straight man
Comic's serious partner
A straight man is the member of a comedy duo who plays the serious, reasonable one—setting up jokes for the funny partner to land.
The straight man asks obvious questions, reacts with bewilderment, or maintains dignity while chaos unfolds around them: Abbott was the straight man to Costello's buffoon.
The role requires precise timing and restraint; the laughs depend on someone playing it straight.
Defeat a plan
- setupHow something is arranged
- punchlineHumor's final delivery
- timingArt of choosing moments
- duoTwo working together
partner · routine · sketch · act · banter · Abbott · Burns · Dean Martin
Showing no emotion
- expressionlessShowing no feeling
- deadpanExpressionless, especially for humor
- impassiveWithout visible emotion
- unflappableImpossible to disturb
composed · stoic · reserved · blank · serious · restrained · understated · dry
Defeat a plan
- counterpartCorresponding person or thing
- sidekickSubordinate adventure partner
- feedSupply with sustenance
- setup manPitcher before the closer
second banana · support · anchor · complement · reactor · receiver · contrast · balance
foil
Defeat a plan
duo · partner · routine · sketch · act · banter · Abbott · Burns · Dean Martin · deadpan
poker-faced
Showing no emotion
- expressionlessShowing no feeling
- deadpanExpressionless, especially for humor
- impassiveWithout visible emotion
unflappable · composed · stoic · reserved · blank · serious · restrained · understated · dry · matter-of-fact
foil
Defeat a plan
- counterpartCorresponding person or thing
- sidekickSubordinate adventure partner
- feedSupply with sustenance
setup man · second banana · support · anchor · complement · reactor · receiver · contrast · balance · wingman
- character tropesantihero, hero, damsel in distress, mentor, femme fatale
- character typesprotagonist, hero, antagonist, villain, heroes
- comedy termsjokes, puns, wit, sarcasm, irony
- comedy tropespratfall, parody, sight gag, running gag, satire
- sitcomssitcom, sitcoms, episode, episodic, season
- stock charactersvillain, sidekick, hero, damsel in distress, fool
straight maneccentric
Unconventional in character
oddball · wild man · loose cannon · madman · free spirit
straight, straighten, straightforward, straightaway, straightened, straightening, straighter, straightens, straightest