second fiddle

English

Pronunciation

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Noun

second fiddle (plural second fiddles)

1. (music) A fiddle part in harmony to the first fiddle.

   The second fiddle on that tune is almost as hard as the first fiddle.

2. (music) The person playing second fiddle.

   I've been second fiddle in that orchestra for ten years now.

3. (idiomatic) A sidekick or subordinate, or the role of such a person.

   I'm tired of being your second fiddle!

   • 1987, Joyce Brandon, Lady and the Lawman, page 346:

     Listen, buttercup, you're damned good in bed. They don't come any better, but I'm really not interested in playing second fiddle to your camera or your young lovers.

Related terms

Terms related to "second fiddle"

• fiddle
• first fiddle
• lead fiddle
• play second fiddle

Translations

music: fiddle part in harmony to the first fiddle

• Finnish: toinen viulu
• French: second violon m
• Italian: secondo violino m
• Norwegian: annenfiolin (no) m, andrefiolin (no) m
• Polish: drugie skrzypce m pl
• Russian: втора́я скри́пка f (vtorája skrípka), вто́ра (ru) f (vtóra)

music: person playing second fiddle

• Finnish: toinen viulu
• French: second violon m
• Italian: secondo violino m
• Norwegian: annenfiolin (no) m, andrefiolin (no) m
• Polish: drugie skrzypce m pl
• Russian: втора́я скри́пка f (vtorája skrípka)

sidekick or subordinate; the role of such a person

• Finnish: apuri (fi)
• French: second couteau (fr) m
• Italian: spalla (it) f
• Latin: secundae (la) f pl
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: annenfiolin (no) m, andrefiolin (no) m

• Russian: втора́я скри́пка f (vtorája skrípka)
• Spanish: subordinado (es)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• German: ^{(please verify)} zweite Geige
• Swedish: ^{(please verify)} spela andrafiolen (to play the second fiddle)

See also

• second banana
• second violin