Merry Andrews

A group of merry makers and pranksters publicly parading, usually intent on snaring innocent passers by into their web, and not above appearing ridiculous for the enjoyment of all.

The following passage from Isaac D'Israeli (1766-1848) (describing the period around 1230 c.e.) illustrates its use: "In the church of Paris, and in several other cathedrals of the kingdom, was held the Feast of Fools or madmen.

"The priests and clerks assembled elected a pope, an archbishop, or a bishop, conducted them in great pomp to the church, which they entered dancing, masked, and dressed in the apparel of women, animals, and merry-Andrews; sung infamous songs, and converted the altar into a beaufet, where they ate and drank during the celebration of the holy mysteries; played with dice; burned, instead of incense, the leather of their old sandals; ran AbOUT, and leaped from seat to seat, with all the indecent postures with which the merry-Andrews know how to amuse the populace."

In the Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, E. Cobham Brewer (1810–1897) 1 tells us that the term Merry Andrew was "So called from Andrew Borde, physician to Henry VIII., etc. To vast learning he added great eccentricity, and in order to instruct the people used to address them at fairs and other crowded places in a very ad captandum way. Those who imitated his wit and drollery, though they possessed not his genius, were called Merry Andrews, a term now signifying a clown or buffoon. Andrew Borde Latinised his name into Andreas Perfora’tus. (1500–1549.) Prior has a poem on 'Merry Andrew."