Printer Friendly
The Free Dictionary
904,460,726 visitors served.
?
Dictionary/
thesaurus
Medical
dictionary
Legal
dictionary
Financial
dictionary
Acronyms
 
Idioms
Encyclopedia
Wikipedia
encyclopedia
?

Punch
(redirected from punches into)

   Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Medical, Idioms, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.48 sec.

Punch

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.


Punch

English illustrated periodical published 1841–1992 and revived in 1996 with a revised format. Initially a weekly radical paper, it became famous for its satiric humour, caricatures, and cartoons. Among its famous early staff members were William Thackeray and John Tenniel. A cover drawing by Richard Doyle was used continuously from 1849 to 1956, when each issue's cover was made different, though the traditional figures of Punch and his dog Toby usually appeared somewhere.


?Page tools
Printer friendly
Cite / link
Email
Feedback
? Mentioned in
 
Encyclopedia browser? ? Full browser
 
 
Encyclopedia
?

Disclaimer | Privacy policy | Feedback | Copyright © 2008 Farlex, Inc.
All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. Terms of Use.