The New York times (February 10) article titled, “Panic in the locker room!” written by co-ed columnist Frank Bruni begins with the following sentence:
“A news flash for every straight man out there: You’ve been naked in
front of a gay man. In fact you’ve been naked, over the course of your
life, in front of many gay men, at least if you have more than a few
years on you.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/11/opinion/bruni-panic-in-the-locker-room.html?hp&rref=opinion
To be honest, I didn’t know "straight man" has another meaning related with sexual orientation until I was told by members now. But let’s forget about that usage.
According to CED, the straight man is the more serious of the two men in a comedy act, who is often made to look stupid by his partner.
Merriam-Webster English Dictionary defines “straight man” a member of a comedy team who says things that allow a partner to make jokes."
We have a Japanese word, “ぼけ役- boke-yaku” meaning “bonehead’s role” for “straight man,” and “突っ込み役- tsukkomi-yaku” meaning “offence role” for the partner who gives a spicy joke / repartee in turn in popular popular “Manzai” – two-man comedy, or sometimes even in daily conversation.
What is the English word for the counter role of “straight man” as an English translation of “突っ込み-tsukkomi-yaku”?
Best Answer
But to answer the Question in the title, a comic pairing is known as a double act, and the one playing opposite the "straight man" may be known as "the funny man, banana man or comic."