peanut gallery
noun
Meaning
- In the nineteenth century, the cheap seats at the back of a theatre or in the upper balcony.
- The upper balcony in racially segregated venues such as a theatre to which black patrons were restricted.
- Any source of heckling, unwelcome commentary or criticism, especially from a know-it-all or of an inexpert nature. May also now refer to general audience response: "Let's hear it from the peanut gallery."
Etymology / origin
No prose etymology has been added yet.
No ancestor words have been linked yet.
Related words
Descendant words
No descendant words have been linked yet.