'Master of the Malaprop' Norm Crosby dies at 93

Veteran American comedian Norm Crosby has died at the age of 93.

The garrulous comedian, dubbed the 'Master of the Malaprop' for the way he mangled his attempts at high-falutin language, suffered a heart attack in Los Angeles.

Stand-up Norm Macdonald borrowed his style to pay tribute, tweeting: ‘I like to remember Norm Crosby back at the pinochle of his career, before he got old and came down with a touch of gregarious reluctance. His primary position subscribed the wrong stuff and he ended up on the sturgeon's table where he peacefully aspired.’

Crosby started his career in his native Boston before landing an 18-week residency at New York nightclub Latin Quarter in the 1960s, where he was spotted.

He started touring as a support act - including for Tom Jones - before becoming a headliner and a familiar face on TV variety shpws.

From 1978 to 1981, he hosted The Comedy Shop, a US TVshowcase for young stand-ups, and played a version of himself in the 1980s Showtime sitcom The Boys, about a club that closely resembled Manhattan comics’ hangout the Friars Club, famous for its roasts.

Crosby leaves a wife Joan, whom he married in 1966, and two children.

Published: 9 Nov 2020