A busybody, do-gooder, meddler, or marplot is someone who meddles in the affairs of others. An early study of the type was made by the ancient Greek philosopher

Theophrastus Theophrastus (; grc-gre, Θεόφραστος ; c. 371c. 287 BC), a Greek philosopher and the successor to Aristotle in the Peripatetic school. He was a native of Eresos in Lesbos.Gavin Hardy and Laurence Totelin, ''Ancient Botany'', Routle ...

in his typology, ''Characters'', "In the proffered services of the busybody there is much of the affectation of kind-heartedness, and little efficient aid." Susanna Centlivre wrote a successful play, '' The Busie Body'', which was first performed in 1709 and has been revived repeatedly since. It is a farce in which Marplot interferes in the romantic affairs of his friends and, despite being well-meaning, frustrates them. The characterisation of Marplot as a busybody whose "chief pleasure is knowing everybody's business" was so popular that he appeared as the title character in a sequel, ''Marplot''. The name is a pun — mar / plot — and passed into the language as an

eponym An eponym is a person, a place, or a thing after whom or which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. The adjectives which are derived from the word eponym include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''. Usage of the word The term ''epon ...

or personification of this type.

English law

In English law, the doctrine of ''

locus standi Locus (plural loci) is Latin for "place". It may refer to: Entertainment * Locus (comics), a Marvel Comics mutant villainess, a member of the Mutant Liberation Front * ''Locus'' (magazine), science fiction and fantasy magazine ** ''Locus Award ...

'' requires a

plaintiff A plaintiff ( Π in legal shorthand) is the party who initiates a lawsuit (also known as an ''action'') before a court. By doing so, the plaintiff seeks a legal remedy. If this search is successful, the court will issue judgment in favor of the ...

to have some connection with the matter being contested. In two cases in 1957 and 1996,

Lord Denning Alfred Thompson "Tom" Denning, Baron Denning (23 January 1899 – 5 March 1999) was an English lawyer and judge. He was called to the bar of England and Wales in 1923 and became a King's Counsel in 1938. Denning became a judge in 1944 whe ...

ruled that "The court will not listen to a busybody who is interfering in things which do not concern him..." Similarly, there is a long-standing rule that a person must have an

insurable interest Insurable interest exists when an insured person derives a financial or other kind of benefit from the continuous existence, without repairment or damage, of the insured object (or in the case of a person, their continued survival). A person has a ...

in a property or person that they wish to insure. The "

officious bystander The officious bystander is a metaphorical figure of English law and legal fiction, developed by MacKinnon LJ in '' Southern Foundries (1926) Ltd v Shirlaw'' to assist in determining when a term should be implied into an agreement. While the offici ...

" is a metaphorical character in English law, used to determine the

implied terms A contractual term is "any provision forming part of a contract". Each term gives rise to a contractual obligation, the breach of which may give rise to litigation. Not all terms are stated expressly and some terms carry less legal gravity as th ...

of a contract.

In the Bible

In the Bible, the word "busybody" is used by Paul the Apostle (1 Timothy 5:13). The root word is Greek, περίεργος (''periergos''), which may also be translated as a worker of magic or witch. Strong's number for this is G4021.

References

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*{{Commonscatinline Personality Stereotypes

English law

In the Bible

See also

References

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