Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

blackout gag

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.30 in modern English

Syllables: black-out -gag
IPA

21

Scrabble Score

11

Letters

3

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A rapid-fire joke in slapstick comedy.

Example Sentences

"In some cases, Brooks could construct an entire sequence of nothing but blackout gags, as in the prehistoric sequence of History, which depicts the first artist and first critic, the discovery of fire, the invention of music, and so forth."

Etymology

In reference to burlesque and vaudeville, when the lights were quickly turned off after the punchline of a joke to accentuate it and encourage the audience to laugh.

Inflected Forms

blackout gags (plural)

Questions

What does blackout gag mean?: A rapid-fire joke in slapstick comedy.
Where does blackout gag come from?: In reference to burlesque and vaudeville, when the lights were quickly turned off after the punchline of a joke to accentuate it and encourage the audience to laugh.

How to pronounce blackout gag

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