Re: OFFTOPIC: show stopper

John Robinson (john@intelligent.co.uk)
Mon, 15 Dec 1997 19:28:50 GMT

Martin von Loewis writes ("OFFTOPIC: show stopper"):
> > One silly linguistic question: what is "show stopper"
> > in plain... mmm... English ? :-) :-)
>
> According to my Webster's
>
> show-stop-per \-,sta^:p-er\ n (1946)
^^^^
> 1 : an act, song, or performer that wins applause so prolonged as
> to interrupt a performance

Of course, in our increasingly cynical modern society, the sense is
now (generally) reversed, i.e. an act etc. that is so bad that the
show must be stopped.

Like my ASCII art, I guess.

John. _ _
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