How did the quote, "It isn't over 'til the fat lady sings," come about?

Question

How did the quote, "It isn't over 'til the fat lady sings," come about?

Answer 1

This expression is usually phrased as "The opera ain't over till the fat lady sings." It got its start as a popular saying when it was used by the San Antonio Express-News sportswriter Dan Cook in 1976 to indicate that a sporting contest wouldn't end until time was called. In using such a colorful metaphor, Cook was assuming that in every opera, a soprano, usually amply proportioned, would sing an aria at the end.

The expression spread when Cook became a television commentator a few years later, and it really took off when he used it during the National Basketball Association play-offs between the San Antonio Spurs and the Washington Bullets. d**k Motta, the Bullets coach, repeated the line himself, cautioning commentators against calling the game prematurely. It became the team's rallying cry.