Alphonse and Gaston
noun
Al·phonse and Gas·ton
ˈalˌfänz … ˈgastən,
ˈau̇ˌf-,
-än(t)s-,
-aast-
plural Alphonses and Gastons
: a pair of persons exhibiting an excessive usually exaggerated politeness or deference to each other especially about not taking precedence
Word History
Etymology
after Alphonse and Gaston, characters displaying excessive politeness and often uttering the phrases "after you, my dear Gaston" and "after you, my dear Alphonse" that appeared in the comic strip Alphonse and Gaston by Frederick B. Opper †1937 American illustrator and cartoonist
First Known Use
1902, in the meaning defined above