teacup and saucer

English

Alternative forms

• tea-cup and saucer, cup and saucer

Noun

teacup and saucer (uncountable)

1. (attributive, originally derogatory) A type of 19th-century English comedy pioneered by T. W. Robertson, characterised by natural dialogue and down-to-earth, domestic settings.
   • 1889 December, Robert Buchanan, “The Modern Drama and Its Critics”, in The Contemporary Review, volume 56, page 924:

     If a Drama is bold and romantic, it is unnatural, it does not resemble Life. If, on the other hand, it resembles Life very much, it is commonplace, it is of the “teacup and saucer” order, it has no morale, no bearing on questions of moral sewage and drainage.

   • 1946, Allardyce Nicoll, A History of Late Nineteenth Century Drama, 1850–1900, volume 1, page 23:

     In his youth [Clement Scott] was among the revolutionaries who rallied around the teacup-and-saucer comedy; in his age he was a likable and vigorous reactionary.

   • 2007, Sheldon M. Novick, Henry James: The Mature Master, →ISBN, page 219:

     He did not care very much for Wilde’s teacup-and-saucer drama but thought it went over well and was likely to be a success […]