"Corpse" as a verb?

[Tacia]

Ladies and Gentlemen:

In the thread of "Eligible and illegible," Mile Lyle wrote "Well done
for not corpsing.," and Philip Eden replied that "[My coworker] knew
exactly how to make me corpse."

What does "corpse" mean in their words? Is it a British usage?



Best Regards,
Tacia

[Peter Brooks]

Post by Tacia
In the thread of "Eligible and illegible," Mile Lyle wrote "Well done
for not corpsing.," and Philip Eden replied that "[My coworker] knew
exactly how to make me corpse."
What does "corpse" mean in their words? Is it a British usage?

It's theatrical jargon. It means to break out of character and stop
acting properly, possibly by getting a fit of giggles.

[Tacia]

Post by Peter Brooks

Post by Tacia
In the thread of "Eligible and illegible," Mile Lyle wrote "Well done
for not corpsing.," and Philip Eden replied that "[My coworker] knew
exactly how to make me corpse."
What does "corpse" mean in their words? Is it a British usage?

It's theatrical jargon. It means to break out of character and stop
acting properly, possibly by getting a fit of giggles.

Thanks for your swift reply! I got it.


Tacia

[John Dean]

Post by Peter Brooks

Post by Tacia
In the thread of "Eligible and illegible," Mile Lyle wrote "Well done
for not corpsing.," and Philip Eden replied that "[My coworker] knew
exactly how to make me corpse."
What does "corpse" mean in their words? Is it a British usage?

It's theatrical jargon. It means to break out of character and stop
acting properly, possibly by getting a fit of giggles.

OED:

2. Actors' slang. To confuse or 'put out' (an actor) in the performance of
his part; to spoil (a scene or piece of acting) by some blunder.
1873 Slang Dict., Corpse, to stick fast in the dialogue; to confuse or
put out the actors by making a mistake. 1886 Cornh. Mag. Oct. 436 (Farmer)
He [an actor] expressed a hope that Miss Tudor 'wouldn't corpse his business'
over the forge-door again that evening.

APPENDED FROM ADDITIONS 1993

corpse, v. Add: [2.] b. intr. Of an actor: to forget one's lines; = dry v.
2 d; to spoil one's performance by being confused or made to laugh by one's
colleagues.
1874 Hotten Slang Dict., Corpse, to stick fast in the dialogue. 1958
News Chron. 23 May 4/7 There's a new word, too, from drama school. When
anyone forgot their lines in the past they had dried. Today, they have
'corpsed'. 1972 A. Bennett Getting On i. 32 Mrs Brodribb: When Max-. Geoff:
Max (He corpses). Mrs Brodribb: (silencing him with a look)-pauses by your
doorstep he is not just relieving himself. He is leaving a message. 1987
Observer 8 Feb. 11/2 Gambon said his dying line ('Oh, I am slain') in the
mode of a different theatrical grandee every night+-a display of 'suicidal
nerve', all to get his co-actor to corpse in the dark.

In my brief time as a thesp (60s) the term was invariably used of making a
fellow actor laugh inappropriately.

[Ian Jackson]

Post by John Dean

Post by Peter Brooks

Post by Tacia
In the thread of "Eligible and illegible," Mile Lyle wrote "Well done
for not corpsing.," and Philip Eden replied that "[My coworker] knew
exactly how to make me corpse."
What does "corpse" mean in their words? Is it a British usage?

It's theatrical jargon. It means to break out of character and stop
acting properly, possibly by getting a fit of giggles.

2. Actors' slang. To confuse or 'put out' (an actor) in the performance of
his part; to spoil (a scene or piece of acting) by some blunder.
1873 Slang Dict., Corpse, to stick fast in the dialogue; to confuse or
put out the actors by making a mistake. 1886 Cornh. Mag. Oct. 436 (Farmer)
He [an actor] expressed a hope that Miss Tudor 'wouldn't corpse his business'
over the forge-door again that evening.
APPENDED FROM ADDITIONS 1993
corpse, v. Add: [2.] b. intr. Of an actor: to forget one's lines; = dry v.
2 d; to spoil one's performance by being confused or made to laugh by one's
colleagues.
1874 Hotten Slang Dict., Corpse, to stick fast in the dialogue. 1958
News Chron. 23 May 4/7 There's a new word, too, from drama school. When
anyone forgot their lines in the past they had dried. Today, they have
Max (He corpses). Mrs Brodribb: (silencing him with a look)-pauses by your
doorstep he is not just relieving himself. He is leaving a message. 1987
Observer 8 Feb. 11/2 Gambon said his dying line ('Oh, I am slain') in the
mode of a different theatrical grandee every night+-a display of 'suicidal
nerve', all to get his co-actor to corpse in the dark.
In my brief time as a thesp (60s) the term was invariably used of making a
fellow actor laugh inappropriately.

I was just clearing out some of the junk in my computer, and I came
across a clip which I had saved. It is of Charlotte Green (one of the
BBC radio news readers) corpsing while reading a news bulletin. It's
particularly funny as she is usually so 'prim and proper' when she reads
the news.

5BD7F4&index=79>

[Guy Barry]

Post by Ian Jackson
I was just clearing out some of the junk in my computer, and I came
across a clip which I had saved. It is of Charlotte Green (one of the
BBC radio news readers) corpsing while reading a news bulletin. It's
particularly funny as she is usually so 'prim and proper' when she reads
the news.
http://youtu.be/kKBWsy5A2bA
5BD7F4&index=79>

She's well known for getting the giggles on air - it happened once before
when she was reading an item about someone called "Jack Tuat". She'd
frequently corpse when reading the cuttings on The News Quiz, although I
don't think they use her on the programme any more.
--
Guy Barry

[Steve Hayes]

Post by Tacia
In the thread of "Eligible and illegible," Mile Lyle wrote "Well done
for not corpsing.," and Philip Eden replied that "[My coworker] knew
exactly how to make me corpse."
What does "corpse" mean in their words? Is it a British usage?

Broadcasters jargon for having a fit of giggles while on air.

[Athel Cornish-Bowden]

Post by Steve Hayes

Post by Tacia
In the thread of "Eligible and illegible," Mile Lyle wrote "Well done
for not corpsing.," and Philip Eden replied that "[My coworker] knew
exactly how to make me corpse."
What does "corpse" mean in their words? Is it a British usage?

Broadcasters jargon for having a fit of giggles while on air.

Not just broadcasters. It also applies to actors on the stage.

[Mike Lyle]

On Fri, 18 Sep 2009 23:55:55 -0700 (PDT), Tacia

Post by Tacia
In the thread of "Eligible and illegible," Mile Lyle wrote "Well done
for not corpsing.," and Philip Eden replied that "[My coworker] knew
exactly how to make me corpse."
What does "corpse" mean in their words? Is it a British usage?

Broadcasters jargon for having a fit of giggles while on air.

That one when Aggers set Johnners up for a massive corpse during a
cricket commentary used to be very funny, but they now repeat it so
often that it's getting like one of those two once-enjoyable pieces of
music I shall not name for fear of conjuring them up on Radio 3.

[Peter Brooks]

Post by Mike Lyle

On Fri, 18 Sep 2009 23:55:55 -0700 (PDT), Tacia

Post by Tacia
In the thread of "Eligible and illegible," Mile Lyle wrote "Well done
for not corpsing.," and Philip Eden replied that "[My coworker] knew
exactly how to make me corpse."
What does "corpse" mean in their words? Is it a British usage?

Broadcasters jargon for having a fit of giggles while on air.

That one when Aggers set Johnners up for a massive corpse during a
cricket commentary used to be very funny, but they now repeat it so
often that it's getting like one of those two once-enjoyable pieces of
music I shall not name for fear of conjuring them up on Radio 3.

It's a pity that the floodgates are open to any abuse once things are
out of copyright. Hamlet murdered air on a g-string - now there's a
statement open to a few interpretations! Bach's Toccata and Fugue has
suffered badly from over use as well.

[R H Draney]

Post by Peter Brooks
It's a pity that the floodgates are open to any abuse once things are
out of copyright. Hamlet murdered air on a g-string - now there's a
statement open to a few interpretations! Bach's Toccata and Fugue has
suffered badly from over use as well.

Someone I once worked with told me of selecting a piece of music to play when
people visited the website of her client, a real-estate office...she wanted
something soothing and "not too cliched"....

Anybody want to guess whose Canon in D they got?...r

[Jerry Friedman]

Post by Peter Brooks

Post by Mike Lyle

On Fri, 18 Sep 2009 23:55:55 -0700 (PDT), Tacia

Post by Tacia
In the thread of "Eligible and illegible," Mile Lyle wrote "Well done
for not corpsing.," and Philip Eden replied that "[My coworker] knew
exactly how to make me corpse."
What does "corpse" mean in their words? Is it a British usage?

Broadcasters jargon for having a fit of giggles while on air.

That one when Aggers set Johnners up for a massive corpse during a
cricket commentary used to be very funny, but they now repeat it so
often that it's getting like one of those two once-enjoyable pieces of
music I shall not name for fear of conjuring them up on Radio 3.

It's a pity that the floodgates are open to any abuse once things are
out of copyright. Hamlet murdered air on a g-string - now there's a
statement open to a few interpretations! Bach's Toccata and Fugue has
suffered badly from over use as well.

As I learned recently, people have been saying since the '80s that
it's not even by Bach.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toccata_and_Fugue_in_D_minor,_BWV_565

Have I mentioned the lady from China lately?

--
Jerry Friedman

[R H Draney]

Post by Jerry Friedman
As I learned recently, people have been saying since the '80s that
it's not even by Bach.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toccata_and_Fugue_in_D_minor,_BWV_565
Have I mentioned the lady from China lately?

Not this one, I take it:

Depending upon your viewpoint, she's Singaporean, Thai-Chinese, or British....r

[k***@cam.ac.uk]

On Fri, 18 Sep 2009 23:55:55 -0700 (PDT), Tacia

Post by Tacia
In the thread of "Eligible and illegible," Mile Lyle wrote "Well done
for not corpsing.," and Philip Eden replied that "[My coworker] knew
exactly how to make me corpse."
What does "corpse" mean in their words? Is it a British usage?

Broadcasters jargon for having a fit of giggles while on air.

I think it was in use by actors long before broadcasters took to it. It's
also very widely used by musicians, including singers. Singing through an
incipient giggle is tricky - though I suspect that playing the French horn may
be worse. String players and percussionists have it easy in this respect.

Katy

[Peter Duncanson (BrE)]

Post by k***@cam.ac.uk

On Fri, 18 Sep 2009 23:55:55 -0700 (PDT), Tacia

Post by Tacia
In the thread of "Eligible and illegible," Mile Lyle wrote "Well done
for not corpsing.," and Philip Eden replied that "[My coworker] knew
exactly how to make me corpse."
What does "corpse" mean in their words? Is it a British usage?

Broadcasters jargon for having a fit of giggles while on air.

I think it was in use by actors long before broadcasters took to it. It's
also very widely used by musicians, including singers. Singing through an
incipient giggle is tricky - though I suspect that playing the French horn may
be worse. String players and percussionists have it easy in this respect.

OED has it from 1873 in theatrical use. The original meaning seems to be
come from an actor stopping dead from forgetting the lines or being
confused. Corpsing from a fit of giggles came later.

2. Actors' slang. To confuse or ‘put out’ (an actor) in the
performance of his part; to spoil (a scene or piece of acting) by
some blunder.

1873 Slang Dict., Corpse, to stick fast in the dialogue; to confuse
or put out the actors by making a mistake.
....

Add: [2.] b. intr. Of an actor: to forget one's lines; = DRY v.
2 d; to spoil one's performance by being confused or made to laugh
by one's colleagues.

1874 HOTTEN Slang Dict., Corpse, to stick fast in the dialogue.

1958 News Chron. 23 May 4/7 There's a new word, too, from drama
school. When anyone forgot their lines in the past they had dried.
Today, they have ‘corpsed’.
....
1987 Observer 8 Feb. 11/2 Gambon said his dying line (‘Oh, I am
slain’) in the mode of a different theatrical grandee every
night..{em}a display of ‘suicidal nerve’, all to get his co-actor to
corpse in the dark.

[CDB]

Post by Peter Duncanson (BrE)

Post by k***@cam.ac.uk

Post by Steve Hayes

"Well done for not corpsing.," and Philip Eden replied that
"[My coworker] knew exactly how to make me corpse."
What does "corpse" mean in their words? Is it a British usage?

Broadcasters jargon for having a fit of giggles while on air.

I think it was in use by actors long before broadcasters took to
it. It's also very widely used by musicians, including singers.
Singing through an incipient giggle is tricky - though I suspect
that playing the French horn may be worse. String players and
percussionists have it easy in this respect.

OED has it from 1873 in theatrical use. The original meaning seems
to be come from an actor stopping dead from forgetting the lines or
being confused. Corpsing from a fit of giggles came later.
2. Actors' slang. To confuse or 'put out' (an actor) in the
performance of his part; to spoil (a scene or piece of acting) by
some blunder.
1873 Slang Dict., Corpse, to stick fast in the dialogue; to
confuse or put out the actors by making a mistake.
....
Add: [2.] b. intr. Of an actor: to forget one's lines; = DRY
v. 2 d; to spoil one's performance by being confused or made to
laugh by one's colleagues.
1874 HOTTEN Slang Dict., Corpse, to stick fast in the dialogue.
1958 News Chron. 23 May 4/7 There's a new word, too, from drama
school. When anyone forgot their lines in the past they had
dried. Today, they have 'corpsed'.
....
1987 Observer 8 Feb. 11/2 Gambon said his dying line ('Oh, I am
slain') in the mode of a different theatrical grandee every
night..{em}a display of 'suicidal nerve', all to get his
co-actor to corpse in the dark.

Never too late to catch on. In Mary Renault's novel, _The Mask of
Apollo_, the narrator, an actor, tells of his first childhood role, a
minor one in a tragedy, in which he was overcome by the pathos of the
story and almost lost control. He was playing the body of Astyanax in
_The Trojan Women_, and only just avoided (de-)corpsing.

The word was not used in the book, AFAICR, but, from the familiarity
with theatrics that Renault showed in that and other novels, she would
certainly have been familiar with it.

[John Holmes]

Post by k***@cam.ac.uk

On Fri, 18 Sep 2009 23:55:55 -0700 (PDT), Tacia

Post by Tacia
What does "corpse" mean in their words? Is it a British usage?

Broadcasters jargon for having a fit of giggles while on air.

I think it was in use by actors long before broadcasters took to it.
It's also very widely used by musicians, including singers. Singing
through an incipient giggle is tricky - though I suspect that playing
the French horn may be worse.

Or a trombone:
http://is.gd/3wuwM
http://www.themadmusicarchive.com/samples/s/p/Spike_Jones_+_His_City_Slickers_-_The_Jones_Laughing_Record_(Introducing_The_Flight_Of_The_Bumble_Bee).m3u

[Jerry Friedman]

Post by Tacia
In the thread of "Eligible and illegible," Mile Lyle wrote "Well done
for not corpsing.," and Philip Eden replied that "[My coworker] knew
exactly how to make me corpse."
What does "corpse" mean in their words? Is it a British usage?

I've never heard it in America. (Though I must admit I'm not an
actor. I don't even play one on TV.)

(Maybe I should explain that that's a familiar American joke. See

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Young_%28actor%29 )

--
Jerry Friedman

[Mark Brader]

Post by Jerry Friedman

Post by Tacia
In the thread of "Eligible and illegible," Mile Lyle wrote "Well done
for not corpsing.," and Philip Eden replied that "[My coworker] knew
exactly how to make me corpse."
What does "corpse" mean in their words? Is it a British usage?

I've never heard it in America. (Though I must admit I'm not an
actor...)

I hadn't heard it either, but I like it. I've occasionally watched
those shows where they present bloopers from the production of various
TV shows, and a large fraction of these consist of the actor forgetting
his lines and stopping dead. It must be about the most common thing
to go wrong. I don't see why anyone finds it funny, but describing it
as "corpsing" makes perfect sense.