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/prat"fawl'/, n.1. a fall in which one lands on the buttocks, often regarded as comical or humiliating.2. a humiliating blunder or defeat.[1935-40; PRAT + FALL]
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Universalium. 2010.
pratfall
Look at other dictionaries:
pratfall — (n.) 1939, from PRAT (Cf. prat) buttock + FALL (Cf. fall) (n.) … Etymology dictionary
pratfall — ► NOUN informal ▪ a fall on to one s bottom … English terms dictionary
pratfall — ☆ pratfall [prat′fôl΄ ] n. Slang a fall on the buttocks, esp. one for comic effect, as in burlesque … English World dictionary
pratfall — [[t]præ̱tfɔːl[/t]] pratfalls 1) N COUNT If someone takes a pratfall, they make an embarrassing mistake. [mainly AM] They re waiting for the poor little rich girl to take a pratfall. 2) N COUNT A pratfall is a fall onto your bottom. [mainly AM] … English dictionary
pratfall — UK [ˈprætˌfɔːl] / US [ˈprætˌfɔl] noun [countable] Word forms pratfall : singular pratfall plural pratfalls 1) a fall backwards into a sitting position, especially when it is done deliberately to make people laugh 2) an embarrassing failure or… … English dictionary
pratfall — n. a fall on the buttocks; a fall on the buttocks done as part of a comedy act. □ I took a pratfall right on the sidewalk. □ If you want to be in musical comedy, you should learn to take a pratfall … Dictionary of American slang and colloquial expressions
pratfall — 1. noun a) A fall onto the buttocks. The motivational speaker started with a pratfall so he could speak about the importance of getting back up. b) A humiliating mistake. Syn: blunder … Wiktionary
Pratfall effect — The pratfall effect is a psychological phenomenon whereby the attractiveness of a person perceived as competent increases if the person commits a blunder. Conversely, the attractiveness of a person perceived as incompetent decreases if the person … Wikipedia
pratfall — noun Etymology: argot prat buttocks + fall Date: 1930 1. a fall on the buttocks 2. a humiliating mishap or blunder … New Collegiate Dictionary
pratfall — Synonyms and related words: bloomer, blooper, bobble, bonehead play, boner, boo boo, boob stunt, boot, breakdown, collapse, comedown, crash, cropper, culbute, deflation, dive, downfall, dumb trick, fall, flop, fool mistake, foozle, forced landing … Moby Thesaurus
