straight man

straight man
A member of a team of comic performers who plays a supporting role by helping to set up jokes and punch lines through engaging in preparatory dialog with the principal comedian; a foil who plays such a role in theatrical comedy.

For many years Bud Abbott served brilliantly as Lou Costellos deadpan straight man.


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  • Straight man — may refer to:*An archetypal comic foil, especially in a comedy duo; a character whose seriousness, obliviousness or both conflicts with one or more other characters to comic effect. * Straight Man , a novel by Richard Russo * A heterosexual male …   Wikipedia

  • Straight Man — (New York: Random House, 1997) is a novel by Richard Russo set at the fictional West Central Pennsylvania State University in Railton, Pennsylvania. It is a mid life crisis tale told in the first person by William Henry Devereaux, Jr., the… …   Wikipedia

  • straight man — n an entertainer who works with a ↑comedian, providing him or her with opportunities to make jokes …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • straight man — straight ,man noun count an entertainer whose job is to say or do things that allow another entertainer to be funny …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • straight man — straight′ man n. sbz an entertainer who plays the part of a foil for a comic partner • Etymology: 1925–30 …   From formal English to slang

  • straight man — ► NOUN ▪ a comedian s stooge …   English terms dictionary

  • straight man — ☆ straight man n. an actor who serves as a foil for, and feeds lines to, a comedian …   English World dictionary

  • straight man — noun a performer who acts as stooge to a comedian • Syn: ↑second banana • Hypernyms: ↑performer, ↑performing artist * * * noun : an actor or other entertainer whose main function is to feed lines to a comedian * * * an entertainer who plays the… …   Useful english dictionary

  • straight man — UK / US noun [countable] Word forms straight man : singular straight man plural straight men an entertainer whose job is to say or do things that allow another entertainer to be funny …   English dictionary

  • straight man — n. someone who sets up jokes or gags so that someone else can say the unch line. □ I need a straight man to pick up on all my jokes. □ I’m tired of being a straight man for a has been comic …   Dictionary of American slang and colloquial expressions

  • straight man — the man who is not joking, the man who is honest or natural    When I began in comedy, my straight man was Jason. He would ask honest questions and I would give funny answers …   English idioms

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