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Burlesque vs Farce - What's the difference?

burlesque | farce |

As nouns the difference between burlesque and farce

is that burlesque is a derisive art form that mocks by imitation; a parody while farce is a style of humor marked by broad improbabilities with little regard to regularity or method; compare sarcasm.

As verbs the difference between burlesque and farce

is that burlesque is to make a burlesque parody of while farce is to stuff with forcemeat.

As an adjective burlesque

is parodical; parodic.

burlesque

English

(wikipedia burlesque)

Alternative forms

* (archaic)

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Parodical; parodic
  • * Addison
    • It is a dispute among the critics, whether burlesque poetry runs best in heroic verse, like that of the Dispensary, or in doggerel, like that of Hudibras.

    Derived terms

    * burlesquely

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A derisive art form that mocks by imitation; a parody.
  • * Addison
    • Burlesque is therefore of two kinds; the first represents mean persons in the accoutrements of heroes, the other describes great persons acting and speaking like the basest among the people.
  • * Dryden
    • The dull burlesque appeared with impudence, / And pleased by novelty in spite of sense.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1905, author=
    • , title= , chapter=2 citation , passage=“H'm !” he said, “so, so—it is a tragedy in a prologue and three acts. I am going down this afternoon to see the curtain fall for the third time on what [...] will prove a good burlesque  ; but it all began dramatically enough. It was last Saturday […] that two boys, playing in the little spinney just outside Wembley Park Station, came across three large parcels done up in American cloth. […]”}}
  • A variety adult entertainment show, usually including titillation such as striptease, most common from the 1880s to the 1930s.
  • A ludicrous imitation; a caricature; a travesty; a gross perversion.
  • * Burke
    • Who is it that admires, and from the heart is attached to, national representative assemblies, but must turn with horror and disgust from such a profane burlesque and abominable perversion of that sacred institute?

    Synonyms

    * (parody) lampoon, travesty

    Verb

    (burlesqu)
  • To make a parody of
  • * {{quote-news, 1988, February 5, Billie Lawless, Laying Down the Lawless, Chicago Reader citation
    • , passage=When the venerable New York Times took my quote in which I described the neon elements as "burlesquing the myth of male dominance" and instead printed "he prefers to describe them as . . . symbols of male dominance" it became clear that dealing with journalists was going to be one long, rocky road.}}
  • To ridicule, or to make ludicrous by grotesque representation in action or in language.
  • * Stillingfleet
    • They burlesqued the prophet Jeremiah's words, and turned the expression he used into ridicule.
    ----

    farce

    English

    (wikipedia farce)

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) .

    Noun

  • (lb) A style of humor marked by broad improbabilities with little regard to regularity or method; compare sarcasm .
  • (lb) A motion picture or play featuring this style of humor.
  • *
    • Thus, when he drew up instructions in lawyer languageunderstood him very well. If he had written a love letter, or a farce , or a ballade , or a story, no one, either clerks, or friends, or compositors, would have understood anything but a word here and a word there.
  • (lb) A situation abounding with ludicrous incidents.
  • * {{quote-news, year=2012, date=May 9, author=Jonathan Wilson, work=the Guardian
    • , title= Europa League: Radamel Falcao's Atlético Madrid rout Athletic Bilbao , passage=The first match in the magnificent new national stadium was a Euro 2012 qualifier between Romania and France that soon descended into farce as the pitch cut up and players struggled to maintain their footing. Amorebieta at times seemed to be paying homage to that game, but nobody else seemed to have a problem; it was just that Falcao was far better than him.}}
  • (lb) A ridiculous or empty show.
    • Derived terms
    * farcical

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) .

    Verb

    (farc)
  • To stuff with forcemeat.
  • (figurative) To fill full; to stuff.
  • * Bishop Sanderson
    • The first principles of religion should not be farced with school points and private tenets.
  • (obsolete) To make fat.
  • * Ben Jonson
    • if thou wouldst farce thy lean ribs
  • (obsolete) To swell out; to render pompous.
  • * Sandys
    • farcing his letter with fustian

    External links

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    Anagrams

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