merry-andrew
Definitions
from The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- noun One whose business it is to make sport for others by jokes and ridiculous posturing; a buffoon; a clown.
Examples
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And after a few efforts to better her condition she grew cautious, and hesitated discreetly before returning one of those ingenuous answers which, in the beginning, had made her the merry-andrew of the class.
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We had about half a dozen men, mostly trudging on foot, and but slightly armed, commanded by Selameh; and one of them, named Salem, was the merry-andrew of the party, full of verbal and practical jokes.
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But its chief modern interest lies in the tradition that Swift once observed that he 'had not laughed above twice' in his life, -- once at the tricks of a merry-andrew, and again when Fielding's Tom Thumb killed the ghost.
Note
The origin of 'merry-andrew' has long been disputed. It may come from the stage name of a particular performer at the Bartholomew Fair in the 17th century.
