"Business was so bad they were shooting deer in the balcony" is an old Broadway saying. The actor George Jessel (1898-1981) said this in 1928 to describe the immense proportions of the…
"Booked and blessed" is the dream of every performer. The saying (sometimes as "busy, booked & blessed," "booked, busy & blessed" and other variations) has…
"Booked and blessed" is the dream of every performer. The saying (sometimes as "busy, booked & blessed," "booked, busy & blessed" and other variations) has…
"Can we talk?" was the catchphrase of Brooklyn-born comedian Joan Rivers (1933-2014). The saying meant that she was going to talk frankly, honestly, and, of course, with brutal humor.…
Many people hate mimes. "I just strangled a mime with a cordless phone" was posted on Twitter by Jason Maybe on January 22, 2011. "I just strangled a mime.... With a cordless…
"Car rides by yourself with loud music are good for the soul" (or "Car rides by yourself with loud music are so therapeutic") is a saying that has been printed on many images.…
"Car rides by yourself with loud music are good for the soul" (or "Car rides by yourself with loud music are so therapeutic") is a saying that has been printed on many images.…
"Car rides by yourself with loud music are good for the soul" (or "Car rides by yourself with loud music are so therapeutic") is a saying that has been printed on many images.…
"Chelsea Morning" was written by Joni Mitchell and recorded by Mitchell and (more popularly) Judy Collins in 1969. Today, the song is famous for being the first name of Chelsea Clinton,…
Wiktionary: chew the sceneryEtymologyIts earliest reference is listed in the Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang as being used by Mary Hallock Foote in Coeur D'Alene in…
"Church is never out until they stop singing" is another way of saying "It ain't over 'til it's over." "As long as the organ is playing church is not…
"Cinema," for those who dislike the movies, is a word that combines "sin" and "enema." The book I Lost My Heart in Hollywood: Diary of a Dick (2011) by Will Veharo…
"Clapping is just repeatedly high-fiving yourself over someone else’s achievement" is a saying that has been printed on several images. "Clapping is just highfiving yourself for…
"Clarinet: I wet my reeds with the tears of brass players" is a jocular music saying that has been printed on many images. "I wet my reeds with the tears of brass players" was…
Frank McKinney "Kin" Hubbard (1868-1930) drew the popular newspaper comic strip Abe Martin of Brown County. A strip in July 1923 made a one-line observation about classical music:…
Jazz often involves a lot of improvisation. The term "close enough for jazz" has been cited in print since at least 1937 and reflects the sometimes wild and improvisational nature of jazz…
“Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades” is a saying that has been cited in print since at least 1965. "Dancing" is often added to the expression. "'But you know…
"Comedy doesn't travel well" is an entertainment adage that has been applied to plays, films, television shows and stage performers. Comedy depends on language and culture, and other…
"Comedy is a serious business" has been attributed to the actor David Garrick (1717-1779), but cited in print from only 1894. Garrick allegedly said that tragedy was much easier to play.…
Entry in progress -- B.P. 21 July 1958, Bakersfield (CA) Californian, pg. 21, col. 1:Allen (Comedian Steve Allen -- ed.) also has another formula for laughs: "Tragedy plus time plus the will…