Quixotic and Scrooge

Quixotic is a word derived from fiction. It comes from the lead character in Don Quixote written by Miguel de Cervantes.

In the novel, Quixote decides to become a knight in order to defend the helpless and destroy the wicked. Based on this character, you might refer to someone as quixotic if they are unrealistically optimistic or perhap have a comically chivalrous approach to life.

In a similar way, the word scrooge was coined in the same way.

Calling someone a scrooge is saying they are a mean and possibly also a overly tight with their money.

We take this word from the character Scrooge in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.