drollery
UK: ˈdrəʊləri | US: ˈdroʊləri
n. humorous or whimsical behavior; comic quality
n. something amusing or laughable
n. archaic: a puppet show or comic performance
drollery = droll<amusing> + ery<noun suffix denoting quality or place>
- droll (from French drôle, meaning "funny" or "eccentric," originally from Old French drolle, "a merry fellow")
- ery (suffix forming nouns, often indicating a place, state, or quality, from Latin -arius via Old French -erie)
Etymology Origin:
The word drollery traces back to the French drôle, which originally referred to a humorous or eccentric person. Over time, droll evolved in English to describe something amusingly odd, and the suffix -ery was added to form a noun denoting the quality of being droll or a place where such humor occurs (e.g., puppet shows in the 17th century). The term captures the lighthearted, whimsical essence of its root.
His drollery kept the audience laughing throughout the performance.
The play was filled with witty drollery and clever wordplay.
She appreciated the subtle drollery in his sarcastic remarks.
The comedian’s drollery masked a deeper social commentary.
Medieval drolleries often featured exaggerated characters in absurd situations.