Editing Slapstick (section)

==Origins==
[[File:Bic (instrument).jpg|thumb|A slap stick]]
The name "slapstick" originates from the Italian ''batacchio'' or ''bataccio''—called the "[[Clapper (musical instrument)|slap stick]]" in English—a club-like object composed of two wooden slats used in ''[[commedia dell'arte]]''. When struck, the Batacchio produces a loud smacking noise, though it is only a little force that is transferred from the object to the person being struck. Actors may thus hit one another repeatedly with great audible effect while causing no damage and only very minor, if any, pain.  Along with the inflatable bladder (of which the [[whoopee cushion]] is a modern variant), it was among the earliest [[special effects]].