Thursday, March 5, 2015

Ringling Bros. eliminating elephant acts

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/df575148221544f4adaf3bea2adbb635/apnewsbreak-ringling-bros-eliminating-elephant-acts
 
If it does that it will be just a dog and pony show!
 
FYI: "dog and pony show" originally was a slang term for the small circuses that roamed rural America back in the 19th Century. Their major acts being trained dogs and horses, rather than exotic animals. 
 
A: " I went to the circus yesterday"
 
B: "Did you see the elephant?"
 
A: "Naw, it was just a dog and pony show."
 
 As the story goes, a farmer once saw a traveling circus pass by his farm on its way to a nearby town. A neighbor subsequently asked him if he had attended the circus performance. The farmer replied " No, but I seen the elephant!" Implying that he had witnessed the most awe-inspiring feature of the circus anyway. And so the story spread.
 
Consequently during the Civil War, the term "seen the elephant" came to be used as a euphemism for having been in combat, a similarly awe-inspiring experience.  "He looks like he's seen the elephant."
 
Likewise during the 20th Century, the term "dog and pony show" came to be U.S. military slang for an elaborate and pretentious presentation intended to impress visiting dignitaries.
 
Well now you know...

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