Harlequin vs Charlatan - What's the difference?
harlequin | charlatan |
a pantomime fool, typically dressed in checkered clothes
* 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling
A yellowish-green color.
brightly coloured, especially in a pattern like that of a harlequin clown's clothes
Of a yellowish-green
To remove or conjure away, as if by a harlequin's trick.
* M. Green
To make sport by playing ludicrous tricks.
A malicious trickster; a fake person, especially one who deceives for personal profit.
As nouns the difference between harlequin and charlatan
is that harlequin is a pantomime fool, typically dressed in checkered clothes while charlatan is charlatan, quack.As adjectives the difference between harlequin and charlatan
is that harlequin is brightly coloured, especially in a pattern like that of a harlequin clown's clothes while charlatan is said of someone who talks frivolously.As a verb harlequin
is to remove or conjure away, as if by a harlequin's trick.harlequin
English
Noun
(en noun)- ... were certainly the worst and dullest company into which an audience was ever introduced; and (which was a secret known to few) were actually intended so to be, in order to contrast the comic part of the entertainment, and to display the tricks of harlequin to the better advantage.
Usage notes
* Because of its origin in the name of an Italian theatrical character, English Harlequin is often used as a proper name.Adjective
(head)Derived terms
* harlequinade * harlequin bat * harlequin beetle * harlequin cabbage bug * harlequin caterpillar * harlequin duck * harlequin moth * harlequin opal * harlequin snakeVerb
(en verb)- And kitten, if the humour hit / Has harlequined away the fit.