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Punch

 
Dictionary: Punch
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(pŭnch) pronunciation
n.
The quarrelsome hook-nosed husband of Judy in the comic puppet show Punch and Judy.

idiom:

pleased as Punch

  1. Highly pleased; gratified.

[Short for PUNCHINELLO.]


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Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: Punch
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Hooknosed, humpbacked character in marionette and puppet shows (see puppetry). Adapted from a stock character of the commedia dell'arte, the puppet character was taken to France and England by Italian puppeteers in the 1660s. By 1700 every English puppet show featured Punch (from Punchinello) and his wife, Judy. As marionettes became less popular in the 1790s, smaller glove puppets were used in the popular Punch-and-Judy play. The hooked nose and the brutal, vindictive, and deceitful behaviour of the English Punch were established characteristics by the 19th century. In France his popularity declined during the 19th and 20th centuries, and he disappeared there as a comic figure. Puppeteers in England have carried on the tradition of Punch-and-Judy shows.

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Quotes By: Punch
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Quotes:

"No one knows when they are well off."

 
 
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Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 2006 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Quotes By. Copyright © 2008 QuotationsBook.com. All rights reserved.  Read more