phrases, sayings, idioms and expressions at

Trouper/trooper

Posted by ESC on February 24, 2004

In Reply to: Trouper/trooper posted by ESC on February 24, 2004

: : Can anyone clear up a little arguement I'm currently involved in?

: : The phrase involved is "....like a trooper" OR
: : "....like a trouper"

: : Eg, swears like...., plays like...

: : I'm pretty convinced that it's the latter which is correct, as in trouper on the stage, gritty, show must go on etc etc. Anyone shed any light?

: : Cheers..

: From the Associated Press Stylebook:

: troop, troops, troupe -- A TROOP is a group of people or animals. TROOPS means several such groups, particularly groups of soldiers. Use TROUPE only for ensembles of actors, dancers, singers, etc.

: I am going to guess that it's "swear like a trooper" (as in soldier) and "a real trouper" (as in an acting company, the show must go on. Now I am off to check Merriam-Webster.

Merriam-Webster says:

Trouper -- a person who deals with and persists through difficulty or hardship without complaint. You're a real trouper to wait so long.

And I found this book:
Swear Like a Trooper: A Dictionary of Military Terms and Phrases
by Authors: William L. Priest
Released: September, 2000
ISBN: 1883522137
Hardcover

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