[4] Ukridge's early years (as recounted in "Ukridge's Dog College") were not proud times; expelled from school (later revealed to be Wrykyn) for sneaking out at night to attend a local fair (he had the forethought to wear a false beard, but omitted to remove his school cap), he travelled the world in various capacities, visiting a wide number of countries and getting himself in trouble in almost all of them.
In Love Among the Chickens, the events of which seem to occur some time after those of the shorts, Ukridge is married to Millie, a small young woman who is often described as looking like a little girl, but who is capable and cheerful despite her husband's frequent financial troubles.
Standing around 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m) tall, with large ears and a loud voice, Ukridge makes a striking figure, generally found wearing worn grey flannel trousers and a golf coat with a bright yellow Mackintosh over it; his collar is rarely properly attached to his shirt, and his pince-nez glasses are held in place with wire from a ginger beer bottle.
By way of contrast, he looks exceptionally smart in evening dress (generally borrowed without permission from his friend James "Corky" Corcoran, the narrator of most of the stories).
He tends to address people as "laddie" or "old horse", and his favourite exclamations are "upon my Sam" and "it's a little hard", the latter summing up his view of the treatment life invariably seems to mete out to him, although he remains forever cheerful.
He always has some visionary scheme which will win him fame and fortune, but is hampered by lack of capital; in borrowing from friends he exhorts them to have "vision" and to maintain the "big, broad, flexible outlook".
Corcoran has a lot of time for him, despite the ordeals he endures at his friend's hand, and their old schoolfellow George Tupper, a man of some wealth and distinction in the Foreign Office, has some faith in his schemes and is often generous with funds.