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stranger
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stranger
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Deuteragonist in vaudeville was known as "Second Banana" - just beneath the "Top Banana".
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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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 ōšer '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.
Ceci n'est pas un seing.
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Jul 2005
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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#Post165723I 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
Last edited by dalehileman; 07/03/07 06:23 PM.
dalehileman
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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>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.
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Aug 2002
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Second fiddle is a self explanatory phrase but where did the bananas come from??
PC welcome.
Last edited by Zed; 07/03/07 11:47 PM.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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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.
Last edited by tsuwm; 07/04/07 01:19 AM.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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So the third banana was the one who starred?
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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dated, dated,
the new routine is:
Hoo is the Ambassador from china.
(SNL skit with GBW and Condi)
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,290
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,290 |
dated, dated
We should all be so lucky to have dated a classic.
Ceci n'est pas un seing.
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