sidekick
noun/ˈsaɪdkɪk/
Etymology From side + kick, which in the late 19th and early 20th century was a slang term for the front side pocket of a pair of trousers, known as the pocket safest from theft. Thus, by analogy, a "side-kick" was a person's closest companion.
1
Informal An assistant to another person, especially to a superior or more important person.
- In the abstract, Stuhlbarg’s twinkly-eyed sidekick suggests Joe Pesci in Lethal Weapon 2 by way of late-period Robin Williams with an alien twist, but Stuhlbarg makes a character that easily could have come across as precious into a surprisingly palatable, even charming man.2012 May 24, Nathan Rabin, “Film: Reviews: Men In Black 3”, in The Onion AV Club:
- If representation and recruitment is an objective, self-styled mavericks like Kelly and his Queensland sidekick George Christensen have some utility.2021 February 2, Katharine Murphy, The Guardian:
1 more example
- Elon Musk, Mr. Trump’s new sidekick, shared on his social media platform X an NBC News video of Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman, who suggested the Gaetz pick was a strategic move to upset Democrats.2024 November 14, Linda Feldmann, Henry Gass, “Trump’s eye-popping Cabinet picks show his top priority: Loyalty”, in The Christian Science Monitor:
2
Authorship, Broadcasting, Communications, Film, Journalism, Literature, Media, Publishing, Television, Writing Figuratively In literature, theatre, etc., a good foil of the protagonist, a character who helps emphasize the traits of the main character.
- So even though he had – no question – the best lines in Friends, he was never what he would have been in an earlier era: the sidekick.2023 October 29, Zoe Williams, “‘An ironic, self-deprecating metrosexual’: how Matthew Perry captured the spirit of the age”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
- Synonyms
- acolyte, deuteragonist, pupil, wingman
- Antonyms
- mentor