Rip Van Winkle

[ rip van wing-kuhl ]

noun

1. (in a story by Washington Irving) a ne'er-do-well who sleeps 20 years and upon waking is startled to find how much the world has changed.
2. (italics) the story itself, published in The Sketch Book (1819).

Rip Van Winkle

/ ˈrɪp væn ˈwɪŋkəl /

noun

1. a person who is oblivious to changes, esp in social attitudes or thought
2. a person who sleeps a lot

“Rip Van Winkle”

1. (1819) A story by Washington Irving . The title character goes to sleep after a game of bowling and much drinking in the mountains with a band of dwarves. He awakens twenty years later, an old man. Back home, Rip finds that all has changed: his wife is dead, his daughter is married, and the American Revolutionary War has taken place.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Rip Van Winkle¹

C19: from a character who slept for 20 years, in a story (1819) by Washington Irving (1783–1859), US writer

Example Sentences

“Fortunately, Trump didn’t hear any of it. He was sound asleep. Let One Rip Van Winkle is dozing off so often, they’re going to need one of those N.B.A. sweat-wiper kids to mop the drool puddles off his desk.”

From New York Times

An article in the Tennessean drew on the works of American literary forefather Washington Irving, describing the lack of scoring in the second and fourth quarters of a football game as a “Rip Van Winkle imitation” by the offenses.

From Washington Times

It’s as if Rip Van Winkle fell asleep in his early 20s in a start-up and woke up a 32-year-old at Burning Man.

From New York Times

Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery’s suggested retail price of Pappy 23-year is $299.99.

From Seattle Times

Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery’s suggested retail price of Pappy 23-year-old is $299.99.

From Washington Times