The Code of the Woosters

[blwings]

Hi there,
I have never read Wodehouse book in my life until this week. However <the code of the woosters>, the book I read yesterday by chance was absolutely hilarious. I'm totally falling for Bertie and started reading another book of the series.
But since I am not from native english speaking countries, there is a sentence I don't understand after all my effort to find out the meaning of it.
In chapter1, there is a scene that aunt Dahlia is saying that she is not going to go Gussie and Modeline's wedding.
She said "I am not proposing to attend that wedding my self. I desapprove of Sir Watkyn Basset, and don't think he ought to be encouraged. There's one of the boys, if you want one!"
I don't understand who the boys are in the last sentence.

Can any one expain about it?
I would really appreciate it.

[togre]

Wodehouse is amazing.

I wish I had a little more (page or two) of context to give a better answer.

"one of the boys" is an expression that means someone is part of a specific group of familiar, well-liked and comfortable people. In the US (especially in rural slang) the expression "good ol' (old) boy" refers to a local character who may get in to trouble, but is well known and well liked.

Here Aunt Dahlia is making a suggestion. Instead of [herself? Sir Watkyn Basset?] she is suggestings anyone of a general group of acquaintances ["the boys"] be substituted.

[kev67]

I think Aunt Dahlia might be referring to him as a boy in that he is a bit reckless and irresponsible. He still wants to have fun with his friends rather than put his marriage and family life first. It has been a long time since I read that book so that could be wrong.

[Whifflingpin]

" "one of the boys" is an expression that means someone is part of a specific group of familiar, well-liked and comfortable people."
This is true, except that it is an expression that would be used by the kind of men (feckless, irresponsible, a bit caddish maybe,) of whom Aunt Dahlia would not approve. So she is saying that Sir Watkyn would be well at home with a not particularly desirable set of people. "If you want one" implies that you jolly well wouldn't want one if you wished to retain her esteem.

[blwings]

Thank you togre, kev67, Whifflingpin!
You really helped me a lot :-D

[WICKES]

Wodehouse is an amazing writer (reading his books is like swimming in champagne, as someone once said). Don't worry if you struggle with the language. Even native English speakers sometimes struggle. Don't forget that it is often an exaggeration: very few British people really spoke like Bertie.

[kev67]

Wodehouse is an amazing writer (reading his books is like swimming in champagne, as someone once said). Don't worry if you struggle with the language. Even native English speakers sometimes struggle. Don't forget that it is often an exaggeration: very few British people really spoke like Bertie.

George Orwell said if he existed at all, he died in 1916 in Flanders, or on some equally horrific battle ground.