motley fool
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: 1. A professional clown employed to entertain a king or nobleman in the Middle Ages: A "motley fool" refers to a jester or court jester, a performer whose role was to amuse and entertain a royal or aristocratic court during the medieval and Renaissance periods. The term "motley" describes the jester's traditional multi-colored, patchwork costume.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The king's motley fool lightened the mood in the court with his witty remarks and acrobatics.
- In Shakespeare's plays, the motley fool often speaks truths that other characters dare not say.
Advanced Usage
- Historical/Literary Reference: The term is primarily used in historical or literary contexts to describe a specific type of entertainer from a past era. It is not used for modern clowns or comedians.
- The character of the wise motley fool is a common archetype in European literature.
Variants and Related Words
- Jester (n): A direct synonym for "motley fool."
- Court jester (n): Another common term for the same role.
- Fool (n): Can be a more general term for a silly person or, in historical contexts, a shortened form of "motley fool" or "court fool."
Synonyms
- Jester
- Court jester
- Buffoon (though this can have a more derogatory connotation)
- Harlequin (a specific type of comic servant character from Italian commedia dell'arte)
Related Idioms
- To play the fool: To act in a silly or foolish manner.
- Stop playing the fool and pay attention.
- A fool's errand: A pointless or hopeless task.
- Trying to convince him was a fool's errand.
Noun
- a professional clown employed to entertain a king or nobleman in the Middle Ages