slapstick
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Contents |
English [edit]
Etymology [edit]
From slap + stick, the English translation of the batacchio. The slapstick was a pair of sticks tied together that made a loud noise when struck together, and was used by the comic character Harlequin in the commedia dell'arte.
Noun [edit]
slapstick (countable and uncountable; plural slapsticks)
- (uncountable) physical comedy, e.g. slipping on a banana peel, exaggeratedly losing balance, walking into walls etc.
- (countable) a pair of sticks tied together at one end and used to create a slapping sound effect for (1)
