[Vwdiesel] Not over 'till.....

[Mark Shepherd]

Question posed in 2001 on this site:
:http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/7/messages/846.htm
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"Can anyone tell us the origin of this saying?

>From "Random House Dictionary of Popular Proverbs and
Phrases" by Gregory Y. Titelman (Random House, New York,
1996): "The opera ain't over till the fat lady sings. The
outcome of any contest isn't known until the final results
are in. Thus, don't make premature judgments or give up too
soon. Often associated with Wagnerian opera, specifically
Brunhilde's 'Fire Song,' in 'Die Walkure,' and the fact that
Wagner may seem interminable to nonaficionados. Thus one's
impatience would be relieved when 'the fat lady sings.'
Originated in the United States in the 1970s. Bartlett's
'Familiar Quotations' attributes the coinage to San Antonio
TV sports commentator Dan Cook. Ralph Graves claims in the
August 1991 issue of 'Smithsonian' that it has its roots in
Southern proverbial lore: 'Church ain't out till the fat
lady sings. There are still other attributions, but nobody
really knows who coined this popular saying."

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