George Burns

9 4.9

An American comedian, actor, and writer with a long career alongside his wife Gracie Allen

proper noun
/dʒɔrdʒ bɜrnz/

: George Burns

Many fans remember George Burns for his partnership with Gracie Allen.

Examples

George Burns was famous for his witty one-liners and impeccable comedic timing.
I watched a classic film featuring George Burns last night.
The old movie featured George Burns in one of his most memorable roles.
George Burns was hilarious!
George Burns was famous for his witty one-liners and impeccable comedic timing.
Many fans remember George Burns for his partnership with Gracie Allen.
The old movie featured George Burns in one of his most memorable roles.

Surface Forms

George Burns main

Morphology

George + Burns

This is a proper name referring to a specific historical person; the meaning (a US comedian/actor) is not compositionally derived from the constituent words. Knowing 'George' as a personal name and 'burns' as a common noun or verb does not allow a B1 learner to infer the referent or biographical information, so the expression is non-compositional for learners.

Etymology

George Burns was a famous American comedian who worked for many years with his wife Gracie Allen and was known for short, clever jokes and a small cigar. That's why his name makes people think of 'old-time comedy' and 'clever one-liners'.