Escapologists

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Individuals who specialize in the art of escaping from restraints or confinement
2. Professionals skilled in devising and executing clever escape tricks or stunts
3. People who perform feats of escape as a form of entertainment or challenge, often involving handcuffs or locked boxes

Etymology: Escapologist is a formal coinage with a clear, dated origin: it was built in the early twentieth century from "escape" and the suffix "-logist," the same ending found in words like "biologist" and "psychologist." The "-logist" element comes from Greek "logos," meaning study or discourse, so the literal sense is someone who studies or practises escape. The "-ologist" pattern was a popular way to name specialists in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and the joke of applying it to a stunt performer is part of the appeal. The word is plural here, the form of "escapologist," which refers to people who make a career of freeing themselves from restraints. The occupation itself is far older than the name: the Hungarian-American performer Harry Houdini, who rose to fame in the 1900s and 1910s, is the figure most often associated with the trade, and the term is closely tied to the stage culture around him.

Synonyms: escape artists, magicians