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Meanwhile, back at the ranch

Posted by ESC on June 04, 2000

In Reply to: Meanwhile, back at the ranch posted by Valda Lance on June 04, 2000

: I've been trying to find out where the phrase 'Meanwhile back at the ranch' originated. I posted this on a discussion group forum and I've received several theories, ranging from western novels to silent movie captions, but no-one really seems to know the answer. Any suggestions?

: Love

: Valda Lance

The Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins by Robert Hendrickson (Facts on Files, New York, 1997) says: "meanwhile, back at the ranch. An expression that originated as a movie caption in the silent film era at the beginning of the century, these words are used humorously today when someone wants to get back to a story after going off on a tangent."

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