Meaning
A whisper deliberately loud enough to be overheard, speech meant to look private while actually intended for nearby listeners; also the theatrical convention of pretending to whisper while projecting to the whole house. Frequently ironic, catching remarks that were staged to be heard while denying any such intention. Neutral and frequently ironic; it suggests the speaker wanted the remark overheard all along. Regional use: General English (theatrical origin).
Origin
The stage whisper is a theatrical convention: an actor shapes the voice as if whispering while keeping enough tone and projection for the whole auditorium to catch the words, which voice coaches describe as a whisper with a small amount of real voice added. English formed the compound in the mid-nineteenth century - Collins dates it to 1860-65 - and the earliest citation recorded at Wiktionary is from the Edinburgh Review of 1869, describing Lord Brougham announcing the result of a parliamentary division in one; Mark Twain used the verb form in 1883. The figurative use, a deliberately audible whisper meant to be overheard while pretending to be private, was established within decades of the literal one and is now the more common sense offstage.
Research Sources
References used to check this entry’s meaning, history, or documented forms.
Variants
- stage-whisper
- stage-whispered
- stage-whispering
Usage Examples
- She announced the surprise in a stage whisper that carried to the back row.
- He declared his candidacy in a stage whisper, guaranteeing every journalist in the room heard it.
- The children's stage whispers about the hidden presents gave the game away hours early.