The Importance of Being Earnest
/ði ɪmˌpɔːtns əv ˌbiːɪŋ ˈɜːnɪst/
/ði ɪmˌpɔːrtns əv ˌbiːɪŋ ˈɜːrnɪst/
- a comedy play by Oscar Wilde, first performed in 1895. A young man, Jack Worthing, wants to marry the daughter of Lady Bracknell, but Lady Bracknell disapproves of him because he tells her he does not know his parents as he was found in a handbag at Victoria Station. The play is often performed in Britain, especially by amateur dramatics groups, and is much loved for its clever humour and comic situations.