The Saying....?

Question

What does the saying; "It's not over till the fat lady sings" mean?

Answer 1

I guess the worst is yet to come.........

Answer 2

well i do not no the history behind it but ppl say it as they are waiting for a certain thing to happen (depending on the situation) befor they consider the event over... an example may be, .. d**n cant think of one sorry, try wikipedia

Answer 3

I have no idea!

Answer 4

It's  an  opera  reference  to  the  performance  being  over  when  the  lady  sings  .  .  .

And  when  used  correctly ,  means   there  is  still  someone  in  an  event   that  has  a  significant  part   to  play for  example ,

You   are  building  a  home  and  need  the  planning  dept   approval .

Many   people  my  like  it  but  you  can't  build  until  the  appropriate  honcho  signs  off  on  the  plans .

The   approval  guy  in  this  case  would  be  the  'fat lady singing' .

>

Answer 5

It's not over until you say it's over.

Answer 6

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.

Answer 7

At the end of a famous Opera (can't remember the name) there would be a fat woman who sang the last act. Hence, it's not over till the fat lady sings came about.

Answer 8

Your friend is saying "It's not over until something else happens" or "there's still a chance".

The saying comes from the fact that in old operas, a large woman would often end the display with one last song.

Answer 9

It refers to the idea that operas are not usually over until the lead female sings her final aria.  Many years ago lead females in operas were usually fat.  so . . . . .

The saying, "its not over until the fat lady sings" is referring to this idea about opera and applying it to other situations.

Answer 10

This quote comes from the opera.  In most operas, the lead female singer is a 'fat lady' and the last aria or solo song is done by the lead singer, so the opera isn't over until ... and you must know that even to opera lovers, sometimes they seem to go on forever and ever, so it's a 'big deal' when the fat lady sings!

Answer 11

it means that one shouldn't assume the outcome of some activity (frequently a sports game) until it has actually finished.

Answer 12

Many operas end with a solo performance by a female opera singer, often large women - I suppose their size helps their vocal projection. So when the "fat" lady sings after 2 hours or so of an opera, that's a hint that the opera is in fact over.

Calling them the "fat lady" is cruel, but that's what the expression is all about.