Deuteragonist in vaudeville was known as "Second Banana" - just beneath the "Top Banana".

Deuteragonist

Protagonist < Gk πρωταγωνιστης < πρωτος (prōtos) 'first' + αγωνιστης (āgōnistēs) 'actor'; deuteragonist < Gk δευτεραγωνιστης < δευτερος (deuteros) 'second'; tritagonist < Gk τριταγωνιστης < τριτος (tritos) 'third'. It is interesting that besides πρωτος (prōtos) 'first', there is a πρωτερος (prōteros) 'before, in front, earlier' , where the -eros suffix seems to be the same as that of the comparative. For the prV cf. L prae, pro, prīmus 'first', but also prīmārius (< *pris-mo-s), English has first with -st of the superlative (and German has erst with the first part being related to English ere, early + -st, zweite is a neologism from Luther replacing the earlier ander 'other' in OE ōðer 'second, other (of two)', cf. former and latter). (There are no *deutos or *triteros.) Where Latin has secundus ('following', cf. sequor), Greek has deuteros. English has first and third, but borrowed second from Latin via French, replacing other as above.

hud, welcome! and thank you for that word

It gets 8 hits in OneLook, indicating that it's somewhat, if not very, obscure. It is unquestionably of Type 3

http://wordsmith.org/board/ubbthreads.ph...true#Post165723

I can't think of a suitable Type-2 unless it's co-star. Remarkably, this term isn't found in thesaurus.com, which I have found lacking in many other respects. For what it's worth, however,

http://thesaurus.reference.com/browse/second%20banana

>It gets 8 hits in OneLook, indicating that it's somewhat, if not very, obscure. It is unquestionably of Type 3

it's in AHD4 and MWCD, so it's not very.

Second fiddle is a self explanatory phrase but where did the bananas come from??
PC welcome.

So called from the presentation of a banana to the comedian who has the punch line in a three-man burlesque routine. - AHD

edit: thus, the second banana was often the straight man.

So the third banana was the one who starred?

Who's on first?

dated, dated,
the new routine is:
Hoo is the Ambassador from china.

(SNL skit with GBW and Condi)

dated, dated

We should all be so lucky to have dated a classic.

What?

We're all old enough to remember.