1. Person: Reginald Jeeves.
Arguably British novellist P.G. Wodehouse's most famous creation, Reginald Jeeves is the consummate
Gentleman's Personal Gentleman. He serves as valet (not butler, mind you) to Bertram Wilberforce Wooster, a genial young member of the idle rich in fictional 1920's England. Jeeves is almost unnaturally competent, and his role
in the books is to fish Bertie and his pals out of the many and various scrapes they get themselves into. This often involves getting Bertie un-engaged and sorting out troubles with uncles and aunts. So legendary is his brain (so large that his head sticks out
in the back), that his help is often enlisted by Bertie's friends and relatives as well.
Jeeves is
perpetually poised, and is portrayed by Bertie (who narrates the books) as an almost superhuman figure, 'gliding' and 'shimmering' in and out of rooms. His speech is convoluted yet precise, and he often quotes great works of literature to assist his point. He rarely shows any expression save a slight twitch of the mouth or a raise of the eyebrow, but to one well-versed in reading 'the Jeevesian dial' as Bertie would have it, he can be even more expressive than the most extroverted of people.
In the early nineties' ITV series 'Jeeves and Wooster,' he was portrayed (marvellously) by Stephen Fry, to Hugh Laurie's Bertie Wooster.
2. A
stereotypical name often used in fiction for a male retainer of any variety, be he butler, valet, footman, chauffeur, etc. This springs, of course, from the Jeeves books.
3. Related- 'Jeevesian', adjective- as Jeeves would do. Eg: in the manner typical of a perfect servant, valet, or butler
'There are moments, Jeeves, when one asks oneself, "Do trousers matter?"'
‘The mood will pass, sir.’
~~~~~~
'But as I always say: Jeeves moves in
mysterious ways, his wonders to perform.'
~~~~~~~
'Jeeves! Never had I been
quite so glad to see the
dependable black bowler hat and implacable phizog of my valet, and many times have I been glad to see the chap, he having extricated myself and many friends of self from uncountable sticky circs.'
