His characters were often so memorable that they took on a life of their own outside his books . " Gamp " became a slang expression for an umbrella from the character Mrs Gamp, and " Pickwickian ", " Pecksniffian ", and " Gradgrind " all entered dictionaries due to Dickens's original portraits of such characters who were, respectively, quixotic, hypocritical, and vapidly factual.
12.
A 1940 " Baltimore Sun " article by Amy Grief describes " a visit to his large, sunny office, situated conveniently near the print shop, where he can hear the sond of his beloved presses and be accessible to anyone who comes to him for advice, reveals a small, rubicund cheerful man with white hair, keen blue eyes and a general Pickwickian air . . . very genial, very approachable, very kindly ."
