Dog and pony show was a colloquial term used in the United States in the late 19th and early 20th century to refer to small traveling circuses that toured through small towns and rural areas. The name derives from the typical use of performing dogs and ponies as the main attractions of the events. Performances were typically held in open-air arenas, such as race tracks or municipal parks. The performances were typically held in areas that were too small or remote to attract bigtop performances. In the latter part of the 20th century, the original meaning of the term has largely been lost. Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the... The Big Top of Billy Smarts Circus Cambridge 2004. ... Trinomial name Canis lupus familiaris (Linnaeus, 1758) The dog is a canine mammal of the Order Carnivora. ... A Shetland Pony A pony is a certain kind of small horse. ... The term circus originates from Latin and can mean several things: A public equipped space for shows and other spectacles of the Classical period (e. ...
The term has come to mean any type of presentation or display that is somewhat pathetically contrived or overly intricate.
Also a hardcore band from southern California. They will rip you a new one!
Dog and ponyshow was a colloquial term used in the United States in the late 19th and early 20th century to refer to small traveling circuses that toured through small towns and rural areas.
The name derives from the typical use of performing dogs and ponies as the main attractions of the events.
Performances were typically held in open-air arenas, such as race tracks or municipal parks.
The Gentry operation was bigger than its rivals and around 1894 it had some 40 ponies and 80 dogs in each of two troupes (later it would grow into a full-scale circus).
My reference books suggest that, at least by the 1920s, the term dog-and-pony show had begun to be used dismissively of any small-scale or mom-and-pop operation, in the same way that dog and ponyshows were considered to be cut-down versions of “proper” circuses.
However, the literal term continued in use in parallel with it right through into the 1950s; it was sometimes the name for one part of a larger circus, perhaps designed as a sideshow for the children, who were allowed to ride the ponies and pet the dogs.