| \PRAT-fawl\ | noun
1. a fall in which one lands on the buttocks, often regarded as comical or humiliating.
2. a humiliating blunder or defeat. | | Quotes | Jerry Lewis, one of the most brilliant physical comedians, built his persona on deep sympathy for the sufferer of pratfalls, but he has paid a terrible price for the ones he took.
-- Richard Brody, "The Demise of Physical Comedy," The New Yorker, June 28, 2013 | | Origin | | Pratfall entered English in the 1930s. It combines prat and fall. The origin of prat is unknown. Fall comes from the Old English feallan. | |
