slapstick

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The Word of the Day for December 30 is:

slapstick   \SLAP-stick\   noun
     1 : a device made of two flat pieces of wood fastened at one end so as to 
make a loud noise when used by an actor to strike a person
    *2 : comedy stressing farce and horseplay; also : activity resembling 
slapstick

Example sentence:
     Joe's sense of humor was such that the slapstick of the Three Stooges 
would have him rolling on the floor.

Did you know?
     The idea that knocking people about made for good comedy dates as far back 
as the Greco-Roman theater, where clowns rambunctiously "attacked" one another 
onstage. The object from which the word "slapstick" derives, however, was 
invented in Italy in the 16th century. Renaissance comedy typically featured 
stock characters placed in ridiculous situations, and one such ubiquitous 
character was Harlequin, whose brilliant costuming made him easily 
recognizable. Harlequin was given to wielding a paddle which was designed to 
make a terrible noise when he hit someone, usually to the delight of the 
audience. This paddle was eventually known in English as a "slapstick," and it 
became a symbol of that type of highly physical comedy. The word "slapstick" 
then came to refer to the comedy itself.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.





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