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patter song

noun

  1. a comic song depending for its humorous effect on rapid enunciation of the words, occurring most commonly in comic opera and operetta.


patter song

noun

  1. music a humorous song or aria, the text of which consists of rapid strings of words
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Word History and Origins

Origin of patter song1

First recorded in 1815–25
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Example Sentences

The joke-packed patter song, about three infants who are all suspects in the murder of their mother, was a source of narrative tension, since Martin’s character was extremely nervous about performing it in full.

It’s a huge moment in the show and a huge patter song.

Oliver brings in Matthew Broderick, playing himself with exaggerated smarm, who effortlessly breezes through the patter song.

He was completely game to sing this absurd, tongue-twisting, joke-packed patter song about three infants who are all suspects in the murder of their mother — but he hesitated on the line: “Should a baby get fried for matricide?”

For the “Pickwick” patter song, they reached out to Shaiman and Scott Wittman, the theater veterans who musicalized “Hairspray” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” — and who actually gave Pasek and Paul their big break on Season 2 of TV series “Smash” in 2013.

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