I’m talking about Harvey Korman’s line (paraphrased): “We’ve tried everything to drive the folks out of town, but instead of leaving, they’re staying in droves.”
Is this an improper turn of the phrase “leaving in droves” to make Heddy Lamarr look even more foolish, or can people really stay in droves? I think it’s a joke line, but I’m not sure.
Actually, I don’t think you can stay in droves, since the word is defined as “a moving crowd.” Staying ain’t moving.
Jim: You’ve got to remember that these are just simple farmers. These are people of the land. The common clay of the new West. You know… morons.
Hedley!
A drove by its nature is mobile. “Leaving in droves” makes literal sense; “staying in droves” is a humorous play on the more familiar phrase. It’s a joke line. Some of Mel Brooks’ whimsical word-play.
“They’re staying away in droves” is an ironic idiom describing a lack of participation in a particular event. The irony stems from the fact that lack of attendance is no indication of people acting in concert. A version of this is attributed to Yogi Berra : [paraphrase] “If the fans don’t want to come out to the ballpark, how are you gonna stop them?”
I suspect the line was a riff on the above.
Ditto!
Qadgop Johnson is right!
No one comes to this thread to post anymore; it’s too crowded.
Frank is right about Quadgop being right!
Mimeograph.
Anaamika Johnson is right about Quadgop being right, even if being third-in on an obvious recurring joke is wicked lame!
“Ditto”? “Ditto”, you provincial putz?
[entitled black poster]
Hey…where’re all the white women?
[/ebp]
Lissen, the OP’s been answered, so dad gummit, lets not turn this whole gonsarn thread into a bunch of hornswagglin’ bushwackin’ heap a bishen croaker movie lines.
Oh booooys! Lookie what I got here!
no sidewindin bushwackin, hornswaglin, cracker croaker is gonna rouin me bishen cutter
Now who can argue with that?
Now that’s authentic Old West gibberish!
Harrumph!