# Blazing Saddles: "They're staying in droves" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 9, 2007, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blazing-saddles-theyre-staying-in-droves/422150 "2007-10-09T23:17:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Pine\_Fresh\_Scent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/43a26b/32.png) [@Pine\_Fresh\_Scent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pine_Fresh_Scent)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2007, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blazing-saddles-theyre-staying-in-droves/422150/1 "2007-10-09T23:17:46Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2007, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blazing-saddles-theyre-staying-in-droves/422150/2 "2007-10-09T23:21:35Z")
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._ ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2007, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blazing-saddles-theyre-staying-in-droves/422150/3 "2007-10-09T23:22:48Z")
Hedley! ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2007, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blazing-saddles-theyre-staying-in-droves/422150/4 "2007-10-09T23:23:38Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Pine\_Fresh\_Scent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/43a26b/32.png) [@Pine\_Fresh\_Scent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pine_Fresh_Scent)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2007, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blazing-saddles-theyre-staying-in-droves/422150/5 "2007-10-09T23:24:21Z")
[QUOTE=Gangster Octopus] Hedley! [/QUOTE] 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2007, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blazing-saddles-theyre-staying-in-droves/422150/6 "2007-10-09T23:26:40Z")
“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. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blazing-saddles-theyre-staying-in-droves/422150/7 "2007-10-10T00:04:13Z")
Ditto! ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blazing-saddles-theyre-staying-in-droves/422150/8 "2007-10-10T00:06:00Z")
[QUOTE=Qadgop the Mercotan] Ditto! [/QUOTE] Qadgop Johnson is right! ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blazing-saddles-theyre-staying-in-droves/422150/9 "2007-10-10T00:08:05Z")
No one comes to this thread to post anymore; it’s too crowded. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blazing-saddles-theyre-staying-in-droves/422150/10 "2007-10-10T00:48:46Z")
[QUOTE=Frank] Qadgop Johnson is right! [/QUOTE] Frank is right about Quadgop being right! ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blazing-saddles-theyre-staying-in-droves/422150/11 "2007-10-10T00:58:01Z")
[QUOTE=Qadgop the Mercotan] Ditto! [/QUOTE] Mimeograph. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blazing-saddles-theyre-staying-in-droves/422150/12 "2007-10-10T00:58:27Z")
[QUOTE=Anaamika] Frank is right about Quadgop being right! [/QUOTE] Anaamika Johnson is right about Quadgop being right, even if being third-in on an obvious recurring joke is wicked lame! ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blazing-saddles-theyre-staying-in-droves/422150/13 "2007-10-10T01:05:09Z")
[QUOTE=Qadgop the Mercotan] Ditto! [/QUOTE] “Ditto”? “Ditto”, you provincial putz? ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blazing-saddles-theyre-staying-in-droves/422150/14 "2007-10-10T01:07:13Z")
[entitled black poster] Hey…where’re all the white women? [/ebp] ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blazing-saddles-theyre-staying-in-droves/422150/15 "2007-10-10T01:07:22Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blazing-saddles-theyre-staying-in-droves/422150/16 "2007-10-10T01:12:02Z")
[QUOTE=Asimovian] [entitled black poster] Hey…where’re all the white women? [/ebp] [/QUOTE] Oh booooys! Lookie what I got here! ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blazing-saddles-theyre-staying-in-droves/422150/17 "2007-10-10T01:12:32Z")
[QUOTE=Little Nemo] 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. [/QUOTE] no sidewindin bushwackin, hornswaglin, cracker croaker is gonna rouin me bishen cutter ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blazing-saddles-theyre-staying-in-droves/422150/18 "2007-10-10T01:14:01Z")
[QUOTE=Little Nemo] 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. [/QUOTE] Now who can argue with that? ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blazing-saddles-theyre-staying-in-droves/422150/19 "2007-10-10T01:16:46Z")
[QUOTE=Qadgop the Mercotan] no sidewindin bushwackin, hornswaglin, cracker croaker is gonna rouin me bishen cutter [/QUOTE] Now that’s authentic Old West gibberish! ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blazing-saddles-theyre-staying-in-droves/422150/20 "2007-10-10T01:20:03Z")
[QUOTE=Little Nemo] 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. [/QUOTE] Harrumph! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blazing-saddles-theyre-staying-in-droves/422150.md?page=2)