Make a Scene - Theatre Etymology - Part 35

The phrase "make a scene" can be taken literally or figuratively. There are many meanings for both senses. When the phrase is taken literally, a person is literally creating a scene. This might be a picture created on canvas. It might be a picture created on paper or a computer screen. It could be a diorama. It could also be something written in a story (a short story or a novel) or a play that takes place in one setting. That would be a scene.

When taken figuratively, here are some of the meanings that "make a scene" can have:

• To gain unfavorable attention by acting hysterically.
• To have an embarrassing outbreak of a strong feelings such as anger or sadness.
• To have a public outbreak of showing bad manners.
• To make a public disturbance.
• To publicly show a strong emotional display with happiness, excitement, anger, sadness, or other emotions.
• To bring unnecessary attention to oneself through through a public expression of tumultuous emotion.
• To create a loud, typically angry public disturbance, but it can be other strong emotions.

The word make comes from the Middle English word maken or the Old English word macian. These can be compared with the Low German word or the Dutch word maken and the German word machen. The origin of the word scene can be found in the post for Greedy Scene.

Other languages have phrases or words that mean "make a scene." In Australian slang, the word is wobbly or "chuck a wobbly." In French, the phrase is "faire un esclandre" which literally means "to make a scandal" or could mean "to make a stink." In Yiddish, the word shtuss means commotion, so to "make a shtuss" would mean the same as to "make a scene." The Yiddish phrase "Makhen a gevalt" also means to "make a scene" or to "shout for help." In Spanish the phrase that means "make a scene" is "montar un pollo." This literally means "ride a chicken." The phrase came about from the word poyo, meaning a small stone bench found at the entrance to many village houses. This in turn came from the Latin word podium referring to the pedestal used in the nineteenth century by speakers that would speak in the village square. The speeches given to the townspeople were often heated and would frequently result in animated exchanges, thus they caused a scene.

The phrase make a scene has been used to name music albums, songs, books, theatre companies, theatre events, articles, software, theatre and writing workshops, gardening or landscaping companies, wax a warmer for scented waxes and phone apps.

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