Definition

1. Noun:
   • A performer who acts as a stooge to a comedian: A "straight man" is an actor or comedian whose role is to set up jokes for a partner, the primary comedian, by reacting in a serious, logical, or deadpan manner. This contrast makes the primary comedian's humor more effective.

Usage

• The "straight man" is a standard role in comedy duos, where one performer (the "funny man" or "comic") delivers the punchlines while the other (the "straight man") provides the serious setup or reacts with confusion.
• This term is used in various comedic formats, including vaudeville, film, television, and stand-up comedy.

Examples

• Noun:
  • In their classic routines, Bud Abbott was the straight man to Lou Costello's frantic comic.
  • A good straight man knows how to deliver a line seriously to make his partner's joke land perfectly.
  • She played the straight man in the sketch, asking all the logical questions that led to his absurd answers.

Advanced Usage

• "Playing the straight man": This phrase describes the act of performing this specific comedic role.
  • Although he is very funny, in this act he is playing the straight man.

Variants and Related Words

• Stooge (n): A performer who is the butt of a comedian's jokes or who feeds lines to a comedian. (Note: "Stooge" can have a broader or more subservient connotation than "straight man".)
• Feed (n/v): A line or action given by one performer to set up another's joke; to provide such a line.
  • He fed her the perfect setup for the punchline.
• Deadpan (adj/adv): A deliberately impassive or serious style of delivery, often used by a straight man.
  • He delivered the ridiculous question with a perfect deadpan expression.

Synonyms

• Feeder
• Comic foil
• Straight (informal, as in "He's the straight in the duo.")

Related Phrases

• Straight man to [someone's] comic: A common construction to describe the relationship.
  • For years, he was the straight man to her anarchic comic.
• Straight role: In a non-comedic context, this can refer to a serious dramatic role, but it is distinct from the comedic "straight man."

Noun

1. a performer who acts as stooge to a comedian