top banana
noun
: the leading comedian in a burlesque show
broadly : kingpin sense 1
Example Sentences
He's the mob's top banana.
Recent Examples on the Web So which restaurant did Yelp readers declare top banana? 
Phillip Valys, Sun Sentinel, 21 June 2022 Guillermo Rodriguez always fancied himself as the top banana. Lars Brandle, Billboard, 9 July 2019 This is, alas, the Yahweh of the early Hebrews, a fickle, petulant, seemingly amoral deity whose childish obsession is with proving himself top banana in the pantheon of primitive gods. Sam Sacks, WSJ, 12 July 2018 Companies, government agencies and institutes are spending millions of dollars on research and development to find a new top banana. Lucy Craymer, WSJ, 18 Dec. 2017
Phillip Valys, Sun Sentinel, 21 June 2022 Guillermo Rodriguez always fancied himself as the top banana. Lars Brandle, Billboard, 9 July 2019 This is, alas, the Yahweh of the early Hebrews, a fickle, petulant, seemingly amoral deity whose childish obsession is with proving himself top banana in the pantheon of primitive gods. Sam Sacks, WSJ, 12 July 2018 Companies, government agencies and institutes are spending millions of dollars on research and development to find a new top banana. Lucy Craymer, WSJ, 18 Dec. 2017 Word History
Etymology
from a burlesque routine involving three comedians in which the one that gets the punch line also gets a banana
First Known Use
1952, in the meaning defined above
top bananas
noun
as in second bananas
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- second bananas
- gagsters
- gagmen
- wits
- wags
- comics
- farceurs
- drolls
- merry-andrews
- gaggers
- comedians
- funnymen
- pantaloons
- comediennes
- humorists
- motleys
- jokesters
- scaramouches
- mimics
- mimes
- graciosos
- mummers
- antics
- jokers
- stand-ups
- madcaps
- jesters
- buffos
- fools
- buffi
- clowns
- buffoons
- harlequins
- cutups
- zanies
