Jack Benny

7 7.1

A famous American comedian and actor known for very good comic timing and jokes about himself

proper noun
/dʒæk ˈbɛni/

: Jack Benny

Jack Benny twice spoofed The Whistler as "The Fiddler" (Jack Benny).

Examples

During the golden age of radio, Jack Benny's show became a cornerstone of American entertainment.
Fibber McGee, Vic and Sade, Jack Benny, and the Goldbergs invited fans into familiar living rooms.

Academic text (2015)
Jack Benny twice spoofed The Whistler as "The Fiddler" (Jack Benny).

Academic text (2015)
Jack Benny was known for his outstanding comic timing and self-deprecating humor, making him a beloved American Jack Benny.
Many consider Jack Benny to be one of the greatest comedians in history due to his unique style and delivery.

Surface Forms

Jack Benny main

Morphology

Jack + Benny

This is a proper name referring to a specific historical comedian; the referent and biographical meaning (a celebrated U.S. comedian) are not derivable from the constituent words. Knowing the parts 'Jack' and 'Benny' (even if they were common words) would not allow a B1 learner to infer the identity or cultural information, so understanding requires lexical/cultural knowledge rather than compositional inference.

Etymology

The name Jack Benny comes from a famous American comedian who was popular on radio and TV from the 1930s to the 1950s. He used long, silent pauses, a small smile, and jokes about being cheap and playing a bad violin, so his name now brings to mind that quiet, clever kind of comedy.