Mutt and Jeff

American  

noun

1. a very short and a very tall person who are paired as companions, teammates, or associates.

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Etymology

Origin of Mutt and Jeff

First recorded in 1915–20; after the characters in a cartoon strip of the same name created by U.S. cartoonist Harry C. “Bud” Fisher (1885–1954)

Example Sentences

They’re a regular Mutt and Jeff duo, except that they’re not funny or charismatic or much of anything at all.

From New York Times • Feb. 2, 2017

They make a great Mutt and Jeff team: Grady tall and pale and measuring his words, Esposito short and deeply tan and antic.

From Slate • Jul. 24, 2015

The artist explained that the name alludes in part to "Mutt and Jeff," the first daily newspaper comic strip, created by Bud Fisher in 1907.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 16, 2015

It is also said to be a reference to the daily comic strip Mutt and Jeff, which had first been published in the San Francisco Chronicle in 1907 with just a single character, A Mutt.

From The Guardian • Aug. 24, 2012

Besides, our famous shadows, Mutt and Jeff, were parked across the street, faithful as hound dogs in their vigilance.

From "Warriors Don't Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High" by Melba Pattillo Beals