Tiberio "Scaramouch" Fiurelli was an Italian posture-master, a man who performed feats of agility in the 17th century. However, his name became associated with braggarts and fools and men who were valiant by word only. Makes you wonder exactly how good he was at his job, eh?

Those Queen lyrics make so much more sense now.

Scar"a*mouch` (?), n. [F. scaramouche, It.scaramuccio, scaramuccia, originally the name of a celebrated Italian comedian; cf. It. scaramuccia, scaramuccio, F. escarmouche, skirmish. Cf. Skirmish.]

A personage in the old Italian comedy (derived from Spain) characterized by great boastfulness and poltroonery; hence, a person of like characteristics; a buffoon.

 

© Webster 1913.

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