Comments on: Roll Up! http://www.word-detective.com/2007/03/01/roll-up/ Semper Ubi Sub Ubi Sun, 12 Feb 2012 00:19:18 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: dgbee http://www.word-detective.com/2007/03/01/roll-up/comment-page-1/#comment-29673 dgbee Tue, 27 Dec 2011 20:28:37 +0000 http://word-detective.com/wordpress/?p=34#comment-29673 It seems entirely British. Americans would say "Step right up" as a carnival barker might. The Beatles use is familiar to our generation and seems to imply a mix of both carnival barker inference and vehicular arrival, which one, I cannot tell for certain, but the former seems more likely in the sense of gathering together. It seems entirely British. Americans would say “Step right up” as a carnival barker might. The Beatles use is familiar to our generation and seems to imply a mix of both carnival barker inference and vehicular arrival, which one, I cannot tell for certain, but the former seems more likely in the sense of gathering together.

]]> By: limerick http://www.word-detective.com/2007/03/01/roll-up/comment-page-1/#comment-30 limerick Tue, 27 Mar 2007 18:40:39 +0000 http://word-detective.com/wordpress/?p=34#comment-30 I've also seen the word used in a military sense, as in, "roll up the enemy line." Don't know a date for first such usage, but have a sense it was connected with cavalry troops. I’ve also seen the word used in a military sense, as in, “roll up the enemy line.” Don’t know a date for first such usage, but have a sense it was connected with cavalry troops.

]]> By: kenji_yuda http://www.word-detective.com/2007/03/01/roll-up/comment-page-1/#comment-14 kenji_yuda Thu, 08 Mar 2007 01:24:49 +0000 http://word-detective.com/wordpress/?p=34#comment-14 Dear Word Detective, I might be completely wrong, but I thought "Roll Up! Roll Up!" meant "Roll up the curtain," or "Let's start the show!" Doesn't it relate the stage curtain in the theater? I know the thick stage curtain is obsolete in most of the theaters, but I'm still doubtful about the origin of its usage. . . . Dear Word Detective,

I might be completely wrong, but I thought “Roll Up! Roll Up!” meant “Roll up the curtain,” or “Let’s start the show!”
Doesn’t it relate the stage curtain in the theater? I know the thick stage curtain is obsolete in most of the theaters, but I’m still doubtful about the origin of its usage. . . .

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