrews (1742), often taken as the type of the simple-minded, hard-working, and learned country curate who is totally ignorant of "the ways of the world.
Is “Parson Adams” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.