Which is right: trooper of trouper? Posted at 7/17/2011 03:57:00 PM 0 comments (+) I was confused a little bit while writing my article about our road trip because I wasn't sure which word to use to describe my son. Is it gonna be trooper or trouper? So I searched the web and this article from Daily Writing Tips made it all clear to me. Here's the explanation:

A trouper is the member of an acting group called a troupe.

The words troop and troupe both entered English from the same French word:

troop: 1540s,”body of soldiers,” from French troupe.
troupe: 1825, “company, band,” from French troupe.

The OED gives these definitions of the colloquial uses:

trooper: A brave or stalwart person.
trouper: A reliable, uncomplaining person; a staunch supporter or colleague.

Bottom line: If the context has to do with courage, trooper is appropriate. If the context has to do with cooperation, dependability, and the show business attitude of “the show must go on,” then trouper is the word to use.