Question
Updated on
munglint
18 Sep 2021

  • Russian
  • English (UK)
  • English (US)
  • Japanese
Question about English (US)

What does stuffy narrator mean?

Answers
Read more comments
OwLeho
18 Sep 2021

  • English (US)

Generally, if we say that someone is "stuffy" that means they are acting too proper/formal or that they are snobby/stuck up, or that they are boring.

So a "stuffy narrator" would be someone who narrates something, but they are doing it in a style that sounds too formal or snobby or boring. So it is not very enjoyable to listen to them.

Highly-rated answerer
munglint
18 Sep 2021

  • Russian
@OwLeho can you give me an example if you know one
OwLeho
18 Sep 2021

  • English (US)
@munglint It is a little bit hard to think of examples. It is like when you have a teacher who is always so serious, and trying to pretend to be more important than they are, and they never seem to relax or smile about anything. Or when there's someone who says everything in extremely formal ways, so when they tell a story it ends up sounding boring because they told it too seriously. Or when they try to tell a joke, they make it sound too serious so that it isn't funny anymore. Or when you meet someone and they stand so stiff and rigid, like they are trying to impress the queen or something. But it's not that formal of a situation, so it is too much. Or they seem to think that everything should be very formal all of the time even when it is not needed. It is like they never relax. They're all examples of people being a bit stuffy. Like a taxidermy animal, all stuffed with cotton inside and then hung on the wall for display. They are all stiff and pompous and formal and boring. They are people who need to relax more, to act more normal. It is like they try too hard to make a formal impression, so they forget to be human. So they can seem very boring and just a little bit arrogant. -- I think it came from the phrase calling someone a "stuffed shirt" which meant that a person was being far too reserved in behavior + were being pompous. So "stuffy" was like a milder version of that, saying that they were a little bit like that but not completely like that. So people who were a little too stiff, too formal, too reserved, too serious...to the point of being almost boring. It is like stale air in a room, we call that "stuffy" as well. So to fix that, people want to open things up, bring in something fresh, help people relax, etc. When a person is being stuffy, we often want to try and make them relax, to loosen up a little bit, to try something new once in awhile, etc. It is a related concept.

@munglint It is a little bit hard to think of examples.

It is like when you have a teacher who is always so serious, and trying to pretend to be more important than they are, and they never seem to relax or smile about anything.

Or when there's someone who says everything in extremely formal ways, so when they tell a story it ends up sounding boring because they told it too seriously. Or when they try to tell a joke, they make it sound too serious so that it isn't funny anymore.

Or when you meet someone and they stand so stiff and rigid, like they are trying to impress the queen or something. But it's not that formal of a situation, so it is too much. Or they seem to think that everything should be very formal all of the time even when it is not needed. It is like they never relax.

They're all examples of people being a bit stuffy. Like a taxidermy animal, all stuffed with cotton inside and then hung on the wall for display. They are all stiff and pompous and formal and boring. They are people who need to relax more, to act more normal. It is like they try too hard to make a formal impression, so they forget to be human. So they can seem very boring and just a little bit arrogant.

--

I think it came from the phrase calling someone a "stuffed shirt" which meant that a person was being far too reserved in behavior + were being pompous.

So "stuffy" was like a milder version of that, saying that they were a little bit like that but not completely like that. So people who were a little too stiff, too formal, too reserved, too serious...to the point of being almost boring.

It is like stale air in a room, we call that "stuffy" as well. So to fix that, people want to open things up, bring in something fresh, help people relax, etc. When a person is being stuffy, we often want to try and make them relax, to loosen up a little bit, to try something new once in awhile, etc. It is a related concept.

0 likes
Highly-rated answerer
[News] Hey you! The one learning a language!

Do you know how to improve your language skills❓ All you have to do is have your writing corrected by a native speaker!
With HiNative, you can have your writing corrected by native speakers for free ✍️✨.
Sign up
Share this question
What does stuffy narrator mean?
Related questions
Similar questions
Recommended Questions
Topic Questions
Newest Questions
Previous question/ Next question

Ask native speakers questions for free

Register for free
hinative app preview balloon background image flying monga
  1. HiNative
  2. N
  3. Na
  4. Narrator
  5. What does stuffy narrat...