Quizzes & Puzzles12 mins ago
Merry Andrew
7 Answers
Happy christmas all
Can anyone tell me the origin of the word Merry Andrew, we had this in a christmas quiz last night and nobody from the age of eight to eighty had heard of this before, we know that it refers to a jester/clown but that's all.
Thanks
Josie
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For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.As long ago as the 1600s, 'merry-andrew' was a name given to a clown/buffoon, as Grunty says above. There is a suggestion that the original merry Andrew was a Dr Andrew Borde who died in the 1540s. Although this particular Andrew did have a name for buffoonery, there is no fim evidence that the phrase refers specifically to him.
Adding to Quizmonster's details, a Merry-Andrew (in early use) was a mountebank's assistant.
Now there's another word - itinerant quack who spoke from a platform (banc) appealing to his audience by means of stories, tricks, juggling etc, often with the assistance of a professional clown!
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