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69:. It means that one should not presume to know the outcome of an event which is still in progress. More specifically, the phrase is used when a situation is (or appears to be) nearing its conclusion. It cautions against assuming that the current state of an event is irreversible and clearly determines how or when the event will end. The phrase is most commonly used in association with organized competitions, particularly
169:
Bill vividly remembers the comment and the uproar it caused throughout the press box. He always assumed it was coined on the spot. "Oh, yeah, it was vintage
Carpenter. He was one of the world’s funniest guys," said Bill, a contender for that title
554:
471:
254:, cited in Croatian as "Ball is round" which is often said during football games, meaning that any outcome is possible and there is no predetermined winner of the match.
242:, once cited in English as "Don't say cat if you don't have it in the sack ," is an Italian saying used in informal and funny contexts, popularized by football trainer
161:
tournament finals. "Hey, Ralph," said Bill Morgan, "this... is going to be a tight one after all." "Right", said Ralph, "the opera ain’t over until the fat lady sings."
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200:. Cook used the line to illustrate that while the Spurs had won once, the series was not over yet. Shapiro called this a notable example of misattribution.
234:"The future isn't carved in stone", "nothing is carved in stone" or "it isn't carved in stone" is a phrase meaning that the future can always be changed.
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is about the end of the world (or at least the world of the Norse gods), in a very significant way "it is over when the fat lady sings."
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In the same newspaper on
November 26, 2006, Steve Blow followed up the discovery by contacting Bill Morgan about the incident:
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lady. Her farewell scene lasts almost twenty minutes and leads directly to the finale of the whole Ring Cycle. As
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sports information director Ralph
Carpenter was the picture of professional objectivity when the
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213:, meaning that even if one team is behind, they always have a chance of winning until the third
220:"It ain't over till it's over", a variation of the above phrase popularized by baseball player
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didn't hear a fat lady sing" when the
Rangers continued to play very hard when the
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Blow, Steve (November 26, 2006). "Fat lady first sang in the pages of The News".
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209:"The game isn't over until the final out" is an older aphorism pertaining to
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is another German saying, meaning "Don't praise the day before the evening."
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400:"What's the origin of "the opera ain't over till the fat lady sings?""
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184:. It had previously been attributed to sportswriter and broadcaster
188:, who used the phrase after the first basketball game between the
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231:", a well-known saying which originated in the 16th century.
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The proverb is still used in baseball circles, such as "the
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is a French proverb meaning nothing is over before it is.
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The phrase is generally understood to be a reference to
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sopranos, who were typically heavyset. The imagery of
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273:C'est à la fin du marché qu'on compte les bouses
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262:is a German saying, meaning "Hope dies last".
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174:The 1976 use of the phrase was discovered by
135:The first known use in media appeared in the
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119:, who was traditionally presented as a very
266:Du sollst den Tag nicht vor dem Abend loben
229:Don't count your chickens before they hatch
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239:Non dire gatto se non ce l'hai nel sacco
196:(now the Washington Wizards) during the
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217:of the final inning completes the game.
84:took the lead in their series in 2023.
432:. Yale University Press. p. xix.
145:Despite his obvious allegiance to the
807:It ain't over till the fat lady sings
355:"Today in Sports History: March 10th"
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157:rallied for a 72–72 tie late in the
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398:Adams, Cecil (October 25, 1991).
353:Pincus, David (March 9, 2010).
424:Shapiro, Fred R., ed. (2006).
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294:"didn't hear a fat lady sing"
204:Phrases with similar meanings
872:Cultural depictions of women
306:"Why are opera singers fat?"
833:Hitler: A Film from Germany
428:The Yale Book of Quotations
259:Die Hoffnung stirbt zuletzt
181:The Yale Book of Quotations
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324:"Libretti Götterdämmerung"
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65:which is often used as a
747:Expecting Someone Taller
19:For the Irish band, see
820:Der Ring des Nibelungen
767:(Georg Solti recording)
765:Der Ring des Nibelungen
486:Der Ring des Nibelungen
103:Der Ring des Nibelungen
887:Quotations from sports
740:Der gerettete Alberich
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178:, who published it in
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882:Quotations from music
801:The Perfect Wagnerite
665:Ride of the Valkyries
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385:Dallas Morning News
334:on October 24, 2016
244:Giovanni Trapattoni
141:on March 10, 1976:
138:Dallas Morning News
106:and its last part,
787:What's Opera, Doc?
780:Der Ring in Minden
194:Washington Bullets
59:the fat lady sings
48:It ain't over 'til
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407:. Retrieved
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822:discography
813:Gods of War
719:discography
689:discography
659:discography
647:Die WalkĂĽre
636:discography
584:Poetic Edda
548:Composition
507:Die WalkĂĽre
409:January 30,
368:January 30,
338:January 30,
147:Red Raiders
131:Attribution
856:Categories
591:Prose Edda
532:Characters
366:Retrieved
281:References
222:Yogi Berra
151:Texas Tech
117:BrĂĽnnhilde
88:Definition
40:BrĂĽnnhilde
677:Siegfried
514:Siegfried
827:Tarnhelm
359:SBNation
211:baseball
192:and the
186:Dan Cook
170:himself.
114:valkyrie
37:valkyrie
757:Related
732:Sequels
67:proverb
61:" is a
42:(1876)
35:as the
862:Adages
711:(1876)
681:(1876)
651:(1870)
628:(1869)
615:Cycles
569:Source
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155:Aggies
98:Wagner
71:sports
555:Music
121:buxom
94:opera
55:until
794:Ring
560:Text
434:ISBN
411:2015
370:2015
340:2015
483:'s
215:out
159:SWC
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357:.
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149:,
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52:or
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50:(
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
