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  1. Where did the expression 'playing the world's smallest violin' come from?

    Here's a 1964 reference to the world's smallest violin in Travel magazine: RIPLEY GOES TO CANADA New Ripley's Believe It Or Not Museum in Niagara Falls, Ont., is located on Clifton Hill, boasts …

  2. A word for fake sympathy? - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange

    Jul 10, 2015 · A common two-word phrase for this concept is " mock sympathy ", which often goes along with the phrase or hand gesture of "playing the world's smallest violin." For single words, the only …

  3. single word requests - Generic form of "first world problems" - English ...

    May 3, 2015 · World's Smallest Violin (also called "How Sad" or "World's Smallest Violin Playing Hearts and Flowers") is made by rubbing the thumb and forefinger together, to imitate bowing a violin. This …

  4. meaning - Idioms similar to "crocodile tears" - English Language ...

    Nov 6, 2015 · Victim: "No. What?" You: "It's the world's smallest violin playing just for you." Explanation Violin music is often the musical score accompanying sad scenes in movies when the audience is …

  5. etymology - "Make it so!" - where does it come from, how does it "feel ...

    Apr 22, 2013 · The catchphrase from Star Trek captain Jean-Luc Picard "Make it so!" was first used in "Encounter At Farpoint" (28 September 1987) and thereafter in many episodes and films, instructing …

  6. Newest 'catch-phrases' Questions - English Language & Usage Stack …

    Aug 14, 2025 · Where did the expression 'playing the world's smallest violin' come from? Where did the expression 'playing the world's smallest violin' come from?