Andy Capp is a British comic strip created by cartoonist Reg Smythe, seen in the Daily Mirror and the Sunday Mirror newspapers since 5 August 1957. Originally a single-panel cartoon, it was later expanded to four panels.

The strip is syndicated internationally by Creators Syndicate. The character is also licensed as the mascot for a line of snack foods (Andy Capp's fries).

Andy is a working-class figure who never actually works, living in Hartlepool, a harbour town in County Durham, in North East England. The title of the strip is a pun on the word "handicap"; and the surname Capp signifies how Andy's cap always covered his eyes along with, metaphorically, his vision in life. Handicap racing and handicapping, in sport and games, is part of betting, a favourite activity of Andy Capp.

Andy's hobbies and activities include pigeon racing, darts, snooker (his cue's name is Delilah), playing football (which always involves fights with the other players, and frequently ends with Andy being sent off), occasional cricket and rugby, betting on horses (and usually losing badly), getting drunk in the local pub (often falling into the canal and being fished out by a constable, and usually arriving home late as a result), ending up in the local jail, fishing (and not catching anything bigger than a goldfish), unsuccessfully mooching money from everyone for beer, unsuccessfully flirting with barmaids (also yelling at them when he is not served), attempting to pick up bargirls (and usually being rejected, although sometimes he is actually successful), loafing and napping on the sofa, playing poker (and usually cheating with hidden cards, although plainly seen by the readers), and fighting with his long-suffering wife Florrie (also known as "Flo"), as well as being served burnt food by her.

Andy's iconic checked flat cap is always pulled down over his eyes, even when he is napping or bathing. He is often unshaven, frequently intoxicated (indicated by a prominent red nose and dishevelled clothing), lazy, freeloading, belligerent, and confrontational, but just as frequently lovable (he always refers to Flo as "pet", and will instantly "bop" anyone who dares to be rude to her). Until the 1980s, he was often seen with a cigarette dangling from his lip. When Andy gave up smoking in 1983, some readers blamed political correctness. However, Fergus McKenna, head of syndication at Trinity Mirror which publishes the Daily Mirror, denied that the newspaper had put pressure on Smythe to change Andy's habits, saying: "The truth is that Reg himself gave up smoking and he said there was no way Andy was going to carry on enjoying cigarettes when Reg couldn't". Andy and Florrie now attend marriage counselling.

Andy and Florrie are always on the verge of poverty. Although Flo works regularly as a charwoman, Andy is unemployed and lacks motivation. Rent on their terraced house and its contents is constantly in arrears, and the rent collector, Percy Ritson, despairs of ever being paid. He, as well as several others, always nag Andy to get himself a job, which is usually met with him clobbering them. Twice Andy actually won a legal bet on racing horses at odds of 10 to 1; in one comic as usual Andy goes to the Pub to celebrate, only for Jackie the barman to present Andy with a boxful of unpaid IOUs; another time Andy went to celebrate his winnings unitl he was confronted with his bar tab and £90 total he owes two of his friends . Another Time Andy saw Dennis Donald go to the Rose and Crown Pub; Andy decides to go to the Pig and Whistle Pub because he cant stand listening to Donald talk of stamp collecting-in fact Donald has come into a big inheritance and decides to celebrate by buying everyone a round all evening.Once when Andy met a friend called Charlie going into a pub Andy tried to trick him into buying a free Pint because he has a "raging thirst"; His friend gives Andy some Bottled waterOnce when an Ethnic Irish Pub opened on St Patricks day and all drinks that day were free to ethnic Irishmen Andy introduces himself as Andy O'Capp and his friend as Chalkie O'Wite.

Percy is also always confronting Andy on the way he treats Flo. It's obvious Percy has a crush on Flo and believes he would treat her far better than Andy does. This has led the two men to fight.

Their furniture has been repossessed on several occasions. Somehow they always manage to retrieve it, and Andy is always able to afford beer and gambling money, usually by borrowing from Florrie.