farceur

1. One who acts in or writes a farce.
2. A comic; a wag.

[French, from Old French, from farcer, to joke, from farce, farce. See farce.]

New York Times columnist Frank Rich was pretending to find humor in what he called the "bigger and bigger lies" told by Bush administration officials regarding the war in Iraq:

"Exhibit A is the Senate Intelligence Committee, whose Republican chairman, Pat Roberts, is proving a major farceur with his efforts to sidestep any serious investigation of White House prewar subterfuge."

Link: 'We Do Not Torture' and Other Funny Stories

Posted November 14, 2005.

See our Word Overheard blog to see interesting uses of strange words.

noun

A person whose words or actions provoke or are intended to provoke amusement or laughter: clown, comedian, comic, funnyman, humorist, jester, joker, jokester, quipster, wag², wit, zany. Informal card. See laughter.