ProbableNamed from the place
goodnight Vienna
noun · first attested 20th century
British slang for total defeat, lifted from a cheerful 1932 musical about Vienna.
British slang for a sudden and final ending, as in it's goodnight Vienna.
Record
- Relationship
- Named from the place
- Confidence
- ProbableThe conventional story is likely, with caveats.
- Attested
- 20th century
- Part of speech
- noun
Explanations here are written for this atlas. Dictionary text is not copied; the sources are linked so the claim can be checked.
- Step 1
Vienna
- In English
goodnight Vienna
The phrase is usually traced to Goodnight Vienna, a 1932 British musical film and its title song, which were popular enough for the words to float free of them. Vienna contributes nothing but the title; the sense of finality is entirely English, and the phrase is a favorite of football commentators.
Also pinned to Vienna
4 more from the same place
Austria
All 11 entries 6 more words from Austria
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