1913, "stage assistant," of uncertain origin, perhaps an alteration of student (with the mispronunciation STOO-jent), in sense of "apprentice." Meaning "lackey, person used for another's purpose" first recorded 1937, perhaps influenced by the Three Stooges film comedy act, which had been appearing in movies since 1930, starting as "Ted Healy and His Stooges."
A servile assistant; a mere ?unky or tool: Whenever Gulliver is not acting as a stooge there is a sort of continuity in his character/ his bail-bond stooges (1913+)
verb: We're glad to stooge for him (1939+)