straight man
A member of a team of comic performers who plays a supporting role by helping to set…A member (of any gender) of a team of comic performers who plays a supporting role by helping to set up jokes and punch lines through engaging in dialog with another comedian playing a more eccentric or otherwise more interesting character; a foil who plays such a role in theatrical comedy.
» What's wrong with being a straight man?
Meaning
2 senses(idiomatic)A member (of any gender) of a team of comic performers who plays a supporting role by helping to set up jokes and punch lines through engaging in dialog with another comedian playing a more eccentric or otherwise more interesting character; a foil who plays such a role in theatrical comedy.
For many years Bud Abbott served brilliantly as Lou Costello's deadpan straight man.
Stichwortgeber, Stichwortgeberin
Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see straight, man; for example, a heterosexual man.
The committee consisted of two lesbians and a straight man.
- a male performer who acts as stooge to a comedian
Examples
9 sentencesWhat's wrong with being a straight man?
Straight white men can go anywhere in the world.
Most sexual predators are straight men.
Most actual child groomers are straight men.
Magazines like these pander to horny straight men.
Translations
6 languagesBy meaning 1
Forms
plural: straight men| Singular | straight man |
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| Plural | straight men |
irregular · Lesson
Synonyms
3 synonymsWord family
6 related wordsLessons for this word
1 lessons- A1Plural nouns — Because its plural is irregular