Show business, sometimes shortened to show biz or showbiz (since ca. 1945), is a vernacular term for all aspects of entertainment, especially light entertainment. The word applies to all aspects of the entertainment industry from the business side (including managers, agents, producers and distributors) to the creative element (including artists, performers, writers, musicians and technicians). The term was in common usage throughout the 20th century but the first known use in print dates from 1850. At that time and for several decades it always included an initial the. By the latter part of the century it had acquired a slightly arcane quality associated with the era of variety, but the term is still in active use.<
Famous quotes containing the words show and/or business:
“The doctor should be opaque to his patients and, like a mirror, should show them nothing but what is shown to him.”
—Sigmund Freud (1856–1939)
“I do not claim that all women, or a large portion of them, should enter into independent business relations with the world, but I do claim that all women should cultivate and respect in themselves an ability to make money.”
—Ellen Demarest (1824–1898)