playing to the gallery

[amit sharma]

Hi,

I just wanted to know what these expressions mean:

Playing to the gallery
and
Tea leaf reading

Pleas elaborate with some e.g.s

Regards,
Amit

[BobK]

Originally Posted by amit sharma

Hi,

I just wanted to know what these expressions mean:

Playing to the gallery: Putting on a show [possibly distracting public attention from the main focus]
and
Tea leaf reading Predicting the future on the basis of the tea leaves left in a cup (but not one made with a tea-bag!)

Pleas elaborate with some e.g.s

Regards,
Amit

Note: 'The gallery' refers to the cheaper seats at the top/back of a theatre. The gallery was informally referred to as 'the gods': 'I went to the Royal Opera House once, but I was right up in the gods and the seat still cost £50.00'.

Examples:

I know I wasn't supposed to be the centre of attention in that scene, but I was playing to the gallery because there were some friends of mine in the audience.

The Village Show had the usual attractions, a band-stand and a display of locally-grown produce. A special guest was Madame Petulengra, who was telling fortunes by reading tea leaves.

b
PS I don't know if 'playing to the gallery' is used in American English. Often a British English idiom is replaced in Am E by a version based on more modern culture/technology. There is the term 'grandstanding', which means much the same as 'playing to the gallery', but doesn't refer to Edwardian theatre architecture!

[Ouisch]

"Playing to the gallery" in AmE when referring to an actor usually indicates that he is overacting or showing off; his speech and gestures are broad enough that they can be seen by the folks in the upper seats.

When a politician "plays to the gallery" it means that he is purposely saying and promising things that ring true to the "common folk," or those who could only afford the cheap (gallery) seats.

And then we have the "peanut gallery," a term which was coined during the days of vaudeville when the folks up in the cheap seats often expressed their displeasure with the act on stage by tossing their snacks (usually roasted peanuts) at them. So today when we don't want to hear criticism about something, we often say "And no remarks from the peanut gallery, please."