Date:    Fri, 29 May 1998 08:44:21 EDT
<br>From:    "Barry A. Popik" <Bapopik[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]AOL.COM>
<br>Subject: Big/Small Time; Ad Lib; Hokum; Showstopper; Apache Dance; Flop; Turkey
<br>
<br>GREAT TRAGEDY
<br>
<br>     Two people have been quoted today as saying the Phil Hartman death was a
<br>"great tragedy."
<br>     HAMLET is a great tragedy.  This "great" confusion has often led to the
<br>stupid "the Great Depression was not-so-great."
<br>
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<br>BIG/SMALL TIME
<br>
<br>     I decided to check VARIETY again for "big time" and "small time."  Both
<br>pre-date "Jolo's" vaudeville reviews in the paper.  I did this subject years
<br>ago and have the papers somewhere.
<br>     "Small time" shows up first, with "big time" following later (like a
<br>"one-piece bathing suit" or a "day baseball game").  This is from VARIETY, 27
<br>February 1909, pg. 17, cols. 2-3:
<br>
<br>     In the reviews in this Department hereafter, the opinion expressed as to
<br>the class or possibility of an act will relate strictly to the house and grade
<br>of vaudeville the act reviewed is then appearing in.  "Smaller time" will not
<br>hereafter be employed in the sense it formerly has been, before the
<br>introduction of the "combination, " "popular" or "10-20" (cents) vaudeville.
<br>
<br>     In an April 3, 1909, pg. 5 cartoon, "An Artist" asks "Which one of you
<br>gentlemen can give me the right time?"  One agent has "Morris Time" and the
<br>other has "United Time."  On August 7, 1909, pg. 35, VARIETY stated that its
<br>motto was "All the News All the Time."
<br>     "Big-time" is in June 5, 1909, pg. 7, col. 3, and "big-small time" is in
<br>August 14, 1909, pg. 8, col. 1.  RHHDAS has "big time" in VARIETY from August
<br>1910.  "Small-time" (with hyphen) is in July 3, 1909, pg. 4, col. 1, and
<br>"small time" (without hyphen) is in the same issue, pg. 5, col. 4.  "Small
<br>time" is also in May 15, 1909, pg. 12, col. 3, but even earlier is "small
<br>house,:" February 27, 1909, pg. 4, col. 2.
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<br>AD LIB
<br>
<br>     The OED has 1919 and the RHHDAS has 1925.  VARIETY, June 5, 1909, pg. 15,
<br>col. 4:
<br>
<br>     Such parts of the Amsterdam serial show as are not filled with girls and
<br>music are taken up with the exploitation of what is known as "comedy bits" or
<br>"ad lib. business," an institution capable of unlimited abuse.  For instance,
<br>when something has to be done with a painful pause between two incidents that
<br>have a more or less pertinent bearing on the piece or two numbers, one of the
<br>comedians ambles forth and "cuts up" for no earthly reason except the apparent
<br>one that the stage cannot be left unoccupied.
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<br>HOKUM
<br>
<br>     The RHHDAS has 1908, but this fine explanation is from VARIETY, May 8,
<br>1909, pg. 9, col. 2:
<br>
<br>May 3rd.
<br>Editor VARIETY:
<br>     Last week my partner, Jim Wible, and I had a friendly argument over a
<br>word that is used theatrically when speaking of material that is sold.
<br>     I say the word is "hocum."  He says it is "oakum," basing his claim on
<br>the fact that he has on different occasions read in VARIETY the word "oakum,"
<br>used by critics in their reviews.
<br>     I myself have read the same in VARIETY, but I think the critics are wrong
<br>the same as Mr. Wible.  I have heard old timers for years back speak of stuff,
<br>and comedians as being "hocum," also "hoecake."  (RHHDAS no entry)  I would
<br>like your opinion through your columns;  also would like the opinion of
<br>artists who have been in the business a few years, if the word is "hocum" or
<br>"oakum."
<br>     _Bert Somers_,
<br>       (Of Somers and Wible)
<br>     ("Oakum" is the correct term.  It may be pronounced and may have been
<br>spelled by some as "ocum."  The nearest approach to "hocum" (there is no word
<br>of that spelling)   may have been suggested through "hocus" or "hocus-pocus,"
<br>referring to sleight-of-hand or juggling.  In the past centuries men of
<br>mystery in foreign lands were wont to bill their entertainment under that
<br>descriptive caption.  Oakum can denote a very coarse rope, twine, flax or
<br>hemp, and a mixture long left alone would be called "oakum."  Its most
<br>generally accepted definition is the refuse of a cordage factory.--Ed
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<br>STOPPING THE SHOW
<br>
<br>     William Safire's assistant discussed "show-stopper" on this list about a
<br>year ago; OED had 1926 for "stopping the show."
<br>     VARIETY, July 17, 1909, pg. 17, col. 2, has "they 'stopped the show,'
<br>receiving five encores and taking twice as many bows."
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<br>BIG NAME
<br>
<br>     This is not in the RHHDAS.  In VARIETY, January 9, 1909, pg. 16, col. 3,
<br>is "there is no 'big name' to draw at the American this week."
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<br>APACHE DANCE
<br>
<br>     OED has 1914 for "Apache Dance."  It's in VARIETY, January 9, 1909, pg.
<br>16, col. 2, as the title for an act.
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<br>PATSY
<br>
<br>     This was discussed here in AMERICAN SPEECH and COMMENTS ON ETYMOLOGY.  A
<br>wonderful cartoon, with "the artist"  getting the "slap stick" from various
<br>interests, is in VARIETY, February 6, 1909. pg. 5.  The Artist wears a cap
<br>that says "THE PATSY." "No matter which way the wind blows I'm always the
<br>patsy," the Artist declares.
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<br>SPEECH!  SPEECH!
<br>
<br>     This is from VARIETY, pg. 10, col. 4:
<br>
<br>     There's no more "knocking them off the seats, "killing 'em dead," "riot,"
<br>"knockout" or "the biggest hit ever."  They are saying nowadays:  "Well, I had
<br>to make a speech, that's how I went."  The "speech" is supposed to cover
<br>everything.
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<br>FLOP
<br>
<br>     RHHDAS has VARIETY 1919 for a show "flop."  I found "flop" a lot in 1909.
<br>The February 27, 1909 VARIETY, pg. 18, col. 2:  "These two featured sketches
<br>'flopping' gave the Lincoln Square bill this week the credit for being about
<br>the worst show seen in New York this season, at a first class house."
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<br>TURKEY
<br>
<br>     "Turkey" was a burleque show, and I suppose by this relation a bad show.
<br>VARIETY, February 20, 1909, pg. 8, col. 4:  "He was formerly the manager of a
<br>regular Wheel organization, but since leaving the circuit, has been
<br>'turkeying' about."  July 24, 1909, pg. 1, col. 3:  "A 'TURKEY' STRANDS.
<br>Toledo, July 22.  It's not so hard stranding in the summer as when the snow is
<br>flickering about.  So one doesn't hear laments arising from Bowling Green, O.,
<br>although a 'turkey' show of 25 people has just flopped over in that town.
<br>There were fourteen girls with the company."  February 13, 1909, pg. 16, col.
<br>3:  "An out-and-out 'turkey' organization, it deserves a prominent place in
<br>thie season's burlesque aviary."
<br>