| In his movies, his characteristic method has been to winnow the maximum in observational humor and satirical waggishness out of a more or less static situation before pulling the plug. |
| Mostly he looks befuddled or overwhelmed, conveying little of either the energy that enabled him to make 140 shorts in his first year in California or the waggishness apparent in old photos and films. |
| Performances, unfailingly good, veer gingerly over the top but don't trade the characters' waggishness for their humanity. |
| And that combination of waggishness with laddishness which goes down well in Britain will benefit his reputation. |
| Truly they were ahungered, but could never quite lose their waggishness. |
| Despite his acclaim, Mr. Newman's constitutional waggishness kept him from taking himself too seriously. |
