Comments on: Beat the Band

By: Elliot Weiss

Elliot Weiss — Mon, 25 Jun 2018 19:55:53 +0000

In his memoir about the early days of music publishing, “They all sang”, Edward Marks describes singers before the days of microphones who literally had to “beat the band” in order to be heard over the music. The most successful of these iron lung fellows could do over 20 “song plugs” a night at varied establishments including concert saloons and early silent films.

By: Mike

Mike — Thu, 29 Jun 2017 12:07:02 +0000

I prefer “it is raining harder than a cow pissing on a flat rock”

By: Humbler Acts

Humbler Acts — Fri, 25 Jul 2014 07:57:35 +0000

If people once thought of a band as something real special–only heard when something unusual comes–a parade,say… Well… then the phrase could mean that whatever one does is better than that special band.

And further: the bandstand would be where that special
band does its thing. In days before radio and tv, we’re probably talking about something quite exciting.

“Beating the band” would mean greater than that great band.

By: Karen Herman

Karen Herman — Sat, 12 Jul 2014 16:08:42 +0000

I think the expression has been around a long time since I’m 68 years old and have heard it all my life. Usually as “it’s raining to beat the band” or “it’s snowing to beat the band”.

By: Dave

Dave — Wed, 09 Jul 2014 16:30:29 +0000

I always think of “beating the band” as doing something with great vigor and frequency as a conductor beating time to establish tempo for the band.

By: DMc

DMc — Thu, 01 May 2014 02:42:16 +0000

Are you sure it’s not “to beat” in a chronological sense? i.e. “to beat the band” means that you are working furiously so as to complete your task before the band starts playing?

By: Kathy

Kathy — Sat, 04 Jan 2014 20:02:22 +0000

Interesting and well researched. Now, however, I am curious about the origins of “likety split!”

By: MW

MW — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 14:08:45 +0000

This reference appears to be from 1954, not 1854.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 01:27:34 +0000

Saw it in the Great Gatsby. After Myrtle found out that Wilson had borrowed a suit for their wedding she claimed to have “lay down and cried to beat the band all afternoon”.

By: Haymoon

Haymoon — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 10:24:51 +0000

I have heard an addition to the phrase “to beat Banagher” – in Ireland – “Well that beat Banagher, and Banagher beat the devil”
Incidentally the town of Banagher which is supposedly the origin of the phrase is in County Offaly in the Irish midlands. There is another Banagher in County Derry in the north of the country

By: David Evans

David Evans — Sat, 25 Dec 2010 18:13:08 +0000

I found a 1854 use of the phrase “to beat the band” in The Yale Literary Magazine
http://books.google.com/books?id=b1ZOAAAAYAAJ&q=%22to+beat+the+band%22&dq=%22to+beat+the+band%22&hl=en&ei=DTMWTdf6K4us8Abm_JnsBw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCUQ6AEwAA