Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Statuesque Ladies Vocalize

You've been dying to know this:
QUOTATION: The opera ain’t over till the fat lady sings.

Here goes: April 1978. The first basketball playoff game between The San Antonio Spurs and the Washington Bullets. After the game Dan Cook, sports broadcaster and writer for the San Antonio (Texas) Express-News, announced that 'The opera isn't over until the fat lady sings'. Meaning, while the Spurs had won once, the series wasn't over yet. Bullets coach Dick Motta borrowed the phrase later when the Bulls made it to the championships. Then the quote became widely known and was often mistakenly attributed to Motta. He may have been the one who substituted 'ain't' for 'isn't'. Might as well take all the credit.

The Washington Post, June 11, 1978, p. D6. as referenced in:
Source: Respectfully Quoted: A Dictionary of Quotations. 1989. Entry NUMBER: 1817

Photo Source: George Eastman House

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