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Friday, 6 March 2020

Word To Use Today: vaudeville.

What with the virus and the climate I think we all need cheering up, so how about a spot of vaudeville?




Vaudeville was begun, it is said, by Tony Pastor in New York in about 1881 as a clean version of the shows being put on for male audiences in bars. 

It consisted of acrobatics, comedy, songs, dance and novelty acts. The Britain version was called Music Hall.

Vaudeville also described early musical theatre, in the days when the productions were light and funny.


I'm not sure that everyone in the world can produce a readable book, but surely everyone can manage some sort of vaudeville act.

So why not bring a bit of joy to the world?

That's right: don't do it.

Word To Use Today: vaudeville. This word comes from the French vaudevire, which is a satirical folk song. The word is a shortened form of chanson de vau de Vire, song of the valley of the Vire, a part of Normandy where this sort of song is traditional.



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