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."
- Meanwhile, back at the ranch ESC 06/04/00