What does "doylist" mean?
An enthusiast of the works of Arthur Conan Doyle.
Doylist
adj, noun, slang
adj, noun, slang ·Uncommon ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An enthusiast of the works of Arthur Conan Doyle.
- Grammar: doylist is listed as adj, noun, slang.
- Useful contrasts: Watsonian, in-universe, intradiegetic.
- Usage evidence: I would accept that many of them behave like humans born on earth would, but that must be an artefact of poor translation or our poor understanding of their motives and objectives [Watsonian] or lack of vision on the writers part [Doylist - to borrow some terms from the Bujold mailing list - think 'as written by' Dr Watson or by Arthur Conan Doyle].
How to use "doylist"
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Meaning check
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Source and review context
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Before you rely on this definition
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Definition decision workflow
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Definitions
Noun
- 1 An enthusiast of the works of Arthur Conan Doyle.
"T. Raymond One can imagine the devout Doylist wringing his hands over every fresh appearance of Sir Arthur in the character of an exponent of spiritualism."
Adjective
- 1 From a real-world perspective; of or relating to an explanation outside the text; external to the narrative. slang
"I would accept that many of them behave like humans born on earth would, but that must be an artefact of poor translation or our poor understanding of their motives and objectives [Watsonian] or lack of vision on the writers part [Doylist - to borrow some terms from the Bujold mailing list - think 'as written by' Dr Watson or by Arthur Conan Doyle]."
Antonyms
Example
"I would accept that many of them behave like humans born on earth would, but that must be an artefact of poor translation or our poor understanding of their motives and objectives [Watsonian] or lack of vision on the writers part [Doylist - to borrow some terms from the Bujold mailing list - think 'as written by' Dr Watson or by Arthur Conan Doyle]."
Common questions
How do you use "doylist" in a sentence?
I would accept that many of them behave like humans born on earth would, but that must be an artefact of poor translation or our poor understanding of their motives and objectives [Watsonian] or lack of vision on the writers part [Doylist - to borrow some terms from the Bujold mailing list - think 'as written by' Dr Watson or by Arthur Conan Doyle].
Etymology
From Doyle + -ist, with reference to Arthur Conan Doyle, the author of the Sherlock Holmes stories. Adjective formed by analogy to Doyle as the real author of the text, as opposed to Dr. John Watson as the fictional author within the text. Started in Sherlock Holmes fandom before spreading to other fandoms. Possibly originating in the "Baker Street Irregulars" fan club and entering the science fiction fandom usage (fanspeak) via the Lois McMaster Bujold mailing list.