peanut gallery
people who have the cheapest seats in a theatre
TRANSLATION
peanut gallery = die billigen Plätze peanut gallery (fig.) = Leute, deren Meinungen wenig ernst genommen wird --- GOOGLE INDEX peanut gallery: approximately 2,000,000 Google hits
STATISTICS
IN THE PRESS
If there's a universal truth of presidential races, it's that candidates have to deal with hecklers. And as the gallery below demonstrates, the 2012 race has already seen plenty of them — including everything from shouters in the PEANUT GALLERY to sign-bearing protesters.
(National Journal)
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Although all the blog posts are online, with an opportunity for comment from the public, the staff works diligently to closely moderate what can sometimes be a cruel PEANUT GALLERY.
(naplesnews.com, Naples, Florida)
(National Journal)
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Although all the blog posts are online, with an opportunity for comment from the public, the staff works diligently to closely moderate what can sometimes be a cruel PEANUT GALLERY.
(naplesnews.com, Naples, Florida)
Did you
know?
peanut gallery
noun phrase, slang
- a group of people whose opinions are considered unimportant
(American Heritage Dictionary)
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The expression "peanut gallery" is American in origin and goes back to the late 19th century. During this time, the peanut gallery was the topmost section of seats in a theatre. Because they were the furthest from the stage or screen, these seats were the cheapest ones available. And because they were the cheapest, they were usually occupied by the "less cultured" part of society.
Instead of politely sitting in their seats, the peanut gallery was prone to chattering, bickering and generally acting boorish. They were particularly lively in old American vaudeville (variety show) theatres and were known to throw objects and hurl insults at the performers. In the end, it was all in the name of good fun.
The figurative sense of peanut gallery - a group of people whose opinions are considered irrelevant - derives from the original sense. Since the upper class in the front rows looked down upon the peanut gallery with disdain and tried to ignore them, the expression took on the meaning of people whose opinions are not taken very seriously.
The British, being an optimistic lot, refer to the peanut gallery as "the gods" because these same seats were (and still are in some cases) located very high up, near heaven so to speak, and close to the paintings of mythical creatures and gods on the ceiling (at least in the days when theatres were works of art in and of themselves).
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SYNONYMS
cheap seats, the gods, upper balcony
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SMUGGLE OWAD into today's conversation
"His speech was interrupted by loud talking from the peanut gallery."
noun phrase, slang
- a group of people whose opinions are considered unimportant
(American Heritage Dictionary)
---
The expression "peanut gallery" is American in origin and goes back to the late 19th century. During this time, the peanut gallery was the topmost section of seats in a theatre. Because they were the furthest from the stage or screen, these seats were the cheapest ones available. And because they were the cheapest, they were usually occupied by the "less cultured" part of society.
Instead of politely sitting in their seats, the peanut gallery was prone to chattering, bickering and generally acting boorish. They were particularly lively in old American vaudeville (variety show) theatres and were known to throw objects and hurl insults at the performers. In the end, it was all in the name of good fun.
The figurative sense of peanut gallery - a group of people whose opinions are considered irrelevant - derives from the original sense. Since the upper class in the front rows looked down upon the peanut gallery with disdain and tried to ignore them, the expression took on the meaning of people whose opinions are not taken very seriously.
The British, being an optimistic lot, refer to the peanut gallery as "the gods" because these same seats were (and still are in some cases) located very high up, near heaven so to speak, and close to the paintings of mythical creatures and gods on the ceiling (at least in the days when theatres were works of art in and of themselves).
---
SYNONYMS
cheap seats, the gods, upper balcony
---
SMUGGLE OWAD into today's conversation
"His speech was interrupted by loud talking from the peanut gallery."
