A straight man in comedy set up punchlines for the comic, and acted as a feed. They were not meant to themselves be funny. On stage and television, they were the comic's partner in a double act. According to Teddy Baxter:
[As a straight man] you've got to know when to roll with the punches, and when to hit back.
Steven Taylor was offered 40 shillings a week to act as a straight man alongside Teddy Baxter. He was unfamiliar with the concept, but understood there was a line of demarcation between himself and whoever filled role of comic. Baxter used to be in a double act with Stan. (AUDIO: The Vardan Invasion of Mirth)