2007-11-28 02:36:39 · 5 answers · asked by dxncld 2 in Education & Reference ➔ Words & Wordplay
from over acting
2007-11-28 19:32:35 · answer #1 · answered by Claude D 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Without doing any research, I'd say it comes from when an actor hogs the spotlight on stage.
However, when I looked it up, I picked up a different origin. There are 3 possibilities...here is one of them.
know I read/heard once that Hams were originally called Ham Fatters in Shakespeare's day, and that the phrase referred more to their being less than the best, not supported by the crown, as the King's Players were, and having to use ham fat to mix or remove their makeup
2007-11-28 11:30:37 · answer #2 · answered by frodo 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I can't answer how and when the term ham actor came to be used in respect of bad actors. However, possibly the source could be the word 'ham-handed' which means 'lacking physical movement skills, especially with the hands' or 'bungling'!
2007-11-28 12:50:40 · answer #3 · answered by greenhorn 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
"Ham-bone" was a slang term for a greenhorn or amateur musician. It originated in about 1880. It was abbreviated to
"ham" a few years later in the U.S.
2007-11-28 17:24:52 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ware???
How about bad yahoo spellers?
2007-11-28 10:45:22 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋