second banana

second banana

noun Informal.
1.
a comic who supports the leading comedian, often as a straight man, especially in burlesque or vaudeville.
2.
any person who plays a secondary role or serves in a subsidiary capacity.
Compare top banana.


Origin:
1950–55
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Second banana is always a great word to know.
So is quincunx. Does it mean:
an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle.
a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare.
American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases

second banana

see under top banana.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
Cite This Source
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