Idiom idiom
merry Andrew
Meaning
A person who clowns publicly; a buffoon; an entertainer's assistant.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“The Merry Andrew juggled balls in the town square.”
“The circus needed a Merry Andrew to warm up the crowd before the main act started.”
“Though once a respected actor, he had fallen so low that he now played Merry Andrew to a second-rate magician, capering about in motley for pennies.”
Origin
disputed origin
disputed origin
Originally associated with a specific act at Bartholomew Fair; later said to have come from the name of Andrew Boorde.
Anchors to
Last updated August 10, 2026