simple Simon

simple Simon

A foolish, gullible person; a simpleton. This expression comes from the well-known nursery rhyme “Simple Simon met a pieman going to the fair,” in turn a rhymed version of a tale from an eighteenth-century chapbook. By 1785 Grose’s dictionary defined the term as “a natural, a silly fellow.” James Joyce used it in Ulysses (1922): “I looked so simple in the cradle they christened me simple Simon.” However, it is probably obsolescent.
See also: Simon, simple
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
See also:
  • simp
  • schnook
  • schnuck
  • shnook
  • Monday's child is fair of face
  • McFly
  • sap
  • Tuesday's child is full of grace
  • dorkmeier
  • with bells on
References in periodicals archive
Jack and the Beanstalk at the LBT a proven winner with, from left, Neil Broadbent as Simple Simon, Zoe Clarkson as Jack, |Chris Brearley as Dolly and, below, Chloe Byrnes as Dream-a-Day Jill
Happy Jack a family favourite for laughs
The parable of Simple Simon does not have a happy ending--the boulder kills him in its destructive path--but at his own funeral he sits up, alive and well, only to be told once again he can't do that, it's impossible; so he lies back down and dies.
The kids are not all right: why we must foster positive career identity in our queer youth
Alyssa Martyn plays a traditional thigh-slapping Jack and Craig Hollingsworth captures the audiences' hearts as the endearing Simple Simon who is desperate to become a pop star.
JACK AND THE BEANSTALK Belgrade [...]; REVIEWS
Different types of commercial lyophilized control plasma samples were distributed to the different types of POC INR instruments, TriniCHECK (Trinity Biotech) and OKP (MediRox AB) for Simple Simon, TriniCHECK and Control Plasma AK (Axis-Shield) for Thrombotrack, and UKNEQAS (the United Kingdom National External Quality Assessment Scheme) for Blood Coagulation provided samples for the CoaguChek XS Plus.
External quality assessment of point-of-care methods: model for combined assessment of method bias and single-participant performance by the use of native patient samples and noncommutable control materials
Simple Simon's Perfect Pies was nominated from 9000 entrants for the Great Taste Awards for the National award "Speciality Producer of the Year", the second most prestigious prize in the Great Taste Awards, with the first being Supreme Champion, won by Hannan Meats for exquisite Moyallon Guanciale.
Simple Simon's Perfect Pies triumph
Their publication comes in four parts: a main text, a 'companion study guide' titled Simple Simon, and two software packages: Simon for students, to complete exercises and assignments, and Omnis for instructors, to design assignments, determine their weighting, and generally manage the course.
R. E. Jennings and N A. Friedrich: Proof and Consequence: An Introduction to Classical Logic
Simple Simon (19 letters ADEFGHILMNOPRSTUVWY, using ACEFGILMNOPST) Simple Simon met a pieman, going to the fair.
Half-alphabet nursery rhymes
The Doctor Who star will be swapping time travel for tights as he plays the starring part in Jack and the Beanstalk, which starts on December 16 - and yesterday he was seen with colleagues Andy Jones, who plays Simple Simon, Capital Gold's Tony Wright, alias Dame Trot, and Danielle Corlas, who plays Princess Crumble, outside the New Theatre.
Who star swaps time travel for tights to play panto hero
Prior to joining The Goldstein Group, Glastein worked at Simple Simon Inc., a chain of gourmet food stores, where he served as general manager and vice president of operations.
The Goldstein Group: Ryan Glastein
"Hedy always had a strong commitment to our industry and its image," said Sol Glastein, president of Simple Simon, Inc., a one-store operation in Hackensack, N.J.
Industry remembers Hedy Halpert. (PG People)
Last month she bought FIFTEEN pounds 10.50 tickets to see Morris, 35, play Simple Simon in the panto Babes In The Wood at York's Grand Opera House.
Ex-Bread star makes besotted fan panto!
GLENPOOL J&H Foods, parent company of Simple Simon's Pizza, has opened Simple Simon's Pizza locations in Stroud, Oklahoma, and La Cygne, Kansas.
Simple Simon's opens locations in Kansas and Oklahoma
Philharmonic Hall, Hope Street, January 5 PANTO Jack & The Beanstalk A giant of a panto comes to Liverpool, starring Merseyside's own dancing sensation Shirley Ballas as Mother Nature and by popular demand the return of comic John Evans as Simple Simon.
7DAYS; YOUR SUNDAY ECHO GUIDE TO THE BEST MUSIC, THEATRE, COMEDY & MORE IN THE WEEK AHEAD
After completing a circuit - joined by Sam Glen as Simple Simon and Daniel Mawston who was dressed in a Christmas tree frock as Dame Trott - Denise joked that her hire boots only went forward and backwards.
Stars of panto take to the ice to help launch outdoor rink
When simple Simon is following in Harney's footsteps the waiting lists, like his predecessor, will only get bigger.
Harris won't cure waiting lists scandal