Cecil cited the first use of the phrase in sports, but he did not elucidate us on the phrase’s meaning. To wit:
It’s from Wagner’s “Goetterdaemmerung”, the fourth part of his “Ring” tetralogy, and the source of every opera parody from Lou Costello to Elmer Fudd for the past 100 years.
Goetterdaemmerung is a looong opera, even by Wagnerian standards, full of gods, giants, heroes, evil dwarves, and buxom maidens with spears, breastplates and horny helmets. The buxomest of all is Brunhilde, who is in love with beefcake tenor Siegfried, the hero’s hero.
About three (in the abridged version) hours into the production, Siegfried gets killed, like any good opera hero. There is the usual drawn out death aria, followed by an over-the-top LOUD orgy of trumpet brass that comprises his funeral march. Anyone who doesn’t know the story would reasonably assume the opera is over – the hero is dead, and we just heard a song and saw a spectacle that has finale written all over it.
But not with Wagner! There’s still another good 30 - 40 minutes wherein Brunhilde (usually played by, well, a fat lady) comes out and destroys not only the whole world, but heaven, hell, the stage, the other characters, and any audience member that might get too close, singing of course all the while.
If Dan Cook originated the phrase (hard to believe it’s not older), THIS is what he was referring to.