stage-door Johnny

[ steyj-dawr, -dohr ]

noun

1. a man who often goes to a theater or waits at a stage door to court an actress.

Word History and Origins

Origin of stage-door Johnny¹

An Americanism dating back to 1910–15

Example Sentences

“I was — what did people of my father’s generation call it, a stage-door Johnny?” he said, recalling when he saw three ballets there a week.

From New York Times

Among the people he met then was a “stage-door Johnny” named Brian Epstein, who also wanted to be an actor but became famous as the manager of the Beatles.

From New York Times

Then Rosemary poured out the classic story of the showgirl and the predatory stage-door Johnny.

From Time Magazine Archive

She killed the stage-door Johnny�he couldn't get through the hundreds of girls outside the stage door .

From Time Magazine Archive

He detested and despised the average stage-door Johnny, and he loathed the type of man who seeks to take young girls out of theatrical companies for their ruin.

From Project Gutenberg