When the maestro raises his baton, you perk up because you know he’s about to cue, or signal, the orchestra to perform. “Cue the music” means you want the songs to play.Ĭue also applies to live music sets. You’re not suggesting they search Spotify and create a playlist. ![]() So you shout to your friend, “Hey, cue the music!” You’re signaling them to start playing your best party songs. Now let’s get to the good stuff: what it means to ‘cue the music.’ It’s no wonder that the cue stick strikes the cue ball and begins (cues) the game. In the game of billiards, a cue stick is the stimulus (equipment) used to begin playing pool. The cue card (teleprompter) “signals” the actor what their lines are and when to say them.Ĭue is also associated with sports. Although teleprompters have replaced cue cards, they nevertheless serve the same purpose. “It was as a cue to him, seeming to rouse him to do what he would never have dreamed of doing.”ĭirectors and producers use cue in theater and the movies. Here’s an example of the latter from Jack London’s Call of the Wild: It can also mean a hint or encouragement. So, dust off your thinking cap, and let’s discover the difference between ‘ cue the music’ and ‘queue the music.’Īccording to, a cue is defined as a signal or stimulus to begin or start something. There’s cue stick, cue cards, and of course James Bond’s tech-sidekick, Q! Just joking about Q, but you get the picture.Īside from giving you clear definitions of both words, we’ll examine their history and provide examples of how they function and are used in day-to-day life. So, does cue the music mean playing music or gathering together? Or is queue the music synonymous with music playing? Maybe they both mean the same thing, so who cares?Īdding to the conundrum are the other meanings to the word, cue. ![]() ![]() And when they’re phonetically the same as our two words cue and queue, you start pulling your hair out! If you’re like us, word meanings and their context can have you scratching your head.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |