Meaning
A pair of comedians or entertainers who perform as a single act, classically a deadpan straight man opposite an extravagant funny man; by extension any two people who operate as an inseparable contrasting unit. The term is chiefly British, with American English more often saying 'comedy duo' for the same idea. Affectionate and informal; chiefly British, and often extended to non-comic partnerships for humorous effect. Regional use: British English (theatrical origin).
Origin
The format, two performers billed as a single act with a straight man feeding a funny man, grew up in the British music halls and American vaudeville of the late nineteenth century; originally the straight man existed partly to repeat lines over noisy audiences. The OED dates the English compound 'double act' itself to 1905, defined simply as a performance by two entertainers, at the moment when such pairings were becoming brand names on both sides of the Atlantic. British comedy kept the form at its centre through radio and television (The Two Ronnies among many), while American English prefers 'comedy duo' or 'comedy team', so the compound is felt as a Britishism. The figurative use, any inseparable contrasting pair that works as one unit, borrows the showbiz template wholesale.
Research Sources
References used to check this entry’s meaning, history, or documented forms.
Variants
- comedy double act
- comedy duo
Usage Examples
- The twin mayors have run the town as a double act for two decades, one stern and one exuberant.
- Their podcast became the station's most popular double act, the sceptic forever paired with the enthusiast.
- In the office, Priya and Sam work as a double act, trading jokes through every crisis.