straight man
/ˈstɹeɪtˌmæn/ noun
Forms straight men
- noun (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.”
- noun Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see straight, man; for example, a heterosexual man. “The committee consisted of two lesbians and a straight man.”
Synonyms
Sources: Wiktionary — from the Wiktionary entry “straight man”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details