Fat lady singing ...

[Michael Quinion]

John Baker wrote:

>         Well, here's what I found.  From The Age, 11/23/03:
>
>         <<And further to our Monday items about the origins of "the
>         fat lady sings", reader Ross Chester tells us his grandfather
>         spent time in the US in the 1930-40s and can recall him saying
>         that the term originated in pool halls during the depression
>         years. According to Chester, the black ball was known as "the
>         fat lady" (because the No. 8 on it looked like two fat ladies)
>         and the original saying was that the game "ain't over till the
>         fat lady sinks". Over time, the "sinks" eventually became
>         "sings". Anyone better that? >>

Thanks for finding that, which certainly seems to be the place from
which my correspondent got the reference, since he quotes part of it
virtually verbatim.
--
Michael Quinion
Editor, World Wide Words
E-mail: <editor at worldwidewords.org>
Web: <http://www.worldwidewords.org/>