**Oswald Bates** \[OZ-wawld BAY-ts\] (noun)
**Definition:** A term derived from a character on the variety show “In Living Color,” Oswald Bates is used to describe a person who, with feigned eloquence, convoluted logic, and pseudo-intellectual vocabulary, attempts to impart wisdom or insight. Despite their earnest delivery, their arguments are often nonsensical, overly complex, or riddled with malapropisms that obscure their lack of true understanding or coherence.
**Origin:** The character Oswald Bates was portrayed by Damon Wayans on the American sketch comedy show “In Living Color” which aired from 1990 to 1994. Bates was a prison inmate who would deliver elaborate, illogical monologues filled with malapropisms and convoluted pseudo-philosophical theories.