stooge

English

Etymology

Perhaps an abbreviation of Russian студе́нт (studént) [stʊˈdʲent]; the original meaning was “stage assistant, actor who assists a comedian”.[1] It may have been a Yiddish vaudeville term.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /stuːdʒ/
• Rhymes: -uːdʒ

Noun

stooge (plural stooges)

1. One who knowingly allows himself or herself to be used for another's profit; a dupe.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:loyal follower

2. (comedy) A straight man.
3. A secret informant for police.
4. (psychology) A confederate; a person who is secretly working for the researcher, unknown to the study participant.

Translations

dupe

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 走狗 (zh) (zǒugǒu), 走卒 (zh) (zǒuzú), 傀儡 (zh) (kuǐlěi), 狗爪子 (gǒuzhuǎzi), 跟屁蟲／跟屁虫 (zh) (gēnpìchóng), 跟屁虫 (zh) (gēnpìchóng)

• Finnish: lammas (fi)
• French: dupe (fr) f, pion (fr) m, pigeon (fr) m, larbin (fr) m, laquais (fr) m
• German: Handlanger (de) m, Handlangerin f, Strohmann (de) m, Strohfrau f
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Hungarian: stróman (hu)
• Japanese: 引き立て役 (ひきたてやく, hikitateyaku), 手先 (てさき, tesaki), 操り人形 (あやつりにんぎょう, ayatsuri ningyō)
• Russian: марионе́тка (ru) f (marionétka), подпева́ла (ru) m or f (podpevála), лаке́й (ru) m (lakéj), шестёрка (ru) m or f (šestjórka) (colloquial, lit.: "number six")
• Slovak: prisluhovač m, poskok m
• Spanish: primo (es) m, marioneta f, iluso (es) m
• Turkish: âlet olan kimse, yaltakçı (tr), yardakçı (tr)

straight man — see straight man

secret informant for police

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 密探 (zh) (mìtàn), 告密者 (zh) (gàomìzhě)

• Finnish: vasikka (fi)
• German: Spitzel (de) m, Polizeispitzel m
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Hungarian: besúgó (hu), spicli (hu)
• Russian: осведоми́тель (ru) m (osvedomítelʹ), осведоми́тельница (ru) f (osvedomítelʹnica), стука́ч (ru) m (stukáč) (colloquial, pejorative)
• Slovak: donášač m, donášačka f, konfident m, konfidentka f, špiceľ m
• Spanish: confidente (es)
• Turkish: casus (tr)

Verb

stooge (third-person singular simple present stoog, present participle ing, simple past and past participle stooged)

1. (intransitive) To act as a straight man.

See also

• claque

Anagrams

• Otsego, goes to