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Jekyll

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Jekyll and Hyde

A person whose personality drastically changes between good and bad. A reference to the main character in the book Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. Ever since Kyle became a teenager, he's turned into a real Jekyll and Hyde, and it's impossible to anticipate his mood at any given time.

See also: and, Hyde, Jekyll

Jekyll and Hyde

someone with both an evil and a good personality. (From the novel The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson.) Bill thinks Mary is so soft and gentle, but she can be very cruel—she is a real Jekyll and Hyde. Jane doesn't know that Fred is a Jekyll and Hyde. She sees him only when he is being kind and generous, but he can be very cruel.

See also: and, Hyde, Jekyll

a Jekyll and Hyde

someone whose personality has two different parts, one very nice and the other very unpleasant

Usage notes: This phrase comes from the main character in the book The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson.

You can't depend on him to be friendly - he's a Jekyll and Hyde.

See also: and, Hyde, Jekyll

Jekyll and Hyde

A personality alternating between good and evil behavior, as in You never know whether Bob will be a Jekyll or a Hyde. This expression comes from Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1886). Also see lead a double life.

See also: and, Hyde, Jekyll