Busybody

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 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 they appeared as the title character in a sequel, Marplot. The name is a pun — mar / plot — and passed into the language as an eponym or personification of this type.

In English law, the doctrine of locus standi requires that a plaintiff have some connection with the matter being contested. In two cases in 1957 and 1996, Lord Denning 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 in a property or person that they wish to insure.

Busybody (horse)

Busybody (1881–1899), was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare who won two British Classic Races in 1884. In a racing career which lasted from September 1883 until May 1884 she ran six times and won five races. As a two-year-old in 1883 she won her first three races including the Middle Park Plate and the Great Challenge Stakes before sustaining her only defeat when conceding weight to the winner Queen Adelaide in the Dewhurst Stakes. As a three-year-old she won the 1000 Guineas over one mile at Newmarket and the Epsom Oaks over one and a half miles at Epsom Downs Racecourse a month later. She was then retired to stud where she became a successful broodmare.

Background

Busybody was a small, but exceptionally good-looking bay filly bred by her first owner Evelyn Boscawen, 6th Viscount Falmouth at his stud at Mereworth Castle in Kent. She was sired by Petrarch, a horse which won the 2000 Guineas and the St Leger Stakes in 1876. At stud Petrarch was particularly successful as a sire of fillies: his other daughters included Miss Jummy (1000 Guineas and Oaks) and Throstle (St Leger). Busybody came from an exceptional female family: her dam, Spinaway won the 1000 Guineas and Oaks for Lord Falmouth in 1875 and was a half sister of Wheel of Fortune, an even better racemare who won the same two races four years later. Spinaway and Wheel of Fortune were daughters of the Oaks winner Queen Bertha an influential broodmare, whose other descendants include the classic winners Larkspur, My Babu, Altesse Royale and Festoon.