www.todayifoundout.com: You might think the expression, “The opera ain’t over until the fat lady sings,” derives from some stereotypical “fat lady” singing to close out operas. In particular, some have theorized that the expression in question derives from the last part of Richard Wagner’s The Ring of the Nibelung (Der Ring des Nibelungen), Twilight of the Gods (Götterdämmerung), where the character of the Valkyrie Brünnhilde is typically played by a rather plump woman who closes out the lengthy opera via a near twenty minute aria. But none of this is correct.
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I recently came across a different article that discussed the evolution of several colloquialisms, and how they have changed or been distorted over time. The phrase "blood is thicker than water", which is commonly interpreted as meaning that familial bonds are stronger than other bonds, is actually, "The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb", implying that chosen relationships are stronger than those "built in" by being related by blood. The changes seen in this phrase over time, similar to those seen in the "fat lady" phrase, provide an excellent way to track the evolution of a language, the use of colloquialisms, and how phrases spread over time, and through particular geographies.
In addition, the particular changes cited in the exploration of this phrases history demonstrate the immense impact media can have on a culture, and a language. Most of the changes to and promotion of this phrase came through sportscasters, demonstrating the public's susceptibility to what is heard from the media.
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