The phrases nosebleed section and nosebleed seats are applied tongue-in-cheek to those seats of a public arena, usually an athletic stadium or gymnasium, that are highest and, usually, farthest from the desired activity. A common reference to having seats at the upper tiers of a stadium is "sitting in the nosebleed section" or "nosebleed seats". At the Brooklyn Academy of Music's Harvey Lichtenstein Theater, the Gallery section is known locally as "nosebleed central". The reference alludes to the propensity for nasal hemorrhage at high altitudes, usually owing to lower barometric pressure. Show At the opposite extreme, the "nosebleed section" in a club refers to the very front of the venue, the most active part of the mosh pit, where accidental collisions can make nosebleeds common. It is used in this sense in the popular Hilltop Hoods song, "The Nosebleed Section". See also
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A common tongue-in-cheek reference to having seats at the upper tiers of a stadium is “sitting in the nosebleed section,” or “nosebleed seats.” The reference alludes to the tendency for mountain climbers to suffer nosebleeds at high altitudes. … Are nosebleed seats good or bad? Nosebleed seats are fine but don’t expect to grab any of the free t-shirts shot from the cannons. You just need someone who can catch you when you dive for ’em. What is the nosebleed section at a concert? the nosebleed section. A seating area very high up in a stadium or theater, as for a sporting event, musical performance, play, etc., which typically costs less money but has a restricted view. Why do you get nosebleeds at high altitudes?Nosebleeds can be caused by being up in a very high altitude. As you climb higher, the amount of oxygen in the air decreases. This makes the air thinner and dryer, which can in turn cause the inside of your nose to crack and bleed. What are the seats in a Theatre called? Balconies or galleries: one or more raised seating platforms towards the rear of the auditorium. In larger theaters, multiple levels are stacked vertically above or behind the stalls. The first level is usually called the dress circle or grand circle. The next level may be the loge, from the French version of loggia. What letter do Theatres skip and why? They said, while also pointing out that it isn’t just row “I” that is missing but also, row “O”. The obvious reason for this was because [letter] “O” resembles the [number] 0, which ends up creating a lot of confusion amongst the ushers and audience members. How many seats does a cinema have?In general one medium or large auditorium seating at least 150 people is required. A more typical capacity is around 200-230 seats. What is PVR recliner seat? The Verona’s electrically recline with one motor operating the foot and backrest and an electrically operated headrest. PVR also wished to include front-row recliners in the form of the Premium Lux lounger. This seat is primarily for the front row of the screens. How many Broadway Theatres are actually on Broadway Street? 41 What are the 5 longest-running shows on Broadway?List
What day is dark on Broadway? Monday Related
A seat very high up in a stadium or theater, as for a sporting event, musical performance, play, etc., which typically costs less money but has a restricted view. "Nosebleed" refers jocularly to the effects of extremely high altitudes on the body, which can often cause nasal hemorrhaging, among other symptoms. I wish you wouldn't be so stingy when you're buying tickets. I'm sick of watching football games in the nosebleed seats! I waited too long to get tickets to the concert, so all that was left was a nosebleed seat way in the back. See also: nosebleed, seat Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2022 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved. n. seats high up in an arena, theater, or opera house. We could only afford the nosebleed seats for the opera. See also: nosebleed, seat McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Want to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, or visit the webmaster's page for free fun content. Link to this page: <a href="https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/nosebleed+seats">nosebleed seats</a>
As an undergraduate, I was taught from the perspective of a spectator in the nosebleed seats watching the economic action unfold below. In a (https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/5893751/billy-joel-exclusive-backstage-cover-story-interview-qa-madison-square-garden/) 2014 Billboard interview , Joel revealed he reserves the first two rows of his shows for fans with nosebleed seats. Sources close to the singer told Gossip Cop Joel has "never banned Matt from attending any of his concerts." Before he was on set with Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman or developing landmark TV shows like The Odd Couple and Happy Days, Garry Marshall was just a kid sitting in the nosebleed seats falling in love with the theatre. So what's up with the $720 front-row seats, $400 first-tier seats and $100 nosebleed seats for the July 31 Carlos Santana/Rod Stewart gig at Matthew Knight Arena? Texans have become accustomed to occupying the nosebleed seats at the Democratic National Convention, extras in a production that favors states that are solidly blue or liable to swing that way. Sitting in nosebleed seats as a boy, he was dazzled by Patti LuPone vamping through the opening number I Get a Kick Out of You in Anything Goes for Lincoln Centre Theatre; he then promptly fell asleep. Johnston summarises: "Dolly's voice has to be pristine from the front row to the nosebleed seats. This is one of the only rigs that I feel is up to that task."
Merriam-Webster's Eleventh Collegiate Dictionary (2003) has this entry for nosebleed as an adjective:
The two earlier answers to the posted question make clear the physiological connection between nosebleeds and high altitude—and the hyperbolic association between (for example) inexpensive seats in the upper reaches of a sports stadium, theater, or other venue and heightened risk of incurring a nosebleed. Since the posted question asks specifically about the origin of nosebleed used in this sense. I checked to see whether any instances of this usage occurred in print before 1978. The answer is yes: published instances go back at least to 1974. From Betty Cuniberti, "Baseball Comes Out of Hibernation," in the San Bernardino [California] Sun-Telegram (March 30, 1974):
This instance of nosebleed as an adjective makes the same exaggeration-based joke that is implicit in the Eleventh Collegiate's definition—and therefore perfectly anticipates subsequent usage. Also, from Ramon Cooklis, "Fun and Games (also Music) at Hollywood Bowl," again in the San Bernardino [California] Sun-Telegram (September 2, 1978):
Evidently, an area of inexpensive, far-from-the-action seats in the Hollywood Bowl was popularly known as "Nosebleed Alley" by 1978, suggesting that the joke about "nosebleed seats" was already widely known at that date. Such informal names are fairly common in connection with performance arenas. For example, Charter Hill, which overlooks the University of California's football stadium in Berkeley, California, has for decades be known as Tightwad Hill because people who climb it on a game day can then watch the game for free. Update (November 1, 2020): A further review of the Elephind newspaper database turns up a slightly earlier (hyphenated) instance of nosebleed in the relevant sense. From "Opening Night At The Garden: Ernie In The Land Of The Giants," in the [Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts] [Boston College] Heights (October 15, 1973):
Even in this very early instance, the sense of the exaggerated expression is already fully formed: the seats in question are so high up in the arena that people sitting there are susceptible to nosebleeds. In this particular instance, the notion is that the Paul Westphal (the defender) responded to a fake by Ernie DiGregorio (the player dribbling the basketball) by moving so far out of position that he wound up in the upper part of the arena seating. And from Ryan Reese, "Are Dodger Fans Really the Best?" in the San Bernardino [California] Sun (June 14, 1974):
These various early instances suggest that the expression "nosebleed seats" became popular in connection with seating in sports arenas and stadiums, rather than in theaters. Of course, the first confirmed instance of its use is subject to change as earlier examples come to light—and it is not impossible that an instance involving theatre seating may emerge that antedates the ones from the sporting world. |