Әділ А. Т., Ахметова А.Е.

Региональный социально – инновационный университет

Individual style of P.G. Wodehouse

The speech of most of the characters P.G. Wodehouse is full of cliched phrases, from which their words acquire a pronounced ironic sound.

Among the word combinations that actively create irony, a lot of interest is caused by the built-in N of N structural scheme (with variant N of AN): heart of gold, crown of thorns, angel of mercy etc. [1; C.94-95]

These phrases are characterized by greater structural cohesion and the consequent high degree of predictability of the components.

Since, for the purposes of our research, a detailed classification of such phrases is not necessary, for terminological convenience we will use the term proposed by A.A. Barchenkov - "stereotyped word combinations."

"The composition of stereotyped combinations can include both phraseological units (phrasal cliches, cliches typical for various literary styles, winged expressions, proverbs and sayings), and word combinations, classified according to their external characteristics as variables and free ... A leading place in the fund of stereotyped combinations occupy the word combinations of the structural model AN, then NN and N of N. [1].

Etymologically, all these phrases are former speech metaphors. Called once to decorate speech, having emerged as bright images, they lost in the course of time imagery and turned into a cliche. So, being used in new contexts, they can acquire a new imagery, although of a completely different nature.

Stereotype phrases are very important for creating irony, because they retained in their semantic structure traces of the former contexts of their use. The degree of emotionality in these contexts is different (some higher, others lower). However, "the generalized perception of these combinations comes to the fore here: a) once figurative; b) book; c) provocative, albeit not always definite, historical and cultural associations. "[1:19] That is, if the reader has a biblical sublime association in connection with the expression a crown of thorns, this is quite enough for decoding.

Let’s turn to the text of Wodehouse.

He started off his errand of mercy. (Here and beyond, except for specially stipulated cases, we will work with the novel "The Code of the Woosters").

The direct, high book value of errand of mercy and the occasional, mocking meaning that arose from the situation (the servant of the hero Jeeves is sent to fulfill his "mission of mercy", which consists in the fact that he must obtain information discrediting the honor of one from negative characters, to use them to blackmail him) lead to the emergence of ironic meaning.

'You have not forgotten that man of wrath, Jeeves? A hard case, eh? '

In this case, in such a high calm, Bertram Wooster talks about a judge who fined him at the time 5 pounds for the fact that the hero pulled off the helmet from the policeman. Bertram's fear before this judge is hyperbolized by using a poetic combination of man of wrath, which is more suitable for describing some Attila, but not an English staid judge of the peace. From here and the comic effect.

Quite often in Wodehouse style not only bookish, but also newspaper stamps are found.

He looked like one of those bodies that had been in water for several days.

This phrase, typical for a criminal brief, used to describe the appearance of a living person, sounds very funny.

The following example is also an allusion to the tragic news story, which is very common in English periodicals, typical of Great Britain with its numerous mines.

She snorted with a sudden violence. Even in my present, tolerably robust condition.

Here are some more typical instances of Wodehouse's use of stereotyped word combinations.

I had fallen into the clutches of the law for trying to separate a policeman from his helmet;

Apart from the mere intellectual pleasure of chewing the fat with her, there was the glittering prospect that I might be able to cadge an invitation to lunch;

By forking out that fiver, I had paid my debt to society;

The whole of the world, you just clench the hands and roll the eyes, mutely up to heaven and then start a new life and try to forget;

A human drama was developing in the road in front of me;

Winged creatures of the night barged into me, but I give them little attention;

After serving the frugal meal, Jeeves put on the old bowler hat and slipped round the corner ...

It is difficult to overestimate the role of metaphorical phrases, which turned into cliches, for the actualization of irony [2]. Being one of the first tools (both qualitatively and quantitatively) to realize irony at the lexical level in Wodehouse texts, they represent the smallest link in the chain stretching to the textual means of expressing irony (allusion, citation, parody), also presented in the author's works.

Literature:

1. Походня С.И. Языковые виды и средства реализации иронии. – Киев: Наукова думка, 1989. – 128 с.

2. 17. Михлина М.П. О некоторых языковых приемах создания комического эффекта// Учен. зап. пед. ин-та. – Душанбе, - 1962. – Т.31. – Вып. 14. – С. 3-14.