Merry Andrew
Preserved but no longer current.
A buffoon, jester, or atten- dant on a quack doctor at fairs. Said by Thomas Hearne( 1678- 1735) — with no evidence — to derive from Andrew Boorde (c. 1490- 1549), physician to Henry VIII, who to his vast learning added great eccentricity. Prior has a poem on "Merry Andrew." Andrew is a common name in old plays for a manservant, as Abigail is for a waiting-woman.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Merry Andrew” mean?
A buffoon, jester, or atten- dant on a quack doctor at fairs. Said by Thomas Hearne( 1678- 1735) — with no evidence — to derive from Andrew Boorde (c. 1490- 1549), physician to Henry VIII, who to his vast learning added great eccentricity. Prior has a poem on "Merry Andrew." Andrew is a common name in old plays for a manservant, as Abigail is for a waiting-woman.
Is “Merry Andrew” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.