# world's tiniest violin

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-tiniest-violin/314607>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 28, 2005, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-tiniest-violin/314607 "2005-07-28T17:07:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![InfoLeech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/0ea827/32.png) [@InfoLeech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InfoLeech)\
**Post date:** [July 28, 2005, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-tiniest-violin/314607/1 "2005-07-28T17:07:04Z")

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Hi there!

I’ve looked pretty far and wide for an answer to this but I can’t find it. I’d like to know the origin of one of my favorite phrases: “the world’s tiniest violin”. In case it’s more obscure than I think, it’s used to convey extremely sarcastic pity. As in: “Oh, no - Bill Gates lost a $20 bill in the washing machine? I think I hear the world’s tiniest violin playing a song just for him.”  
I’ve also seen people rub their index finger and thumb and say to the person, “See this? It’s the world’s tiniest violin playing for you.” I always found this extremely funny.

Thanks!

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**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\
**Post date:** [July 28, 2005, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-tiniest-violin/314607/2 "2005-07-28T17:11:24Z")

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I don’t have a cite, but I would assume that the sympathy isn’t worth a full-size violin. ‘The world’s tiniest violin’ implies that the person could not possibly care less.

FWIW, the way I heard it the song was _My Heart Cries For You_.

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**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\
**Post date:** [July 28, 2005, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-tiniest-violin/314607/3 "2005-07-28T17:25:16Z")

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My father always used [“Hearts and Flowers”](http://www.wtv-zone.com/dirtyknees/floralmidi/heartsflowers.mid) as the song. It’s the generic “sad moment in the silent movie” music.