unfatherly

unfatherly

(ʌnˈfɑːðəlɪ)
adj
not fatherly; not characteristic or appropriate of a father
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
References in classic literature ?
Palmer maintained the common, but unfatherly opinion among his sex, of all infants being alike; and though she could plainly perceive, at different times, the most striking resemblance between this baby and every one of his relations on both sides, there was no convincing his father of it; no persuading him to believe that it was not exactly like every other baby of the same age; nor could he even be brought to acknowledge the simple proposition of its being the finest child in the world.
Pickwick had great influence over him, and he had been much struck with Mary's appearance; having, in fact, bestowed several very unfatherly winks upon her, already.
The PDP described such comment as 'unfatherly' and a direct slap on the sensibilities of millions of Nigerians, who it observed have been painfully bearing the economic hardship, hunger and starvation caused by President Buhari's 'wasteful and inept administration, to the extent that many have taken to suicide missions and slavery as survival options.'
I once felt that kind of anger, which a man ought to feel, against the mean principles that are held by the tories: A noted one, who kept a tavern at Amboy, was standing at his door, with as pretty a child in his hand, about eight or nine years old, as I ever saw, and after speaking his mind freely as he thought was prudent, finished with this unfatherly expression, "Well, give me peace in my day." Not a man lives on the continent but fully believes that a separation must some time or other finally take place, and a generous parent should have said, "If there must be trouble, let it be in my own day, that my child may have peace"; and this single reflection, well applied, is sufficient to awaken every man to duty.
A noted one, who kept a tavern at Amboy, was standing at his door, with as pretty a child in his hand, about eight or nine months old, as I ever saw; and after speaking his mind as freely as he thought was prudent, finished with the unfatherly expression, "Well, give me peace in my days." Not a man lives on the continent, but fully believes that separation must some time or other finally take place, and a generous parent would have said, "If there must be trouble, let it be in my days, that my child may have peace;" and this single reflection, well applied, is sufficient to awaken every man to duty.
A great many critics have had no trouble extrapolating a most unfatherly love from Tancredi's actions and gestures: waiting too long before marrying off his daughter in the first instance; keeping her, once widowed, too close; haunting her bedroom; spying on her lovemaking from a truly horrifying proximity; sneaking silently out of her bedroom afterwards; accusing her jealously; weeping uncontrollably; having her lover executed; sending her Guiscardo's heart in a chalice.
In later plays, however, her focus shifts to unfatherly fathers.
Illuminating this, Gareth in the following extract reflects back across his first year of fathering and compares it to paid work: Oh no, looking after them is far harder for me personally despite all my stresses and grief at work, I would, I don't want to sound too harsh and uncaring or unfatherly but I would rather given the choice, if it was just the choice of the two looking after kids all day or go to work, I would much rather go into work, by far.
She felt her father's new wife resented her and she was terrified when her dad started making unfatherly advances to his teenage daughter.
(29) On his unfatherly haste, see Leech, Christopher Marlowe, 39.
Launcelot's behavior serves as a comic parallel to Jessica's treatment of Shylock (whose own attitude is so unfatherly that he wishes his daughter dead, if he could thus get his money back).