Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A blank, expressionless face.
- noun A person, especially a performer, who has or assumes a blank expression.
- adjective Impassively matter-of-fact, as in style, behavior, or expression.
- adverb With a blank, expressionless face.
- intransitive verb To express in an impassive, matter-of-fact way.
- intransitive verb To express oneself in an impassive, matter-of-fact way.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective Deliberately
impassive orexpressionless (as aface orlook ). - adjective Having such a face or look (as a
person ). - adjective Impassive (as
behaviour orspeech ). - noun A style of
comedic delivery in which something humourous is said or done while not exhibiting a change in emotion or facial expression. - verb To
express (oneself) in an impassive or expressionless manner.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adjective deliberately impassive in manner
- adverb without betraying any feeling
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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Otherwise, if they just do what I call a deadpan interpretation, you miss the emphasis and you miss the real importance of what your Russian counterpart is saying.
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I have a really good deadpan, and while matastas has many fine skills, he will be first to tell you that reading Scandosotan deadpan is not on the list.
Barnstorming on an Invisible Segway matastas 2008
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I ran up to find him lying there on fire while the game noted in deadpan text "Your friend is hurt".
On Grand Theft Auto and gender roles amuchmoreexotic 2008
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[S] ly humor and a certain deadpan zaniness give literary conventions an ironic twist, with hilarious results.
The Willoughbys: Summary and book reviews of The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry. 2008
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Since deadpan is the way in 3-5 days I should have one in my grubby paws.
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I wonder if being completely deadpan is a side effect of eating Monkey Chow.
EXTRALIFE – By Scott Johnson - This is why the internet rocks… 2006
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He said it in a deadpan, which is pretty much how he says everything, but it might have been a helpful statement nonetheless.
FreeFest: Pavement plays for the devotees Click Track 2010
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I took the phone and tried to keep my expression as deadpan as he was.
The Viognier Vendetta Ellen Crosby 2010
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Those of you too lazy to hit the last link won't understand this, but the key to a successful performance of this story is to remain deadpan.
Literary Death Match: Wednesday Night in Washington Square Park 2007
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The man was staring down at him, his expression eerily deadpan.
The Honor Farm John Westermann 1996
sionnach commented on the word deadpan
"A woodland deity has met his end", said Tom with a deadpan expression.
December 8, 2007
mialuthien commented on the word deadpan
"The term "deadpan" first emerged as an adjective or adverb in the 1920s, as a compound word combining "dead" and "pan" (a slang term for the face). It was first recorded as a noun in Vanity Fair in 1927; a dead pan was thus 'a face or facial expression displaying no emotion, animation, or humor'. The verb deadpan 'to speak, act, or utter in a deadpan manner; to maintain a dead pan' arose by the early 1940s, apparently as a journalistic coinage rather than a theatrical one.
It must be noted that today its use is especially common in humour from the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. It is also very appreciated in France, by the influence of the "esprit" (dry-humour mostly). Many popular American sitcoms also used deadpan expressions, most notably Friends and Seinfeld. Dry humor is often confused with highbrow or egghead humor. Although these forms of humor are often dry, the term dry humor actually only refers to the method of delivery, not necessarily the content." – Etymology of "deadpan" from the Reference.com
July 31, 2008
trochee commented on the word deadpan
"“Deadpan” (also spelled “dead pan” and “dead-pan”) actually began life as a theatrical term, according to the Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang.
The term, which refers to a blank, impassive expression¸ can be a noun, a verb, an adjective, or an adverb."
from commentary on the history of deadpan
March 4, 2010
madmouth commented on the word deadpan
today itself I ran across this meaning of 'pan' in the Canterbury Tales!
"...'who shall yeve a lovere any lawe?'
Love is a gretter lawe, by my pan" (1164-65)
March 4, 2010
bilby commented on the word deadpan
Who shot 'im?
March 4, 2010
gulyasrobi commented on the word deadpan
HU for "deadpan" is "fapofa" (wooden face)
August 1, 2012