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Clown vs Minstrel - What's the difference?

clown | minstrel |

As nouns the difference between clown and minstrel

is that clown is clown while minstrel is (historical) a medieval traveling entertainer who would sing and recite poetry, often to his own musical accompaniment.

clown

English

Noun

(wikipedia clown) (en noun)
  • A performance artist often associated with a circus and typically characterised by bright, oversized clothing, a red nose, face paint, and a brightly colored wig and who performs slapstick.
  • A person who acts in a silly fashion.
  • (UK) A stupid person.
  • (obsolete) A man of coarse nature and manners; an awkward fellow; an illbred person; a boor.
  • (Sir Philip Sidney)
  • (obsolete) One who works upon the soil; a rustic; a churl.
  • * Cowper
  • The clown , the child of nature, without guile.

    Synonyms

    * (performance artist working in a circus) * (person who acts in a silly fashion) buffoon, fool

    Derived terms

    * clown doctor * clownfish * clownish

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To act in a silly fashion.
  • Derived terms

    * clown about (British) * clown around

    See also

    * coulrophobia * jester * jackpudding ----

    minstrel

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (historical) A medieval traveling entertainer who would sing and recite poetry, often to his own musical accompaniment.
  • One of a troupe of entertainers who wore black makeup (blackface) to present a variety show of song, dance and banjo music; now considered racist.
  • Quotations

    * 1885 — *: A wandering minstrel I — *: A thing of shreds and patches, *: Of ballads, songs and snatches,

    Synonyms

    * (traveling musical entertainer) bard, folk singer, troubadour

    See also

    * vaudeville