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单词 top banana
释义

top banana


top banana

n. Slang 1. The main comic in a burlesque show.2. The head person, as of a group or project.
[So called from the presentation of a banana to the comedian who has the punch line in a three-person burlesque routine.]

top banana

n 1. (Theatre) the leading comedian in vaudeville, burlesque, etc 2. the leader; boss

top′ banan′a


n.
Slang. 1. a leading comedian in burlesque, vaudeville, etc. 2. the chief person in a group or undertaking. [1950–55]
Thesaurus
Noun1.top banana - the leading comedian in a burlesque showtop banana - the leading comedian in a burlesque showcomedian, comic - a professional performer who tells jokes and performs comical acts
2.top banana - the most important person in a group or undertakingtop banana - the most important person in a group or undertakingbigwig, kingpinimportant person, influential person, personage - a person whose actions and opinions strongly influence the course of events

top banana


top banana

The person with the most authority, power, or influence in a group or organization. Primarily heard in US. When I was top banana of the business, I used to charge the most outrageous things to the company credit card. You'll only get a truthful answer if you manage to talk to one of the top bananas.See also: banana, top

top banana

Also, top dog. The principal person in a group, organization, or undertaking, as in His plan was to be top banana within ten years, or Now that she's top dog you can't get hold of her at all. The first term comes from show business, where from the early 1900s it has signified the leading comedian (possibly the original allusion was to Frank Lebowitz, a burlesque comedian who used bananas in his act). It also gave rise to second banana, for a supporting actor, usually a straight man. Both were transferred to more general use in the second half of the 1900s, as in executive Peter Barton's statement, "There is a certain pain to being a second banana, but you have to have an ability to sublimate your ego," quoted in The New York Times, May 15, 1996. The variant, top dog, originated in sports in the late 1800s and signified the odds-on favorite or winner in a contest; it alludes to the dog who wins (comes out on top) in a dogfight. See also: banana, top

top banana

the most important person in an organization or activity. informal, chiefly North American The two expressions above originated in US theatrical slang. The top banana was originally the comedian who topped the bill in a show, while the second banana was the supporting comedian.See also: banana, top

top banana

1. n. the lead comedian in a burlesque or vaudeville act. The top banana didn’t show up for the gig. 2. n. the boss; the leader or head of something. (see also big cheese, big enchilada.) You’ll have to ask the top banana. He’s out right now. See also: banana, top

top banana

Headliner comedian in a vaudeville show. The phrase is said to have originated with a vaudevillian named Harry Steppe in 1927 from a skit in which three comics tried to figure out how to share two bananas. Steppe also claimed to have first used “second banana” to refer to the cast's number two comic. Comedian Phil Silvers popularized the phrase “Top Banana” when he used it as the title of his Broadway musical and movie.See also: banana, top
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top banana


  • noun

Synonyms for top banana

noun the leading comedian in a burlesque show

Related Words

  • comedian
  • comic

noun the most important person in a group or undertaking

Synonyms

  • bigwig
  • kingpin

Related Words

  • important person
  • influential person
  • personage
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更新时间:2025/2/3 14:45:38