Relating to or resembling a puppet show or the puppets used in fantoccini performances.
Derived from 'fantoccini,' with the suffix '-ine' meaning 'of or relating to.' This adjectival form emerged in English theater criticism in the 18th and 19th centuries to describe puppet-like movements or artificial performances.
Theater critics used 'fantocine' as a cutting insult—calling an actor's movements 'fantocine' meant they were as stiff and unconvincing as wooden puppets, comparing bad acting to mechanical dolls.
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