Oofy Prosser

Who they are

Alexander Charles “Oofy” Prosser has more money than any other Drone and a sensible awareness that his companions have noticed. The specialist annotation to Young Men in Spats identifies his first appearance in the 1931 “The Knightly Quest of Mervyn.” A version of that story was later rewritten as a Mulliner tale, so a story title alone cannot settle the cast in the text a reader has in hand. Oofy’s riches are a running condition of the club world, but his unwillingness to finance everyone else is as important as the money itself.

The usual joke is not that a wealthy person is inherently wicked. It is that the Drones can regard Oofy’s bank balance as a communal resource while Oofy regards it as his own. A friend sees a promising loan; Oofy sees a perfectly good reason to leave the club before the request is voiced. He can be a target of a plan, an accidental sponsor or a participant with his own self-interest. Wodehouse lets the figure remain a character rather than a number in somebody else’s account book.

Personality and relationships

Freddie Widgeon is among the club friends whose ventures may bring them into Oofy’s orbit. Bingo Little and other Drones also form part of the same social world; a shared club membership should not be mistaken for proof that every one appears in each story. The Eggs, Beans and Crumpets narrators make the club feel populous and continuous even when a particular anecdote centres elsewhere. That ability to suggest a much larger company is one reason the short-story shelf rewards returning to it.

Oofy’s refusal can be comic from two directions. The would-be borrower may genuinely need help, but may also have proposed something no careful lender should fund. The millionaire is entitled to say no, though his defensive manoeuvres can be every bit as extravagant as a friend’s request. In “Freddie, Oofy and the Beef Trust,” the interaction is foregrounded by the title itself; British printings of A Few Quick Ones transpose the names in the title. It remains one tale, not a second adventure.

Best books and memorable moments

Try Young Men in Spats for the early club atmosphere, then Eggs, Beans and Crumpets for a broader range of Drones and other recurring people. A Few Quick Ones includes the Freddie and Oofy story; Nothing Serious contains further club material, but a contents check is more reliable than assuming Oofy is on every page. The linked book guides distinguish British and American selections. For a character trail, the relevant story is more precise than a later omnibus cover.

Richard Dixon played Oofy Prosser in eight episodes of ITV’s Jeeves and Wooster across its 1990–93 run. That verified television credit can help a viewer recognise him, while the short-story bibliography establishes which printed version has which characters. My favourite Oofy encounters are those where both his caution and his friend’s hope seem understandable for a moment.

On screen

Richard Dixon played Oofy Prosser in eight episodes of ITV’s Jeeves and Wooster (1990–93). Cast and production record. Compare Wodehouse screen, stage and radio versions.