sad trombone

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English

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Etymology

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From a plaintive trombone (or sometimes trumpet) sting played during game shows to indicate a player losing.

Interjection

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sad trombone

  1. (humorous) Used to indicate failure or disappointment.
    • 2014, Tim McMahan, “All About Survival and Spotify”, in The Reader, 25 December - 31 December 2014, page 11:
      Last week the Wall Street Journal reported LP sales surged 49 percent last year and that factories are struggling to keep pace, but in the end, vinyl sales represent only 2 percent of U.S. music sales (*sad trombone*).
    • 2019 January 31, “Chutes and Ladders: Legislative Bill Edition”, in City Weekly, page 10:
      Any time a player's token lands on the top of a chute, the token must "slide" down to the final square where that chute is pictured (sad trombone).
    • 2019, Jeff Shore, Follow Up and Close the Sale: Make Easy (and Effective) Follow-Up Your Winning Habit, page 5:
      And then you never hear from that person again. (Wah-wah...sad trombone.)
    • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:sad trombone.

Synonyms

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See also

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