tummler
nounUK /ˈtʊmlə(ɹ)/
Etymology Circa 1930, from Yiddish טומלער (tumler). Related to English tumble, and ultimately from Proto-Germanic *tūmōną (“to turn, rotate”).
1
US An employee, usually male, of a Borscht Belt resort charged with the duty of entertaining guests throughout the day by providing any number of services, from comedian to master of ceremonies.
- Brooks began as a Tummler (master entertainer) at various Catskills resorts, where he honed his skills at telling jokes and doing impersonations.2015, Henry Jenkins, “Mel Brooks, Vulgar Modernism, and Comic Remediation”, in Andrew Horton, Joanna E. Rapf, editors, A Companion to Film Comedy, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN, page 151:
2
A lively, mischievous man.
3
Broadly A person with an official role which involves facilitating social interaction.
- But most of all, we can’t forget why we needed moderators in the first place: They’re our tummlers, helping us have a good time.2020 March, Annalee Newitz, “We Forgot About the Most Important Job on the Internet”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: