[Ads-l] "act like you've been someplace before"

[Martin Schneider]

This is my first thread so I hope I'm doing this right. (The first effort
already foundered but I think I have fixed the issue.)

A friend is fond of the trope "Act like you've been someplace before," this
is basically his main rule in life, try not to get caught out looking like
a rube and so forth. It's a good life rule, for sure.

The question is, where does it come from? I have a strong hunch that it
comes from sports, specifically football. In the 1970s or so it became more
common for (usually African-American, or at least so goes the narrative)
athletes to engage in flamboyant post-score celebrations. The "high five"
was invented around this time, as was the general spectacle (no reproach)
of spiking the ball in the end zone or even doing a little dance.

I think there evolved a backlash to this, because anything interesting that
African-American people do requires a protest or backlash in this country,
right? So the trope might have run "Stan Musial / Johnny Unitas / [insert
favored tight-lipped white athlete of yore here] didn't feel the need to do
a dance every time they did something......" grumble, grumble, let's ban
fun. Act like you've been someplace before.

But who knows, maybe it comes from the military. Maybe it comes from the
world of commerce and board rooms! Anybody know?

I'd appreciate seeing the fruits of your researches.

Thanks,
Martin

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